26 colgate sailboat

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About the Colgate 26

The Family Sport Boat, for day sailing, round-the-buoy racing, trailering and training. Designed by Steve Colgate and naval architect Jim Taylor, Colgate 26 has been the official training vessel of the US Naval and Coast Guard Academies. The Colgate 26 is also the “Navy 26”, used for the naval academy’s Colgate racing fleet. Steve insisted that the Colgate 26 meet Offshore Sailing School’s insurance requirements and recommendations. “Those criteria would meet or far exceed any established for an individual or fleet owner interested in buying this fun, fast, and safe boat,” he said. The Colgate 26 has been sailed by some of the top racers in the world.

Class Information:

Class Contact:  Steve Colgate     

Class Contact Email:   [email protected]      

Class Contact Phone:  239-985-7505  

Class Website:   colgate26.com       

Social Media:   Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Youtube   

Class Specs

LOA:  25 ft. 8 in.

LWL:  20 ft.

Beam:  8 ft. 6 in.

Draft:  4 ft. 6 in.

Weight:  2,600 lbs. 

The Colgate 26 fleet was in full use during Offshore Sailing School’s 20th Anniversary Performance Race Week with North U. coaches in April 2021.

Contact Offshore Sailing School at 888-454-7016, or email  [email protected] , for information on Performance Sailing certification courses, and future racing programs.

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• Sailboat Guide

Colgate 26 is a 25 ′ 7 ″ / 7.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Jim Taylor and built by Precision Boat Works starting in 1996.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Originally commissioned and developed by Steve and Doris Colgate for use at their sailing schools. A number have also been sold to US Coast Guard, US Navy, and Maine Maritime Academies for both instruction and intercollegiate competition. A shoal draft version is also available: Draft: 3.5’ Disp.: 2800 lbs. Bal.: 1250 lbs.

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Affordable daysailer that packs a performance punch while offering a stable ride

When Steve Colgate, Olympic sailor and founder of Offshore Sailing School, decided to update his vast fleet of Solings in 1996, he knew just what he wanted. After 35 years of sailing and teaching, Colgate was looking for a durable, safe boat that could be easily handled by novices but also offered the prospect of great performance. Most importantly, the boat had to be affordable. Colgate was convinced that if properly executed this new boat would not only be successful as a trainer but also appeal to the broader sailing public.

When the industry's major manufacturers failed to meet his demands, Colgate decided to develop the boat himself. Teaming up with designer Jim Taylor, whose credits include the handsome Sabre lineup, Colgate created an intriguing boat that bridges the gulf between sluggish pocket cruisers and rocket ship sport boats that require a high level of skill to handle. With a sail-away price of less than $30,000, it appears that Colgate's premise was right on the money. More than 100 of the boats have already been sold.

Few boats have been as carefully conceived as the new Colgate 26. An LOA of 25 feet, 8 inches, for example, means that the Coast Guard classifies the boat as a Class I vessel (Class II is 26 to 40 feet), which limits basic requirements and helps keep the cost down. Also, Colgate notes that many homeowner's insurance policies give automatic watercraft liability coverage for boats under 26 feet. The beam of 8 feet, 6 inches is the maximum legal width for highway towing. Storing the boat on a trailer in your driveway is another way to lower the cost of sailing.

The details Practicality aside, the rest of the dimensions add to up to a fine sailing boat that can handle a breeze and keep moving in the lightest airs. The LWL of 20 feet is a bit deceptive, since the counter stern is carried far aft, creating a handy instructor's perch behind the tiller. Students feel secure in the cockpit with a seat-level, inboard transom supporting the rudder post and tiller, but beyond that an open stern allows for easy access onto the boat in case of a man-overboard emergency. The bow overhang is moderate, and the hull form features a flattish forefoot and firm bilges. The standard keel carries 1,050 pounds of ballast and translates into a draft of 4 feet, 6 inches. A shoal-draft option adds 200 pounds of ballast and slices off a foot of draft. The ballast-to-displacement ratio is 40 percent, which accounts for the 26's stiffness when sailing upwind, while the displacement-to-length ratio of 145 helps explain its exciting off-the-wind performance.

The hull is solid fiberglass, further demonstrating that practical considerations ruled the day. Any sailing school boat is going to receive a few nicks and scrapes along the way, and a solid hull is much easier to repair. Private owners also appreciate the durability of a solid glass hull. The hull and deck are joined on a flange, bonded chemically and through-bolted before being covered with a rubber bumper. The hull is beefed up in the bow, under the stanchion bases, around mast support area and in the bottom of the boat where the stainless steel keel bolts are attached. The deck is cored with Core-cell foam for rigidity. Positive foam flotation makes the 26 virtually unsinkable.

On deck Although the Colgate 26 is sometimes called a pocket cruiser, most sailors will use the boat for daysailing. The cockpit is well designed and accommodates four adults with ease. The mainsheet traveler runs across the inboard transom, allowing for efficient end-boom sheeting and keeps the cockpit clear. The mainsheet is double-ended, with the forward end leading to a cleat on a barney post on the sole, and the aft end leading to the traveler. This arrangement gives the instructor easy access to the sheet in case of emergencies; much like the passenger-side brake pedal in a driving school car.

The Harken No. 16 self-tailing sheet winches for the small, nonoverlapping roller-furling jib are set on the aft end of the cabintop. While this arrangement is ideal for teaching, it makes it more challenging to tack when singlehanded sailing. The stout wooden tiller is about the only piece of wood on the boat. A bracket for an outboard motor is mounted astern with a cockpit locker specifically designed for engine storage. The cockpit and lockers are self-draining, a vast improvement over the Soling.

The deck features a secure nonskid pattern and oversized, well-supported stanchions. Forward of the cockpit, the lifelines are conventional coated wire rope, terminating at a sensible pulpit that does not extend forward of the bow. Aft, the lifelines convert to solid stainless tubing, offering extra support when seated and a secure handhold when moving about the deck. The hardware is exclusively Harken, including the headsail furling system. The main, jib and spinnaker are by North Sails and are part of the standard package.

Down below The interior is small, but like the rest of the boat, it is well thought out. It would be fun to spend a weekend sailing and camping. The V-berths are 7 feet, 3 inches long, making them more than sleepable if the weather prohibits sleeping in the cockpit. A portable head, insulated ice chest, optional sink and alcohol stove make the boat more comfortable for weekend cruising. A VHF radio is standard equipment, and a soft solar panel designed to be left in the cockpit will keep the battery topped off when you're away from the boat. Once the cushions are removed the interior can be literally hosed down for quick and easy clean up.

Under way I was quite impressed with the 26's performance during a recent sail off Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico. While my wife and daughters attended Offshore Sailing School's weekend learn-to-sail course, instructor Christian Pschorr and I grabbed an empty boat and tacked out through Red Fish Pass. On the wind, the 26 points very high, and we tracked past an ugly shoal and into deep water.

The helm is very light, and even when the afternoon sea breeze finally piped up to a 12-to-15-knot range, it was fingertip control on the tiller. The cockpit offers good leg support, and the stainless railing really lends a sense of security when the boat heels. Falling off the wind, the boat accelerated as we gained sea room on a close reach.

The boat felt powerful in the water, but completely under control and quite stiff. The purchase on the mainsheet was more than adequate, and as my daughter later proved, the small headsail can be trimmed by child, even in a blow. The gulf was choppy, but the 26 sliced through the waves without pounding. The rubrail tended to deflect spray, keeping the cockpit surprisingly dry.

I manned the helm while Pschorr set up the spinnaker. The small chute really turbocharged the boat, and we zipped back toward the inlet, occasionally getting up on top of a wave. Pschorr, who is Offshore's Captiva Branch Director, told me that he is most impressed with how the boat performs in heavy air, noting that it really has a wind range of 5 to 35 knots. We made our way back through the pass and tacked our way up the narrow channel before easing the boat into the slip under sail.

The Colgate 26 is appeals on many levels. It's safe, affordable, easy to maintain and very handsome. However, its nimble and spirited performance is clearly its best feature.

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Colgate 26 Boats for sale

2003 Colgate 26

Charlevoix, Michigan

Make Colgate

Posted Over 1 Month

2003 Colgate 26 This 2003 Colgate 26 Hull #176 truly fit the needs of today's recreational sailor. The Colgate 26 puts the fun back into sailing by combining excellent performance with safety and durability at exceptional value. A spacious cockpit provides room for the whole family plus friends, and below is roomy storage for both daysailing and weekending. The computer-designed underbody creates stability and exceptional performance in both light and heavy air. The effective rudder allows excellent maneuverability and easy steerage in even the most extreme conditions. Durable fiberglass construction minimizes upkeep, and the deck-to-hull joint is through-bolted and covered by a custom extruded, hard rubber guard. Extra reinforcement has been added to the keel / hull junction as well as to all other high impact areas. The use of CoreCell foam adds additional strength to the deck and cockpit. This is a one-owner, fresh water boat that has seen light use and has been well maintained.

2007 Colgate 26 Shoal Draft

Jersey City, New Jersey

Model 26 Shoal Draft

Category Sailboats

2007 Colgate 26 Shoal Draft Fast, handsome, well maintained example of a beautiful flag blue (repainted 2012), shoal draft Colgate 26. Designed by the formidable team of Steve Colgate and Naval Architect Jim Taylor, this versatile keel boat has proven to be  popular for day sailors, racers and pocket cruisers.The same model the US Naval Academy selected as its sail trainer, and Cruising World magazine named best pocket cruiser. Performs well and is easy to sail with newer sails and engine!

26' 1997 Colgate 26

Charlotte, Vermont

Please contact owner Andy at 802-425-4106. Boat is located in Charlotte, Vermont. Raymarine ST60 depth, speed, wind. Nice interior cushions, spinnaker, 100 genny, harken roller furler, lazy jacks, tandem axle Performance trailer. Super easy to sail, fun and fast. Giant cockpit. Do some research on this boat....it is a great boat.Sad to sell.

2000 Colgate 26

Oberlin, Ohio

Make Precision

Model Colgate 26

Category Daysailer Sailboats

Length 26.0

2000 Colgate 26 sailboat with Performance galvanized twin axle trailer with four new tires located in Ohio on beautiful Lake Erie. Fresh water boat and trailer. All standard features offered from Precision Boatworks. 2004 Mercury 4hp two stroke (the last year they built them) extremely light to lift (26lbs), yet pushes boat along at 7 knots. Shure main plus 2013 Gus 100% jib with vertical battens on Harken roller furler. A- sail plus Sym spinnaker and gear, pole chocks on stanchions. Bottom paint is fresh water VC-17. Lots of extras including battery charger, Raymarine wind instruments etc, This is a great family or entertaining boat and easily seats eight adults in the cockpit. Six is comfortable with lots of room to move. Also performs on the race course with PHRF rating. I do have a brand new 140% headsail that has never been used.

2000 Precision Colgate 26

2000 Colgate 26 sailboat with Performance galvanized twin axle trailer with four new tires located in Ohio on beautiful Lake Erie. Fresh water boat and trailer. All standard features offered from Precision Boatworks. 2004 Mercury 4hp two stroke (the last year they built them) extremely light to lift (26lbs), yet pushes boat along at 7 knots. Shure mail plus 2013 Gus 100% jib with vertical battens on Harken roller furler. A- sail plus Sym spinnaker and gear, pole chocks on stanchions. Bottom paint is fresh water VC-17. Lots of extras including battery charger, Raymarine wind instruments etc, This is a great family or entertaining boat and easily seats eight adults in the cockpit. Six is comfortable with lots of room to move. Also performs on the race course with PHRF rating. I do have a brand new 140% headsail that has never been used.

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The Colgate 26 is a 25.67ft fractional sloop designed by Jim Taylor and built in fiberglass by Precision Boat Works since 1996.

375 units have been built..

The Colgate 26 is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Colgate 26 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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COLGATE 26 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of COLGATE 26. Built by Precision Boat Works and designed by Jim Taylor, the boat was first built in 1996. It has a hull type of Fin Keel w/bulb and LOA is 7.82. Its sail area/displacement ratio 28.67. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

COLGATE 26 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about COLGATE 26 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, contributions, who designed the colgate 26.

COLGATE 26 was designed by Jim Taylor.

Who builds COLGATE 26?

COLGATE 26 is built by Precision Boat Works.

When was COLGATE 26 first built?

COLGATE 26 was first built in 1996.

How long is COLGATE 26?

COLGATE 26 is 6.1 m in length.

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Learn to sail , learn how to confidently handle a live-aboard yacht, or head over the horizon on a passage making course at one of our Florida  or  British Virgin Islands getaways. Embrace the sailing and boating lifestyle with an Offshore Sailing School Fast Track® experience and open a whole new world of fun adventures on the water!  Take sailing lessons or boating lessons, then join one of our amazing hosted sailing vacations in the Caribbean and exotic locales, and see the world under sail!

At Steve and Doris Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School, in-depth sailing lessons and powerboat courses give you the skills to captain your own yacht or skipper a chartered yacht in idyllic island retreats. If you are new to Offshore Sailing School, we welcome you to a whole new lifestyle.  If you are already an Offshore Sailing School graduate, welcome back and thank you for being one of our more than 160,000 graduates!

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See What People Are Saying

This performance course was one of the most challenging and satisfying weeks! We came away feeling deeply “grounded” in our knowledge of better sailing techniques. And setting the spinnaker was a blast. Our instructor was the best of any we have come across. He made all the abstracts of the course book concrete in the class and on the water. In addition he was patient and kind and inspired us to continue to learn.

Laura Briggs

The Learn to Sail course was a fabulous learning  experience. Loved learning to sail, especially since we began with zero knowledge of the sport. We can’t wait to take another course and continue our sailing adventure. Our instructor was excellent – great teaching skills, very knowledgeable, made learning fun.

Jill and Daniel Delmont

High points of my trip: First is the fun I had on the Colgate 26 and the confidence I developed sailing a small boat in strong winds and decent size waves. Second is the confidence and patience of my cruising instructor and how his attitude for the sea is contagious. Several times we practiced man-overboard to pick up trash that had fallen off someone else’s boat. His combination of being good steward of our oceans and his asking me to put theory to practice are inspiring. Third is the confidence I gained. I’ve been sailing my Catalina 28 and J/24 on a small Indiana lake for the past decade and I wasn’t sure what sailing on the Gulf of Mexico would bring; by the middle of my week at Offshore Sailing School I knew I was up to the task. I am confident sailing and docking the large Jeanneau 439. I’m ready for the next step in my sailing education. It is not a coincidence that my three standout memories from my OSS experience involve confidence. OSS develops within its students confidence in their instructors, confidence in the boats, and most importantly confidence in their other abilities. Thank you to you and your wonderful team.

Timothy J. Fry

“The navigation portion of the Fast Track course was great. I plan on using it on my next sail.”

“Took my husband 26 years to talk me into this. I ended up loving it just as much as he did. I can’t swim and thought I would be scared the whole time. We ended up acing the test. On the water we felt safe, secure and confident we could become sailors. Can’t wait to do it again. ”

Amy and Crockett Hopper

Jim and I just got off the catamaran from our Passage Making course (now called Advanced Cruising). We had an invaluable experience. No matter what your skill level in sailing, no matter how much you think you know or you know you don’t know, there is more to learn. Because of the instructors, I have the confidence in any situation to say to myself, this must be done and I can do it.

the Fast Track to Catamaran Cruising course was great. All our instructors were ‘sailors’ and ‘teachers.’ They made learning easy and sailing fun.

Terry Brabb

the Fast Track to Offshore Passage Course 106/108 is great. More work than the other courses I have taken, and more rewarding too. The instructors were excellent, they make the course. Overall, this course was a great experience.

Thomas Grier

“It was one of the most challenging and satisfying weeks! We came away feeling deeply ‘grounded’ in our knowledge of better sailing techniques. And setting the spinnaker was a blast. A fantastic week!”

Laura and Dave Briggs

I was quite pleased with the comprehensiveness of the Online Learn to Sail course. There is a lot of information and I found it good to go back and review as I did not have time to complete it in one sitting. I think there is much there to continue to review, certainly for beginners, but suppose for well-seasoned sailors also. Thank you. Nice program.

Charlie Dixon

Money well spent. Would do it again, but I don’t need to! After only 5 days of classroom and power cruising time, I feel confident that I can better handle my boat in a variety of situations.

The Fast Track to Cruising course far exceeded our  expectations! We had a great time and learned a ton. It was an amazing week. The best money we’ve every spent! Cheyenne is a great instructor. His calm and unflappable demeanor kept me calm and focused on the task at hand. He is very knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge and experience. He’s also a great host!

Deanna McCollian

Watch CBS News

Virginia couple missing in Grenada and feared killed after yacht allegedly stolen by escaped criminals

By Nikki Battiste, Tucker Reals

Updated on: February 27, 2024 / 4:48 PM EST / CBS News

Two Americans who planned to spend the winter on a yacht in the Caribbean were officially missing Monday, but feared to have been killed  after their boat was stolen by prison escapees in Grenada. Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry were last seen a week ago near a beach in the small island nation. Police found their sailboat, and captured three escaped criminals whom they believe stole it.

The couple was likely thrown into the ocean and died, police in Grenada said Monday. "Information suggests that while traveling between Grenada and St Vincent, (the suspects) disposed of the occupants," Don McKenzie, police commissioner of the Royal Grenada Police Force, said at a news conference .

Grenadan police were still searching for the couple, who are from Northern Virginia, and they told CBS News' Washington, D.C., affiliate WUSA that no bodies had been found.

Family and friends have described the couple as seasoned sailors who just last year sailed their yacht, named Simplicity, from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua. They confirmed that the pair had been vacationing in Grenada, where their boat was docked.

In a statement Tuesday, the couple's family said that Hendry and Brandel sailed the eastern coast of the U.S., living on their yacht, "making friends with everyone they encountered, singing, dancing and laughing with friends and family."

"It's just really sad," said longtime friend K.C. McAlpin, who added that Brandel and Hendry had planned to make this their "last grand trip" on Simplicity.

Instead, things may have taken a very tragic turn. The couple went missing on Feb. 19, one day after police in Grenada say three convicted criminals escaped from custody. 

The three men — identified as Ron Mitchell, 30, Trevon Robertson, 19, and Abita Stanislaus, 25 — were arrested in December over an alleged violent robbery. Mitchell also faced one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault and causing harm.

All three were recaptured Wednesday, Feb. 21. The yacht was also found that same day, Brandel's 71st birthday, abandoned on a beach on the nearby island of St. Vincent.    

The police believe the men hijacked the couple's yacht in Grenada and then traveled to St. Vincent.

Police said they found evidence suggesting the pair were killed, but the Americans' deaths have not been confirmed and the investigation was still in its early stages, they stressed.

"Several items were strewn on the deck and in the cabin, and a red substance that resembled blood was seen on board," said police spokesman Junior Simmons 

Over the weekend, family members released a statement thanking officials and those who had helped gather information, saying it "means so much to us that so many people care for Ralph and Kathy."

"We live in world that at times can be cruel, but it's also a world of profound beauty, wonder, adventure, love, compassion, caring, and faith," the family said on Tuesday. "Our parents encompassed all those values and so much more. If we have learned anything from this tragic event, it's that we know they left this world in a better place than it was before they were born."

McAlpin said the couple always made friends easily and he hoped they would be remembered for their big hearts.

"They were just a delightful couple and a real blessing in my life, and the lives of so many other people," he said.

• Missing Persons

Nikki Battiste is a CBS News correspondent based in New York.

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Colgate 26 Sailboats for Sale Price Packages

Complete sail-away colgate 26 package, everything on this page is included in the sail-away package, construction.

• White gel coat deck
• Molded non-skid on deck and cockpit
• Positive foam flotation
• Self-bailing cockpit
• Self-bailing port and starboard seat lockers
• Only companionway leads to interior
• Deck and hull bolted together, bonded with 5200
• Custom rubber bumper around hull and transom
• Lead Keel 1050 lbs. (std) 1250 lbs. (shoal)
• Keel bolted on with 8 1/2″ stainless bolts
• Cockpit locker for outboard gas tank
• Anodized aluminum mast
• Swept-back tapered spreaders
• Anodized aluminum boom

Standard Electrical

• Battery & battery box
• Wiring harness
• Electrical panel
• Interior light
• Solar panel

Sails That Come with the Boat

Standard interior.

• Two quarter berths
• Insulated ice chest
• Portable head
• Bulkheads and trim
• Compression post

Deck Hardware & Equipment

• Harken jib roller furling system
• Two Harken #20 self-tailing winches
• Two Titan floating lock-in winch handles
• Two jib tracks and cars
• Two twing line arrangements
• Spinnaker pole
• Single foreguy
• Spinnaker pole lift
• Five rope clutches for 3 halyards and two reef lines
• Two Harken cam cleats on port and starboard coamings for twing, and spinnaker sheet
• Three Harken cam cleats forward of companionway for pole lift, foreguy, outhaul
• Harken traveler and 4:1 mainsheet system
• Rigid stainless steel boom vang with cam cleat
• Adjustable backstay and cam cleats led forward
• Stainless steel bow pulpit, lifelines, stanchions and tubular cockpit railings
• Solar vent in companion way hatch
• Navigation side lights and stern lights on deck
• Masthead light & anchor light
• Two four-bolt bow cleats
• Two four-bolt stern cleats
• One stainless bow eye
• Cockpit bilge pump
• Tiller extension
• Windex Masthead fly
• Compass mounted on bulkhead
• Hinged mast step for easy rigging
• Companionway hatch boards, vertical and horizontal
• Outboard motor bracket

6338 Presidential Court, #201 Fort Myers, Florida 33919 +1.239.985-7505

• Why Colgate 26
• Price Packages
• Privacy Statement

A Florida man, two abandoned boats in Nantucket and Provincetown, and one big question: Why?

When the abandoned sailboat was first spotted off First Point on Nantucket, the island’s harbormaster, Sheila Lucey, feared someone had gone overboard. Rescue crews searched the water around the weathered 32-foot vessel but found no sign of distress. And so the sailboat was tied to a large mooring in Nantucket Harbor.

But for Lucey, the distress was just beginning.

For the next nine months, she and authorities tried to track down the owner and have him remove his boat. This ordeal of unanswered calls and unkept promises only ended this month when the derelict vessel was mercifully towed away to be scrapped.

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Along the way, Lucey found out that the owner, whom officials identified as Cody Fenstermaker of Key West, Fla., had abandoned another boat — this one in Provincetown.

“I was surprised,” Lucey said. “But not really.”

Abandoned boats are relatively common in states like Florida, where an owner may leave a vessel in a designated anchorage area and never return for it, said Lance Wiser, the master chief at Coast Guard Station Brant Point on Nantucket. But in a small harbor like Nantucket, “it’s pretty uncommon,” he said.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police considers a vessel to be abandoned when it has remained “moored, grounded, or otherwise attached” to private property for more than 30 days without consent or has been found “adrift or unattended in or upon” state waters and constitutes a potential hazard.

“With the harbor getting so busy during the summer, it really makes it a big deal when there’s a boat just abandoned out there,” he said. And a big deal the situation became, with the Nantucket Current dubbing the Buenos Aires the harbor’s “most infamous vessel.”

“I feel like the condition of the boat always plays a factor in whether people actually care about the boat or not. This boat was not in good shape,” Wiser said. “Eventually, it turns into, what is the boat actually even worth?”

After calls poured in about the abandoned boat, marine officials discovered Fenstermaker had never bothered to switch the registration after buying the boat from a Nantucket resident, Lucey said, who said she believed he purchased it “before last winter.”

Fenstermaker could not be reached for comment. He returned a call from a Globe reporter on Monday but hung up before anything could be said.

But on Facebook, his profile features a number of photos of him steering various sailboats and out on the water. And in March 2022, a short piece about Fenstermaker in the Key West Citizen described him as a marine diesel mechanic who had moved to Key West “to set in motion his dream of sailing from the Florida Keys to Massachusetts.”

He may have realized that dream, but Lucey soon wished she had never laid eyes on his banged-up boat.

By her count, officials reached out to Fenstermaker to hold him responsible for the boat more than 60 times. Lucey never spoke to him directly but Fenstermaker left voicemails and sent text messages. He often promised he would come to Nantucket — and did a couple of times — to prepare the boat for removal. Then he disappeared again without a word.

The last time Fenstermaker made contact was in December or January, Lucey said.

“It was definitely a significant incident that took a lot of man-hours on our part,” including hours spent keeping the boat afloat and making sure it was not a pollution hazard, she said. The only other derelict boat that caused as much hassle was more than a decade ago, when a 67-foot fishing dragger named Miss China was towed off Brant Point.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police were alerted to the abandoned sailboat on Dec. 14, a spokesperson said. Working alongside the Coast Guard, officers located Fenstermaker in Florida and have “tried connecting with the individual since to take responsibility.”

All the while, the vessel sat idly in the harbor, drawing attention as a public nuisance , before running aground in Monomoy during a storm in late January. When the Nantucket Current reported the development earlier this month, it caught the eye of Provincetown Harbormaster Don German.

Since the previous summer, German had also been dealing with a sailboat abandoned by Fenstermaker, a Tartan 34 called Lightfoot.

In his five years as harbormaster, it was the first time a boat had been left behind like this, he said. Boats in poor repair were sometimes left on moorings, but not abandoned completely, he said. German was stunned to learn Nantucket was dealing with the same situation.

“This is probably going to end up being quite a story,” he said with a laugh.

In May, the same month the Buenos Aires was abandoned in Nantucket, the sailboat was towed into Provincetown harbor and put on a mooring. The owner of the mooring told German he had not granted permission for it to be used but said the vessel could stay there for the summer. By June, officials realized that the boat was not being attended to.

“This is a small town, so not too hard to figure out when somebody’s gone,” German said.

German said he spoke with Fenstermaker, who is registered as the owner of the boat, when he was still in town in early June. The two had a “normal day-to-day business conversation,” but then Fenstermaker departed and left the boat in Provincetown, German said. He has not been able to have any direct communication with him since then.

In early October, someone cut the vessel free from its mooring, sending it adrift before it ran aground a beach in Truro. Now Lightfoot is tied to the wave attenuator — a structure installed in the harbor to reduce the impact from waves that can also double as a mooring — in Provincetown.

German has called Fenstermaker about 30 times and recently sent him a certified letter in Key West. If he does not respond, German said he will work to have the vessel officially declared abandoned, allowing him to obtain the title and “pass it on to somebody that might take better care of it.” As of Monday, German had still not heard from Fenstermaker.

Lucey, meanwhile, is deeply relieved. On a recent Saturday, a crew from the Harwich-based Robert B. Our Co. brought the vessel to New Bedford by tug boat after lifting it onto a barge with a crane. The boat is not repairable — its keel is broken, among other things — and will be scrapped, she said.

“It was a really good feeling to watch it go,” she said.

In Massachusetts, abandoning a vessel is against the law , and those who do so “willfully” can be fined up to $10,000. The Environmental Police are investigating, Lucey said, and the spokesperson said because “this is an ongoing enforcement matter, no other information can be provided.” The department is not involved in the case in Provincetown.

Lucey did not say how much the towing cost but said she intends to make Fenstermaker pay. Despite how difficult it has proven for authorities to contact Fenstermaker, Lucey said she and the company are confident they will be able to recover the cost from him “one way or another.”

“Good luck with that one,” joked German.

Shannon Larson can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @shannonlarson98 .

Effort to protect whales now includes public alert system in the Pacific Northwest

Whales in Washington state waters could be a little safer thanks to a new boat alert system by the Coast Guard.

The four-year pilot program, aptly named Cetacean Desk, was created to ease the effect of vessel traffic on large whales in the Salish Sea, a tangle of underwater channels and interconnected waterways that runs between British Columbia, Canada and Washington.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises are commonly known as cetaceans, or any member of "an entirely aquatic group of mammals" as defined by Britannica.

The Cetacean Desk is designed to keep a host of marine mammals , including orcas, baleen whales and humpback whales, safe as populations bounce back and visits to the area increasingly more common, according to reporting by The Associated Press. 

Nearly 300,000 vessels made their way across the region in 2023, which makes the need to reduce the instances of “ship strikes and whale disturbances in the Puget Sound region” especially important.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is stepping up for mariners, whales, and other wildlife in Puget Sound, coordinating and efficiently sharing valuable insight,” said Grace Ferrara, a marine mammal biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries office, in a news release. 

Here’s what we know. 

How can I report a whale sighting?

Mariners and members of the general public can report a whale sighting to the Coast Guard’s Cetacean Desk. 

Lt. Cmdr. Margaret Woodbridge, Cetacean Desk program manager, encouraged the public and mariners to document all whale sightings through the Whale Report app , Whale Alert app or Orca Network . 

The desk, hosted by Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Services, also can take whale sighting reports from Vessel Traffic Services users by phone at (206) 217-ORCA (x6722) or Puget Sound VTS designated traffic channels (5A, 14), according to the Coast Guard's website.

Mariners in Canadian waters can report sightings to the CCG Marine Mammal Desk at (833)-339-1020 or CCG radio. 

Reporters will be asked to provide vessel name, whale species sighted, number of animals, direction of travel, and any behavior observed. 

How has the Coast Guard’s boat alert system kept whales safe? 

The boat alert system, which has been in use since December, uses reports of whale sightings from members of the public and mariners alike to provide near-real-time data about the whale’s location to sailors on the water. 

Whale reports have increased by 585% from December 2022 to December 2023, according to AP.

Sightings reported on whale-watching apps are one way the Coast Guard can produce a fairly accurate location. Another is through underwater listening devices, AP reported. 

An integrated system picks up the data collected and sends an alert to commercial vessels and regional ferries through the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS) if a whale has been spotted nearby, AP reported. 

The mission of the Cetacean Desk aligns closely with that of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Marine Mammal Desk, which also provides a “consistent whale reporting and notification regime for operators of large ships throughout the Salish Sea,” according to the news release. 

““The new Cetacean Desk aligns with our regional goals to help endangered whales and ships share the waters of the Salish Sea,” said Rachel Aronson, the Quiet Sound program director at Washington Maritime Blue. 

“When mariners call in a sighting ... that sighting will be used to help other mariners make safer choices.”