Odin 820

There are many reviews for the Odin 820, a 28’ motor sailor that includes the comparisons to others like her in the market place. This is not one of them. All that good stuff can be found on the website www.odin-marine.com. Me, I’m a traditional keel boater. I love getting a thoroughbred boat well-tuned with the rail down, going as fast as we can with all the excitement of pushing the boat to her limits. Seeing the water creaming down the hull of a go fast sailboat gives me as much of a thrill at 60 as it did at 20.

Now along comes Bernie Benovitch, the Canadian distributor for Odin and a friend of mine. He asked me to go for a ride on the 820 to experience the boat and get my comments. I must admit I was not expecting much, however, read on.

I got the cooks tour, up, down and around the boat to poke into every nook and cranny, opening everything I could. My first impressions were good. Well-appointed with lots of space, good mechanics and attention to detail that is readily evident. There was ample comfort for my 6’, 200 lbs frame for standing, sleeping and sitting. The galley is functional and stylish. Access to cupboards, storage and mechanics is easy and innovative. There’s lots of room on this boat!

Ok–let’s go. Getting off the dock was no hassle. In fact, it was quite easy compared to a fixed drive. We started with the motoring performance. A 75hp Honda 4-stroke got us up quickly on plane and the maneuverability was as good as many power boats I’ve handled in a light chop. There were some cavitations on really tight turns that were not a concern. I held our speed at about 18 knots but felt I could get more out it. Then poof, we ran out gas. I suspect Bernie did this on purpose so that he could show off how easy it is to refill on board from a gas can. Quite simple.

Now for the sailing. Open water ballast, up engine, down rudders and board. All within minutes. Quite impressive. Hoisting sail is a snap. The jib is furled and the main is in a cradle pack. This makes for a minimum of on deck time with no need to handle the sails. The breeze was light at 8 knots that I knew would not stress the boat’s capabilities so imagine my surprise when she got up to 4 knots on a reach. This is definitely not a slug. On all points of sail she handled well and exceeded my expectations for a motor sailor.

When it was time to go home, dropping the sails is just as easy. Furl the jib and drop the main into its cradle pack and zip it up. Up board and rudders, open air to let the water ballast out, down engine, start and go. Under way the remainder of the water ballast drains and you’re off at a fast clip to home base–be that a dock, beach or trailer.

“I’ve been a traditional keel boater for 40 years but this boat gave me pause to consider other boat styles and their merits. As a compromise for motoring and sailing it is really quite elegant – Odin has it figured out.”

Note: The ODIN 820 has a second name in Europe–Imexus 27. All future models will be called Imexus.

www.imexusyachts.com

To see if this boat is available, go to http://www.boatcan.com for listings!

By Bob Sullivan

Neptunus 650F Review

By Andy Adams

Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario.

Destinations

The Other Virgin Islands

By Mark Stevens

I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.

A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.