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| ALCYONE - Outremer 55 Light (2004) asking price 55 000 000 XPF (€458 000) |
"ALCYONE", still carrying her original name, is my seventh multihull and the third ocean-going multihull I have owned after:
- SALE GOSSE, a folding F31 trimaran, with which I completed half a circumnavigation (1995–1996).
- PAPOOSE, the 7th Outremer 55 Light built, on which our family completed a circumnavigation (1998–2005).
Why buy another Outremer 55 Light twelve years later, so far away in New Zealand, and as a third-owner boat?
Because after years of living aboard, we learned three important lessons:
- A good boat is a boat you know well.
- The simpler a boat is, the easier and less expensive it is to maintain.
- Between 1998 and 2005 we completed a family circumnavigation aboard PAPOOSE, a similar but brand-new Outremer 55 Light, and already knew the extraordinary potential of this design. She is still sailing today under the name ZEPHYR.
- In 2017, our son Jim was beginning his studies in Auckland and could participate in the project.
For these reasons we purchased ALCYONE in 2017, an Outremer 55 Light built in 2004, which had been stored ashore for two years at Norsand Boatyard in Whangarei, New Zealand. Looking back, it proved to be an excellent choice considering the adventures this exceptional design has provided us over the years.
Current Home Port
ALCYONE is currently based on the remote atoll of Amanu, east of Tahiti and far from everything, without an airport but offering an exceptionally healthy environment:
- Dry climate, outside the usual cyclone tracks.
- Virtually no pollution.
- Safe and friendly island atmosphere (approximately 150 inhabitants).
- Few visitors, mostly experienced sailors.
- Crystal-clear waters and abundant marine life.
In many ways, this is exactly what we have always sought in our cruising life.
Life On Board Since 2021
Since 2021 the catamaran has been continuously occupied.
Bertrand and Lucie, whom we met in the Gambier Islands during our circumnavigation in 2001, live aboard approximately eight months per year under a five-year agreement ending in 2026.
Bertrand originally arrived in French Polynesia by boat. A former pearl farmer who has lived in Polynesia for decades, he has contributed significantly to ALCYONE's equipment and setup, particularly regarding anchoring systems and atoll cruising expertise.
Taxes and Registration
ALCYONE has:
- French VAT fully paid.
- Polynesian import duties fully paid.
- Polynesian registration ("Papeetisé"), allowing her to remain indefinitely in French Polynesia.
While the Pacific remains her ideal cruising ground, she is fully equipped, stocked and ready to depart on another circumnavigation at any time.
Contact
Yann VINCENT
+33 6 68 19 36 55 (what's app)
French Polynesia mobile: +689 87 32 85 89
Viewing Schedule
The catamaran can be viewed:
- At Amanu by appointment until July 9.
- In the Society Islands from August 3 onward.
- Hauled out at RCS Raiatea on August 17.
- Available again from August 21.
2) QUICK OVERVIEW
ALCYONE is a 2004 Outremer 55 Light, the last one launched before the passing of the design's founder, naval architect Gérard Danson.
Built in approximately thirty units, the Outremer 55 Light is widely regarded by sailors and professionals alike as the finest first-generation Outremer design.
Exceptional reliability and autonomy are the defining characteristics of this very fast catamaran.
She is particularly well equipped because this is our second Outremer 55 Light. Our first one, PAPOOSE, built to our specifications in 1998, enabled us to complete a family circumnavigation between 1998 and 2005. Today she sails under the name ZEPHYR and continues to delight her fourth owner in the Pacific Ocean.
ALCYONE is therefore our second 55 Light. Unlike PAPOOSE, she was originally designed for charter service with symmetrical cabin layouts. Five years younger than PAPOOSE, she is also noticeably lighter while offering the same outstanding sailing qualities, onboard comfort and low operating costs.
Purchased in New Zealand in 2017 as a third-owner vessel, she was thoroughly refitted and made highly reliable before completing extensive Pacific cruising.
Since 2021 she has been permanently based in French Polynesia, on Amanu Atoll.
Her equipment and systems have been refined through years of offshore cruising and full-time living aboard. Every choice has been made to simplify maintenance and avoid marinas whenever possible.
The boat includes:
- Extensive tool inventory.
- Critical spare parts.
- Well-organized storage systems.
- Large stocks of consumables.
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| "ALCYONE's interior layout is closest to the center configuration shown below (source: 2004 Outremer brochure)." |
These first-generation Outremers appear virtually indestructible. Production ceased in 2007 for marketing reasons rather than technical shortcomings. The later success of the Outremer/Grand Large group has demonstrated the vision of shipyard owner Xavier Desmarest.
The interior is minimalist. One must love sailing and accept that life aboard differs from life ashore. However, owners adapt quickly because these boats are simple, practical and highly functional.
When properly maintained, they retain—and often increase—their value while delivering the same blue-water cruising capabilities as modern high-end catamarans costing four times as much.
Many photos and cruising stories since 2017 can be found on our blog:
seasailandus.blogspot.com
Currently, the use and maintenance of ALCYONE are shared between two couples, one French and one Polynesian, who alternate aboard.
The catamaran flies the French flag, sails exclusively within French Polynesia, and has been officially Polynesian registered since 2021, allowing indefinite residence within the territory.
For maintenance, ALCYONE returns to Tahiti or Raiatea only every two years, mainly for antifouling.
ALCYONE will be available to her new owner in August 2026 but can already be inspected at her home atoll of Amanu. Access is via a one-hour (or up to two hours in strong winds) speedboat ride from Hao Airport, which is served several times per week from Papeete.
For a genuinely interested skipper, this is a unique opportunity to see the boat in her natural cruising environment.
Contact:
Yann VINCENT
+33 6 68 19 36 55
800 W solar array, enlarged forward starboard hatch for convenient access to Code 0 and boards.3) MAIN SPECIFICATIONS
Note: ALCYONE comes with a comprehensive digital archive covering all onboard equipment, including diagrams, manuals, photographs and extensive operational notes.
Dimensions
- Length Overall: 16.30 m
- Waterline Length: 16.00 m
- Beam: 7.20 m
- Air Draft: 20.70 m (22.50 m including VHF antenna)
- Draft: 0.90 m / 2.40 m with daggerboards down
Construction
- Polyester / Vinylester hulls
- Solid laminate bottoms
- Hulls sandblasted and epoxy-coated in 2019
Sail Plan
Mainsail
- DOYLE NZ
- 77 m² Dacron
- 6 full battens
- Low-friction reefing eyes
- Reefed areas: 58 / 42 / 29 m²
- 2017
Self-Tacking Jib
- CALIBRE NZ
- Hydranet
- Furler mounted
- 34.2 m²
- 2019
Code 0
- MARSHALL / QUANTUM
- Dacron
- 98 m²
- 2017
Propulsion
- 2 × Yanmar 3JH5 diesel engines
- 39 hp each
- Installed 2011
- Approximately 2,700 hours
Electrical System
- 2 × Balmar 165 A alternators (2017)
- 6 × 100 Ah gel service batteries (2024)
- Total capacity: 600 Ah
Tankage
- Fuel: 2 × 130 litres
- Fresh Water: 2 × 215 litres
- Gas: 2 × 13 kg butane cylinders
Displacement
- Light displacement: 7,800 kg (builder's data)
- Maximum displacement: 11,350 kg
- Payload: 3,550 kg
- Amanu, June 2026 – Blue UV-protective cover for easy access to the paddle boards while at anchor (the 2 GONG paddle boards can be on the trampoline), paddles on top of Bimini.
