Gallinero is a very different boat. She is only 4 years younger than Grand Time. It’s a 2000 model, and as we would later find out, it is the last Grand Banks 49 Classic ever built.

The boat is moored at the Quail Valley River Club in Vero Beach. It’s a gated condo marina community. The scene is very South Florida with white stucco buildings, palm trees and right next to her slip, a pool. It is very lovely if you like that sort of thing. To us it is just hot, humid and the pool was full of screaming kids. But we are on a mission.

Gallinero sitting at the marina making a good first impression — *Gallinero* sitting at the marina making a good first impression

**Condensation on the nice cold windows**

The broker, Steve Fithian, was already aboard. He had arrived earlier to turn on the air-conditioning and stage the boat. The windows were completely blocked by the condensation, but we did not complain.

The first thing that struck us as we entered the boat was the overall condition. The teak interior looked new. You’re always told that one of the problems with Florida boats is the sun exacts a heavy toll on the teak, both inside and out. The boat has blinds on all the windows and they always remained closed when not underway. That seems to have made all the difference in keeping the interior teak looking good.

This is a galley up 49, but unlike any other we have seen. She has a u-shaped galley with a forward facing double sink. The starboard door is at the helm, while the port door is just behind the U Shaped Galley.

The neat effect of all this is that the saloon seems quite separated from the galley with an excellent traffic flow. The layout addressed a negative of many 49's where the galley and the saloon seem almost one in the same.

What was most unique about this boat, and the reason we wanted to see her, was that she was a two cabin boat. In the space forward that normally houses two cabins and a full head, this boat has a single spacious VIP cabin and a generous head. There is room left over for a desk and a walk-in cedar closet.

This was a perfect two couple boat. Something that we felt would distinguish her in the NW Explorations charter fleet as well as a layout that would be perfect for our cruising style.

Karen and I once again began our picture taking and boat exploration, but this time at a much slower pace. First, because the temperature aboard was pleasant compared to yesterday’s adventure aboard Grand Time, but second and most importantly, because this boat was very intriguing to us. We have no timetable as to when we will purchase a boat and the fact that Gallinero is a Florida boat lying on the “Wrong Coast” is almost a deal breaker, but there is something about this boat we like.

Turns out that the owner of the boat has not used it much in the last four years, which is a red flag – but Gallinero has a captain. The captain regularly runs the engines, generators and other systems and keeps the boat clean and ship shape. The TLC really shows. And the comparison is not just versus Grand Time, which was at the other end of the scale, but also in the absolute compared to most any Grand Banks we have been on.

The captain has kept a log of both the travels of Gallinero and the maintenance. This is something we have not seen on most boats and it really gives you some valuable insight into the boat’s history. It feels comfortable to us both as airplane pilots, because we are used to a well-kept maintenance log book. Click here for more information on Gallinero.

We wrapped up our personal survey, said goodbye to Steve and found a place for lunch near the beach where we had steamed shrimp. Then we went back to the hotel to do some hard thinking.

And Now for Something Completely Different