55' Aluminum Don Brooke Expedition Yacht

Big Sky is powered by a Perkins 4-236 diesel in a stand up engine room. Her primary systems, including watermaker, refrigeration, power generation and windlass are hydraulic driven by the primary or secondary Perkins M20 diesels.

Big Sky carries 600 amp hours of AGM house bank batteries and 600 watts of solar panel generation.

Due to her moderate beam of 12’ at the waterline vs 51’ waterline, Big Sky is relatively easily driven, and therefore carries a moderate sized cutter rigged sloop sail plan with Profurl furlers on both foresails. She carries over 500 gallons diesel in two keel/bilge tanks and 200 gallons freshwater. Her hydraulic driven watermaker produces approximately 30 gallons of water per hour. She consumes approximately 1.75 gallons per hour of diesel at a cruising speed of 7.5 knots yielding a motoring range in excess of 2000 miles. Big Sky carries multiple sets of ground tackle, with 40kg Rocna on 450' of 3/8" BBB chain as primary. Her tender is a 10' aluminum Apex RIB with a 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke outboard.

Work continues on her refit in Anacortes WA. Upgrades include an aluminum hard dodger by Precision Weld Boats of Anacortes, new main, genoa, staysail, asymmetrical cruising spinnaker, standing and running rigging, upgraded and strengthened hydraulic steering system all from Ballard Sails and Rigging of Seattle, WA. Re-work of her 12v and engine driven refrigeration and freezer (utilizing holding plates with dual coolant circuits each) by Frostline Refrigeration of Bellingham, WA. Complete suite of B&G electronics, Icom radios, Vesper AIS by Big Sky Yachts.

Plans are in place for a 6-7 year voyage to New Zealand via Mexico, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific with an anticipated departure date of September, 2022. Crewing opportunities are available for select passages via Cielo Grande Expeditions also run by Pete and Amy.