Accommodations Accommodation plan provides berths for 12 below deck in four staterooms and a study. Owner’s quarters are aft and of grand scale with a full beam stateroom, centerline queen berth, and private head with bath ensuite. Stowage is extravagant with pilot berth/ stowage areas to each side, nine large drawers and full-sized hanging lockers.
Accommodations Accommodation plan provides berths for 12 below deck in four staterooms and a study. Owner’s quarters are aft and of grand scale with a full beam stateroom, centerline queen berth, and private head with bath ensuite. Stowage is extravagant with pilot berth/ stowage areas to each side, nine large drawers and full-sized hanging lockers.
Machinery access is available via the passageway forward in a generous space with the luxury of all-side access to all components. Sound attenuation is carefully engineered with soft mounts, double bulkheads and “Soundown” insulation and exhaust systems.
Galley is situated to port at the companionway. All cabinetry and trim is varnished rock maple, blonde in finish. Careful utilization of space provides food storage and workspace suitable to a large compliment of guests. Gimbaled stove with four burners, grille and oven is outboard, fueled by LPG. Refrigeration and deepfreeze are holdover style using Sea Frost components with exterior gauges. Bread locker and toaster oven are opposite to starboard above an additional workspace. Proper galley attributes include stainless countertops with high fiddles, deep double sinks with separate disposal sink (fashioned with integral countertop stainless), securely latched lockers with fitted spaces for galleyware, and most importantly, a location on the vessel’s axis.
Forward of the galley to port is a comfortable circular seating area. Cabinetry above and outboard conceals the ship’s liquor and wine locker with appropriate space for glass and stemware. Opposite to starboard is the dining area, which would comfortably accommodate as many as 12 when fully extended. Entertainment components are also concealed including a TV/VCR and stereo.
A passageway forward leads to all guest accommodations with two double berth staterooms to starboard, each with hanging and drawer storage and ensuite sink and vanity. To port is the ship’s office with bookshelves, computing, communication and writing space. This stateroom would also serve well as a Skipper’s cabin. Next forward is an enclosed head with separate shower area.
Forward in the spacious foc’sle are four berths. This area has easy deck access and can be configured for crew when appropriate. Chain locker and additional forepeak storage can be accessed from this space.
Interior fit and finish aboard TREE OF LIFE is to an exceptionally high standard. Hawaiian koa, found only on the world’s finest yachts, was hand selected and bookmatched for bulkheads, cabinetry and trim from the forward passageway through the main saloon to the aft cabin. Guest quarters forward are finished in varnished mahogany and teak.. Soles throughout are mahagony. The hand rubbed, raised panel koa finish in the main saloon and dining area, coordinated upholstery and tasteful artwork creates a climate of warmth and refinement. Ten bronze opening ports and a traditional butterfly hatches provide light and ventilation. Interior photos taken aboard TREE OF LIFE would be a desirable addition to any coffee-table book on classic yacht interiors.
The deckhouse is one of the most appealing features of TREE OF LIFE: it provides all-weather comfort for the helmsman and a majority of the ship’s guests, while allowing good sightlines for sail trim and navigation. Finish is in the same varnished koa that is utilized throughout the interior with such elegance. A traditional mahogany wheel is trimmed in elkhide. Aft of the helm is a raised benchseat, to starboard is a full-length watch berth. Navionics and engine gauges are attractively mounted, flat chart storage is abundant, lockers and shelves provide storage for the cruising guides and volumes appropriate to a world cruising yacht. Polished brass Chelsea barometer and shipstrike with 6” bezel are mounted aft. A proper wet locker allows the accommodations deck to remain relatively dry in inclement weather.
An exterior helm station is situated immediately ahead of the deckhouse with an additional set of engine gauges and single lever control.
Electronics
- Furuno Radar model 1840
- Furuno Autopilot P 83
- Furuno weatherfax model 208
- Magellan GPS (two, handheld)
- ICOM VHF
- ICOM VHF’s (two, handheld)
- ICOM SSB model 880
- 3 EPIRBs 407 - (registered frequency)
Electronical System
- Electrical system design allows for 12 to 15 hours of “quiet ship” utilzing inverters and large alternators. Full electrical schematics available.
- Northern Lights 12 KW genset in, approximately 7800 hours.
- Master 12V / 220V/110V–60 cycle control panel with thermal breakers, behind Lexan doors
- Pilothouse sub-panels for all deck and navigation components
- Dual Heart Interfaces – 2500 watts each
- Dual alternators charging separate banks from the main engine with Quad-Cycle system.
Sails and Rigging Spars are laminated Sitka spruce with booms and gaffs of clear fir. Main boom and main topmast replaced in 2013. Spars are varnished, excepting the topmast which is white. Sail area of 4320 sq.ft. includes:
Lowers:
Main
Foresail
Staysail
Jib Uppers:
Main topsail
Fore topsail
Jib topsail
Fisherman
Gollywobbler
Sail handling hardware is primarily traditional with varnished ash Merriman blocks, laminated luff hoops and solid bronze belaying pins. Winches are built by Harken with bronze drums. Staysail and foresail trim to travellers. All standing rigging was replaced in 2013 with galvanized wire: parceled, served and leathered. Ratlines run to the fore and main cross-trees, baggywrinkles at chafe points. Conscientious selection of rigging spares.
Deck Equipment
- Two 8 man liferafts – each with “abandon ship” valises including watermaker and EPIRB.
- Trinka 8’ sailing dinghy w/ 5hp outboard.
- Avon 15’ RIB with 25 HP Evinrude E-TEC (2015)
- 180 lb. CQR with 200’ of ½” high-test chain & 300’ nylon rode
- 140 lb. Anchor
- 200 lb. Paul Luke fisherman storm anchor
- Maxwell 3500 hydraulic windlass
- Port and starboard catheads (anchor davits)
- Stern dinghy davits with netting
- Main boom gallows
- Teak dunnage boxes aft of deckhouse
- Bulkwarks with teak caprail
- Scuba tank compressor
Construction Details TREE OF LIFE was built by the highly adept Covey Island Boatworks of Canada, a yard known for its expertise in wood/epoxy boatbuilding.
Centerline structure, laminated frames and strip planking are all of carefully selected, clear Douglas fir (no longer easily available), saturated and glued with West epoxy. Hull is glass and epoxy sheathed utilizing three layers of 10 oz. E-glass. For collision protection, a layer of Kevlar was glassed into the exterior laminate from station 5 to the bow. Decks are of similar clear fir, laid over double plywood skins, which are also glassed and epoxy saturated. Hull ceilings are of Alaskan yellow cedar. Ballast is 16,000 lbs. external lead with an additional 1,000 as internal trim ballast.
The entire structure of TREE OF LIFE is remarkably strong. She has sailed in all oceans of the world in all conditions and shows no sign of movement, fatigue or even crazing. She will likely outlive her next few owners.
Mechanical Details
- Cummins B-210 diesel w/ approximately 450 hrs. – new 2013
- Hydraulic shaft brake
- Kobelt single lever controls, polished brass housing
- Engine driven Johnson pump: deck washdown and damage control
- SRC watermaker 600 gal/day.
- Espar forced hot air heat.
- Galley-Maid water pressure system
- Rule 5000 gph bilge pumps (4)
- Edson manual bilge pump
- Halon 1301 fire control system
- Tank Tender system monitors all (10) tanks: fuel water , grey and black.
- Stainless water heater, 15 gal. (new 2014)
Recent Major Maintenance
- Standing rigging replaced (see Sails and Rigging)
- New Jatoba hardwood ratboard
- New main boom and reefing system
- New main topmast
- New main engine
- New St. Morin freshwater heads
- Through-hulls replaced
- New Force 10, 3 burner LPG stove, LPG piping replaced
- New Alapenglow LED interior lighting w/ white/red options
- New upholstery: main saloon & pilothouse
Comments TREE OF LIFE has sailed over 80,000 trouble-free miles, visiting every ocean on the planet. The design by Ted Brewer and execution by Covey Island Boatworks and Alexandria Boatworks has resulted in the creation of a contemporary classic. She has proven to be fast (1st place at Antigua Race Week, Classic Division, 1st overall in 1997 New Zealand Tall Ships Race), easily maintained, exceptionally comfortable and both strong and safe. She receives compliments in every port she visits. TREE OF LIFE has circled the globe twice. She has participated in Tall Ship events and has done private charter proving that she is able to operate as a business or as a yacht.
