53' Norseman 550 1987

“Spirit of Australia” is a proven blue water sailboat.  Built by Ta Shing maker of Nordhaven, Mason, Taswell, and Norseman, she was the collaborative product of Robert Perry, Gary Grant, and an Australian couple.  Like her smaller sister ships, the Norseman 447’s, she offers similar lines but extended to 53.5 feet overall. The first one of seven produced, she is the only one with the originally designed factory installed hard dodger  Initially commissioned in Fort Lauderdale she has sailed worldwide and is fully capable of continuing to do so. 

With her present owner she sailed extensively in the San Francisco Bay before passages to British Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Cartagena, Cayman Islands, Key West, Miami, Nassau, Exumas, Abacos and Fort Lauderdale where she presently sits behind a private home. 

She has been constantly cared for and at this time is having her teak decks removed and paint and non-skid refreshed.  Her galley and both heads are resurfaced and refixtured. Her mast has been pulled twice.  Her interior includes a full width mural showing her owner racing in the Heineken Cup in Saint Maarten as part of the Hugo Boss Farr 65 sailing fleet.

This powerful blue water cruiser is turn-key! She has a substantial inventory of cruising gear, spare parts & tools. The only F1 factory hard dodger, triple Reckmann hydraulic furlers, Barlow 36 powered primaries, Hood vertically battened main. Updated Raymarine HD radar and plotter & I-pad navigation station.Brand new aft Cruisair AC, Mercedes OM35L with Wiseman conversion, Onan 6.5kw marine genset, Samsung & Polk-audio entertainment system.