Madeleine

About Madeleine

Sailed Only Once, Never Touched Ocean Salt Water,  Covered Most Of Her Life, Less Than 96 Original Hours On Her Diesel, Less Than 5 Original Hours On Her Set. An Amazing Offering. For World Voyaging, One CAN NOT Find Any Better Of A Boat To Do It In.

An amazing opportunity presents itself! If you have been mourning the loss of one of the greatest boat builders ever…if you were always going to buy one…you need to act now! There is one last Valiant 50 available. Sailed only once. As new as new can get.

You already know that the Valiant is legendary. This is the standard against which blue water boats are measured. More cruising couples and solo sailors have chosen Valiant than any other boat. The Valiant 50 was developed in 1997 based on a modernization of the Valiant 47 made famous by several solo circumnavigations. As you read all the details in the full specs, we have tried to do justice to this incredible last Valiant 50. This is the last one, and she just might be the best one. Here are some highlights…

While Valiant builds every boat to robust and exacting standards, each new owner can specify details and customize the boat. Many new owners do not have experience to plan ahead, but this owner had a lot of experience! His goal was to use his experience to define the specifications for the ultimate comfortable, safe, and maintenance free tropical cruising experience. While so many Valiant owners were drawn to a beautiful solid color hull, he chose a beautiful White which is so much cooler for life in the tropics. Instead of the traditional Valiant cove stripe, he spec’d a single blue line stem to stern that is so elegant. The decks are a cream that is soft on your eyes in the tropical sun, and I think he copied that from us and a few other specifics we love!

Every system from electrical requirements to plumbing was carefully considered based on the real experience.

With regard to safety, having sailed thousands of ocean miles, he understood that you must plan for the weather you certainly hope you will never see.  Valiant is probably among the strongest boats built and starting with that as a platform he set out to make the boat even stronger! He had the factory add an additional layer of 1.5 oz matt and 24 oz woven roving from the keel sump to the sheer, so indeed, this Valiant 50 is the strongest of the strong. A single thru hull for water intake supplies the engine, generator, deck wash down, and water maker which was to be installed later. There are only four thru hulls in the boat, all on the starboard side for easy access, and all with bronze ball valve sea cocks! Extra cleats and chocks mid ship are installed in solid fiberglass to make it so much more secure when you tie up the boat for a hurricane. He enjoyed planning for every event that will likely not ever happen, but….so he had Valiant build custom stern hardware (essentially two robust and firmly anchored chain plates!) that allow for a bulletproof means of attaching a drogue. Wow!

No big Maintenance Ever was the goal. Everything that could be done to make the boat totally trouble free ever, was done. Sometimes at great cost! Well, his cost! Your benefit! For example, there is solid fiberglass in lieu of high density foam in critical areas including chain plates, staysail track, handrails. There is high density foam instead of Balsa in other areas. He looked at every aspect of the build and upgraded it. Truly this boat will last forever! Every known point of wear has been addressed with an upgrade. For example the chain locker bulkhead has an extra layer of fiberglass. How do you make the world’s toughest boat tougher! More!

The interior was also well thought out based on his cruising in the tropics and what really works at sea and at anchor. Valiant did not need too many tweaks; however, he still took advantage of every opportunity to make the boat even better. Every item was considered in terms of comfort and safety.

This vessel took over a year and a half to complete at a cost of near 850K. PLUS ANOTHER 100K for the generator/espar and two ac/heat systems after build. We have the invoices also for sails, electronics, and safety gear to include $150K in inventory purchased separately, including all the electronics, radar, plotter, SSB, sailing instruments, Quantum sails, Dinghy, and safety gear. One more trip to West Marine is all you need to hop aboard and sail anywhere. This is even better than buying a brand new boat, someone did it for you.

Highlights of the Factory Options include:

• NEVER SAILED IN AN OCEAN, never saltwater, only once on the Chesapeake Bay.
• Sailed ONLY ONCE from Annapolis to Washington, DC
• LESS THAN 96 HOURS ON HER DIESEL
• LESS THAN 5 HOURS ON HER 8KW GENSET
• EVERYTHING IS STILL NEW
• Two zone Two system AC/Heat
• Espar diesel heat thru-out boat
• Major Entertainment Systems
• Complete with Radar, Plotter, SSB, VHF, Sailing Instruments, Autopilot, Monitor windvane
• Complete suite of Quantum sails and storm sails!
• Complete with dinghy!
• Valiant Arch with outboard lifting crane and Davit System
• Valiant Hard Dodger
• Custom hand hold in companionway
• Upgraded hull layup schedule
• Upgraded Monel keel bolts, instead of stainless steel, very expensive
• Upgraded cleats and mounting
• Upgrade to Hood stainless steel hatches
• Upgraded bronze ball valve sea cocks
• Upgraded cleats and two extra cleats and chocks mid ship
• Attachment points for a drogue or tow rope on the stern
• Custom folding pad eyes for dinghy tie down
• Custom bow roller attachments for spinnaker and for kedge anchor
• Tides marine rudder bearing
• Upgraded batteries and custom installation - eight AGM Lifeline Concord GPL 31T batteries instead of standard gel
• 12 volt refrigeration with two plates in freezer and one in fridge with thermostat
• Upgrade to Max prop and line cutter spurs
• Upgrade to custom Dual Racor system
• Spurs – prop shaft line cutter
• Custom prep for water maker installation
• Stern anchor, hawse pipe and roller with chain/rode locker
• Upgrade to bronze scupper drains
• Wema gauges for tanks
• Upgrade to additional propane locker plumbing
• Custom extra wide port settee (berth)
• Upgrade to pull out port settee to make double berth
• Custom extra large V berth – this is way bigger!
• Custom aft cabin arrangement with lee board
• Customized nav station
• Courtesy red and white interior lights LED
• Corian counters “Savannah” with custom back splash also
• Seagull filtered water
• Cabinet extension in galley with extra storage and more counter space
• Locking fridge and freezer lids and for dry storage
• Custom fiddles to make use of all storage spots
• Upgrade to Force 10 stove
• Upgrades to LED nav lights
• Upgrades to cabin lighting – all LED with red and white lights for
• Complete electronics, navigation and communication all installed at the factory
• Chocks on deck for second downwind pole
• All control lines led to the cockpit
• And the list goes on and on….read on

  And you can add anything you want because she is still indoors at the factory!

It would be incredibly easy for you to add custom cabinetry or additional systems that you might desire for your cruising plans.  The Valiant Factory is ready, willing, and able to accommodate your desires to make this boat your own brand new Valiant 50! She doesn’t even have a name and hailing port.

It is truly an honor to be able to offer the last new Valiant 50 to the world. For 35 years, Valiant Yachts remained in constant production building one of the world’s very best boats.

Hull Construction Details

The hull is hand laid of solid fiberglass in a female mold. The gelcoat is sprayed first into the mold and then the layup of the fiberglass completed. The layup schedule of fiberglass mat and woven roving is robust. The Valiant hull is the strongest hull imaginable as you will agree when you hold a cross section in your hands. However, the owner who commissioned this Valiant added an extra pass of the 1.5 oz mat and 24oz woven roving from keel sump to the radius to the sheer. Only Isophthalic resin is used on the premises. It is catalyzed in one-gallon increments and dyed red to ensure the proper wet out of the fiberglass. Valiant’s massive rub rail is structurally part of the hull. The hull is reinforced the entire length of the rub rail substrate of structural high density foam which is molded with an indentation to accept the sacrificial teak rub rail with a stainless steel strake. It is a serious structural element, not screwed on after the fact.

The construction of the Valiant is bullet proof and this one is even more so with the additional layer of 1.5 oz matt and 24 oz woven roving from the keel sump to the sheer. Even her owner admits this might be overkill, but when you go to the high latitudes, you might appreciate the strongest hull you can have.

• Hand laid solid fiberglass hull
• Robust layup schedule with an extra pass of fiberglass mat and woven roving
• Extra pass added to layup schedule!
• Isophthalic resin catalyzed in one-gallon increment
• Minimized thru hulls – total of four!
• Massive structural rub rail with teak overlay and stainless steel striker
• Deck is solid glass where hardware is mounted, with special attention on this boat to reinforce high stress areas and ensure that every potential for water intrusion was eliminated
• Strategic placement of deck hatches and dorades so that the dinghy can easily fit on the foredeck and water ingress could be minimized in any condition
• Hatches upgraded to Hood Stainless Steel Hatches (instead of aluminum) These are beautiful, forever!
• Latitudinal stringers of structural foam laminate glassed in
• Solid glassed in bulkheads and all furniture glassed in also
• Horizontal and vertical elements are fiber glassed to the hull sides and to the ceiling when the deck goes on
• Hull deck joint through bolted on four and half inch centers and glued with 3M5200.
• Sea cocks below the waterline are bronze ball valves
• Chain plates through bolted with backing plates
• Only high quality stainless steel is used
• Hull insulated with closed cell engine room insulated with “Sound Stop”

• External lead keel with 18 J bolts of 3/4 inch steel and glued with 5200
• Upgraded Monel keel bolts instead of stainless steel
• Skeg of laminated structural foam
• Backing plates on all structural elements
• Solid stainless steel rudder shaft steel rudder core
• cast bronze protective rudder shoe
• Imron polyurethane topsides in white with thin blue stripe
• Double boot strip
• Epoxy barrier coat
• Marine anti fouling paint
• Deck nonskid in soft golden cream

The Deck and Cockpit

The deck is constructed in the same manner as the hull in a female mold. Normally, solid fiberglass or fiberglass over structural foam is used in any high stress areas so that every area where deck fittings or hardware are bedded, the area is solid fiberglass. The rest of the deck is cored with end-grain balsa which has properties that allow it to soak up the resins and adhere to the laminate fiberglass to form a solid deck. The deck hatch placement was also carefully considered and installed using Valiant’s hatch boss system with upgrades to ensure that green water on the deck will never slide under the hatch into the galley!

Every component mounted on the deck is mounted on solid fiberglass to eliminate moisture intrusion and backing plates to ensure strength. When Valiant installs it, there is no opportunity for moisture intrusion in the deck and that is why this owner had Valiant do everything at the factory. Additionally in every area this construction was upgraded from closed cell foam to solid glass. All with the intent to make the boat bulletproof, forever! All of the deck hardware is the best quality, from the Hood stainless steel ports and hatches to Lewmar winches. Valiant stainless steel work is fabulous and they fabricate everything at the factory using only the highest quality steel. The toe rail is aluminum giving you the ability to attach blocks as you need to. The toe rail is bedded with 5200 and through bolted to the hull deck flange. Stainless steel stanchions are bulwark mounted, the way you want them, and support 31” high double life lines.

Deck Details:

• Two tone deck, white gelcoat with painted nonskid in cream
• Hood high quality Man Ship stainless steel deck hatches (six) instead of Lewmar Ocean hatches (aluminum)
• Frontward hatch placed aft on the cabin house instead of on the deck, which is better for Vberth layout and ocean sailing
• Hood stainless steel opening ports with screens
• Six mooring cleats including mid-ship cleats, all 12-inch stainless steel, upsized on this boat
• Additional set of mooring cleats and chocks mid ship
• Turning blocks, double sheaves
• Aluminum toe rail accepts blocks where you need them
• Deck scuppers drain at the waterline to keep the hull sides clean
• Upgraded fancy bronze scuppers on deck and in the cockpit
• Mast collar is custom Valiant made with stainless steel tie rod from deck to hull
• Control lines led aft to the cockpit with all the deck hardware installed properly by Valiant
• Valiant bowsprit with anchor double anchor roller
• Custom spinnaker tack on the bow roller
• Bow plate for kedging attachment
• Valiant stern rail solid to boarding gates
• Life lines, double 31” high with boarding gates port and starboard
• Swim ladder with teak steps folds and stows on the life lines either port or starboard
• Two dorades with dorade boxes and guards placed at the mast so you can step up on them to reach the head of the sail! (And they are not on the foredeck in the way of the dinghy for an offshore passage
• Folding Wichard pad eyes on the foredeck for dinghy tie down
• Deck plates for fuel fill and water fill and waste pumpout
• Recessed genoa tracks and cars mounted properly on solid glass
• Pad eyes for your jack lines are installed
• Running backstays installed (Amsteel instead of wire)
• The Valiant vang/preventer system is installed
• Valiant arch with outboard lifting crane integrated
• Davits system integrated with the arch (removable)

Cockpit Details:

The Valiant cockpit is also comfortable with the Valiant hard dodger that will be your best friend. The steering is pedestal mounted wheel steering and wide comfortable seating and cockpit combings. The cockpit is long enough to lie down. The combings are high and comfortable with a flat top so you can perch on them. The cockpit lockers port and starboard and aft lazarettes have deep gutters for drainage. Even the cockpit drains are upgraded with beautiful bronze scuppers.

• Valiant hard dodger
• Binnacle with Edson Pedestal radial drive steering
• Custom hardware for Monitor Windvane steering is installed on the pedestal
• Richie binnacle compass
• Raymarine Autopilot controls at the companionway for ocean sailing
• Cockpit shower, hot and cold in the combing box
• 12 volt outlet in the combing box
• Emergency tiller
• Large cockpit lockers port and starboard
• Propane lockers aft for 20 lb tanks. Tank installed on port side and starboard locker is ready
• Propane lockers have removable bins for access to the steering quadrant
• Stern anchor set up with hawse pipe and anchor roller as well as rode storage below the propane locker in the stern

Ground Tackle:

• Valiant fabricated double bow rollers and divided chain locker below decks
• Lighthouse Electric Windlass with custom handheld remote control
• Deck washdown, anchor wash system with custom intake arrangement instead of dedicated thru hull
• Chain locker forward with capability to pull extra chain aft
• Crosby Anchor Shackle
• Primary bow anchor is Delta Fastset 70lb with 300’ HT chain and Snubber
• Secondary bow anchor is 45 lb Lewmar CQR Anchor with 50’ HT chain and 200’ rode
• Stern anchor is Fortress Type #22 with 3’ chain and rode
• Stern anchor system installed below propane tank with a hass pipe chain roller as well as an anchor mount

Dinghy:

• Brand new Dinghy 9.6 ABS
• Outboard motor mount on the stern rail

Other and Safety Equipment

• Vendors – Four new Twin eye Fenders
• Danfender Fender Step
• Dock lines (new)
• Large cockpit drains
• Fire extinguishers (three) – Large ones!
• Wooden plugs
• Davis telescoping boat hook - new
• Winslow, six-person raft in cockpit locker (out of date)
• Custom life raft storage
• Manual bilge pump in the cockpit
• Horseshoe and pole
• Wind vane steering system – Monitor installed by Valiant
• Emergency tiller
• CO detector
• GFI outlets
• High water bilge alarm
• Pad Eyes for Jack lines
• Lee cloths