Our Boat

Tortuga is a very well provisioned 2012, aluminum hull, Allures 45 built in Cherbourg, France for its original British owners. We acquired Tortuga in 2015 in Annapolis, Maryland, and sailed her to Chicago the following Spring.

Yachting Monthly did a piece on our actual boat that can be seen here. It’s about an 11-minute video and the host does a nice job showing the viewer around the boat.

By way of specifications:

  • Length Overall: 45.8′
  • Beam 14.1′
  • Draft 3.4′ – 9.8′ (Lifting Centerboard)
  • Air Draft 66.7′
  • Displacement 28,887 lbs
  • Engine Volvo D2-55 55hp
  • Water Capacity 147.9 gallons (split between stbd and port tanks)
  • Fuel Capacity 147.9 gallons (split between stbd and port tanks)
  • Mainsail 177 sq. ft.
  • Genoa 151 sq. ft.
  • Staysail 17.1 sq. ft

The original owner painstakingly built and provisioned the boat to sail the world’s oceans, and as a result Tortuga is well-equipped and over engineered to accomplish that journey in both comfort and safety.

Some of the equipment that we have aboard:

Sails and Rigging:
Fully battened slab reefing mainsail with 4 reefs, reinforced stitching, spreader patches, reefing blocks and cunningham rings (factory)
Genoa (factory)
Staysail with running backstays (factory)
Parasailor
Furling Gennaker (factory)
Wichard cockpit controlled boom brake (factory)
Spare main halyard
Spare spinnaker halyard
Electronics:
B&G Zeus touch screen chart plotter on port helm pod
Simrad IS12 wind instruments on both helm pods
Simrad autopilot computer with independant controller on starboard helm pod
Simrad multifunction display on port helm pod
B&G Triton multi function instrument on companionway
EchoPilot Forward Looking Sonar on starboard helm pod
Separate and redundant Jefa Autohelm motor and AP1 computer
Simrad 2Kw Digital Radar
Digital Yacht Class B AIS Transponder/Receiver with antenna splitter and silent switch
GoFree wifi for iPad integration and wireless NMEA gateway
Volvo NMEA engine interface feeding engine temperature and RPM into nav system
DJI Mavic Pro drone
Starboard helm control:
Bow thruster Control
Windlass control
Engine controls
12V waterproof socket
Engine morse control
Port helm control:
Jefa autopilot controller
Amplified VHF speaker with variable volume
Communications:
Class B AIS transponder
Echomax active radar reflector
Simrad RS25 VHF
Icom M801 SSB Radio
Pactor P4 Dragon DR-7400 Packet radio modem
Dedicated 8″ Dell tablet PC for SSB email, weatherfax and backup chart plotter
SSB Rope antenna
SSB DSC Antenna
ICS Nav 6+ Navtex and chart table instrument repeater
Rogue Wave Long range wifi antenna
Ship’s wifi router
Separate high speed always on GPS for VHF, SSB and Navtext location
Hull:
Bow thruster (factory)
Shaft Shark rope cutter
Gori 20″ folding prop with overdrive
Welded towing / dragging eye at the bow
Deck:
Six cockpit winches
One electric winch
Jack stays
Full bosun’s kit
Nemo multifunction swim ladder and pasarelle
Schaeffer low friction furling line blocks
Achilles LSI-290E, Air Floor 9′ 6″ tender with arch lifting blocks
Cockpit floor in Dekking
Cockpit shower
Fresh water inlet (for mains water supply in marinas)
8 x Polyform G5 fenders with covers
3/4″ x 35′ New England Mega-Braid mooring ropes and lines
RED inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP)
Engine and fuel:
55HP Volvo DII-55F engine
Racor Dual fuel filter system with separate filter for generator
Switchable fuel feed from each fuel tank
Easily removable fuel tank inspection hatches
Agriemech Deisel bug treatment system
Electronic oil extraction pump
Fuel polishing system and electronic priming and feed pump
Engine compartment fire extinguisher
Shaft Shark rope cutter
Gori 20″ folding prop with overdrive
Mariner 6HP 4 stroke outboard
Power:
Arch Solar panels (270W)
Coachroof solar panels (2x100W)
Roaming flexible solar panel with waterproof connector on coachroof (100W)
4KW Paguro diesel generator
Struder Xtender XTM 2000-12 2Kw Charger/Inverter with SmartBoost and chart table mounted remote control and display
Phillipi 100A Charger (spare hot swappable charger)
Rutland Wind Generator
Sterling digital alternator regulator
High capacity 130A Alternator (with spare)
5Kw Isolation Transformer with switched 110 or 240 input capability and 240 Output
LED displays showing power being generated
High capacity solar regulators with spare
6 x 115Ah house batteries
1 x 105Ah engine battery
1 x 105Ah Bow thruster/windlass battery
Full isolation switches on all battery banks
House/Engine battery parallel switch
Power Sockets:
12V socket (waterproof) at the helm
12v socket (waterproof) in companionway
Dual 5V USB charging socket (waterproof) in companionway
3 x 12V sockets by chart table
2 x Dual 5V USB charging sockets by chart table
12v and 5v USB charging sockets in all cabins
240v sockets in all cabins
Additional 240V sockets in saloon, galley and technical room
Waterproof 240v socket in sail locker
Waterproof 12V socket in sail locker
Deck mounted waterproof 12v socket by mast for PIR movement alarm sensors
12V supply under arch for GoPro mounting
Other Systems:
Separate and redundant Jefa Autohelm
Digital windlass chain counter with wireless remote control. Also allows remote control of Bowthruster
Standard Horizon electronic fog horn/loud hailer
Mastwalker foldable mast steps (strong, lightweight aluminium)
Ultrasonic antifouling with 3 transducers
Water cooled fridge with switchable air cooling system (for redundancy)
Spectra 150 25l/hr watermaker with remote operation and auto flush timer
Lopolight LED tricolour and anchor light
Tecsew full cockpit bimini (for cold weather use)
Sprayhood backdrop (for companionway winter cold protection when sailing)
Full custom cockpit cushions
Raritan Electroscan waste treatment system
Holding tank (unused)
Webasto blown air heating
Anchoring:
70M galvanised calibrated anchor chain and 30M 18MM warp
25Kg Spade anchor
14Kg Kobra kedge anchor
Collapsible 20Kg fisherman’s anchor
Manual deck mounted windlass control
Helm mounted windlass control
Digital chain counter with remote control
SwiTech Self adjusting anchor ball
Safety:
406Mhz EPIRM with GPS – Cockpit mounted
Viking 6 person UKSL ISO 9650 Liferaft
JonBouy recovery system
MOB Recovery sling
MOB Recovery Sail
Stay Afloat emergency hole sealant
Odeoflare Laser flare
Full offshore flare kit
Long range 12v lamp
Inflatable Radar Reflector
Jordan Drogue (139 Cones) with leather reinforced bridle
Ankarolina 2x 56M mooring/towing line reels
SwiTech quality Bosuns chair with rigid back
Fire extinguishers in all cabins, galley, engine compartment and cockpit locker
Jack stays and harness points on deck
Security:
PIR alarm system with 4 sensors and zone movement indicator in main cabin
Keyring remote control operating deck lights, loud car alarm type siren or arch lights
Removable hatch security bars
Removable companionway security bar system
Companionway mosquito and bug guard
Galley:
GN Espace Levante cooker
GN Espace sink unit
GN Espace 1/2 draining sink
Vitrifrigo two drawer fridge with water cooling and switchable air cooling system (for redundancy)
Induction Hob
Combination Microwave / Grill / Oven (for cooking redundancy from the generator)
Seagul water filter and tap
Interior:
Vitrifrigo 30l Freezer in technical room
Sailrite Ultrafeed sewing machine
Hotpoint Optiplex full size digital washing machine
Ocean air blinds throughout.
Factory fitted mosquito blinds
LED bulbs throughout
Carbon Monoxide detector alarm with multiple detectors
Scirocco fans (multi speed with sleep timer) in galley, saloon, heads and all cabins
Dyson vacuum cleaner
CO2 and fire alarm system with multiple sensors
Meaco Dehumidifier
Small oil radiator
Entertainment:
Low power radio unit with bluetooth and USB connectivity
Stereo speakers in cockpit
Digital TV receiver which streams TV to iPads or computers via Wifi
Amplified TV antenna
Spares:
Alternator
Starter Motor
Wind instrument
3 years worth of Anodes
Tools
DeWalt Drill
Hydraulic Bolt cutters
Jigsaw
Braising Torch
Hydraulic crimpers
Cable Tracers
Cable pullers
Hole saws
Tap and Die kits
Laser thermometer
Tender spares
Wood and aluminum spares