Richard Brown and Brian Bournival's 2001 Island Packet 350, Osprey.

Richard Brown and Brian Bournival have made much use of their 2001 Island Packet 350, Osprey, since buying her nine years ago. The couple has twice circumnavigated Vancouver Island, cruised to the Queen Charlotte Islands and last summer, sailed to Hawaii and back. They’re now planning a global circumnavigation and say that while they would consider buying a larger Island Packet, they’re perfectly happy with their 35-foot vessel, which is homeported in Anacortes.

Tell us about your boat’s name.
Richard: One of my earliest boating memories involves an osprey. I grew up in Massachusetts, and we cruised “down Maine” every summer aboard our family’s wooden cabin cruiser. On our first cruise, when I was about 4 years old, we were buddy-boating with friends of my parents. After anchoring in a small cove on North Haven Island, we walked along the shore and found a towering osprey’s nest. It was taller than the adults, constructed of substantial tree branches and arose from a rock base. Atop the nest was a huge young osprey, wings spread. I remember being lifted up so that I could see into the nest. This was during the pre-ecologically-sensitive 1950s, and we probably got a lot closer to this nest than would be considered appropriate today.

We went back to that cove every summer. The nest remained for many years, and we made a point of looking for it from the water as we approached the island, but we never again walked to it. The cove was my dad’s favorite anchorage, and at his request we scattered his ashes there after his death at age 90.

Brian, left, and Richard in Osprey's salon

Tell us the story of how you found your boat and what makes it special to you.
Our previous boat was a 32-foot Ericson, which we liked, but we were starting to feel that we wanted something a bit roomier. We went to the Island Packet dealership because they had an Ericson 38 that I wanted to look at. The salesman convinced us to look at a demonstrator Island Packet 350 that they were anxious to sell. I’d looked at Island Packets at the boat shows for several years and was intrigued by them. A few days later, we owned one.

What’s the history of your boat?
With our Ericson we’d been as far north as the Broughton Islands. With our new, bigger boat we immediately started traveling greater distances. The first summer after purchase we sailed out the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Barkley Sound. The next year we went around Vancouver Island for the first time. After that, we went up the Inside Passage and across Hecate Strait to the Queen Charlotte Islands, and did our first overnight passage on the return to Port Hardy. Another year, to get multi-night offshore experience, we headed around Vancouver Island again but this time, instead of following the shoreline, we sailed south from Cape Scott to the Heck Seamount and then east to Ucluelet. Finally, last summer, we sailed from Seattle to Hawaii and back.

Brian catches a whopper

What do you like best about your boat?
There’s really not one single choice. She’s well-built, rugged, seaworthy and roomy.

What do you know now about your boat that you wish you’d known when you bought it? Would that have changed your mind?
I did a lot of research before we bought Osprey, so I don’t think there have been any real surprises. One design flaw of Island Packets is that tankage and some plumbing are installed without much thought for eventual replacement, so owners sometimes have to cut holes in cabin soles or bulkheads to access leaking tanks or clogged head hoses.

How does your significant other feel about the boat (be honest)?
Brian: Richard introduced me to sailing and I immediately took to it. We started planning summer sailing trips and the next thing we knew we were circumnavigating Vancouver Island, sailing north to the Queen Charlottes and thinking about what was next. I think I was the one that said, “Why not Hawaii?” and a five-year plan was hatched. It ended up taking six years before we cast off the dock lines, but last summer we sailed to Hawaii … and back. Now we’re in the midst of planning a global circumnavigation and I couldn’t be any more excited. How do I feel about the boat? I really think I prefer it to my land-based life. I love the adventures she carries me to, I love the challenges she presents to me when we’re under way, and I think she’s the most reliable, comfortable, safest boat around.

Osprey's forward stateroom

What’s your favorite story involving your boat?
Richard: We were anchored at the west end of Pruth Bay, Calvert Island, off Fitz Hugh Sound. There were lots of herring in the bay. In the afternoon we watched a couple of humpback whales feeding in the outer bay. Early the next morning we were awakened by the sound of loud breathing near the boat. We jumped out of bed to see several large humpbacks slowly cruise along the shoreline of the inner bay, where we and two or three other boats were anchored. We quickly got dressed and grabbed our cameras, as did folks on the other boats. For what seemed like an hour, we were able to watch the humpbacks circle the inner bay, surfacing to breathe and then disappearing to feast on a herring breakfast. One surfaced less than 30 feet of the boat. They seemed oblivious to our presence.

Richard and Brian in the cockpit

Describe the most challenging situation you’ve experienced on your boat and how it performed.
During our trip to Hawaii and back last year, I think we were challenged more by light winds than by stormy conditions. The challenge is to keep the boat moving, in the direction you want, while trying to minimize the boat’s rolling in the swells, and while keeping engine use to a minimum.

Where do you plan to take your boat? Do you have a dream destination?
Next year we’re going to head to Mexico for the winter. From there we’ll be cruising to French Polynesia and beyond.

If someone gave you $10,000 that you could only spend on your boat, what would you do with it and why?
I think we’d just add it into the cruising kitty. Planning and equipping the boat for a possible world cruise requires both upfront costs and ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Will you be sending us a check?

How long do you plan to own the boat? What would it take to get you to part with it? And what advice would you give to the next owner?
I think we know this boat too well to part with her at this point. We’ve done most of the upgrade installations ourselves, and we know where all the wires run. So this is the boat that we’re going to cruise with, and I think it’ll be a long time before we have to give advice to the next owner.

If you could have any other boat, what would it be and why?
Oh, I don’t know. I like Halberg Rassy boats. Most of the newer Island Packet models are too big for my tastes. Usually when we go to boat shows, we leave thinking that we didn’t see anything better for us than what we have. I know that nowadays, 35 feet is in the smaller size range of offshore cruisers, but that wasn’t true a few years ago. We’re both around 5’6″ and while we both like to think that we’re physically active and in good shape, a bigger boat with bigger sails, heavier anchors, a taller mast to climb and so on just doesn’t appeal to me, even ignoring the higher maintenance costs. But check back with me after we’ve lived aboard for a couple of years to see if I still feel the same way.

Brian: I like the idea of the Island Packet 460; what I mean is, I like the idea of a bigger boat that would afford us each a little more private space while offshore. Additionally, a bigger boat would have room for more comfort equipment, supplies and stores, which might make us feel a little better prepared, but then again, maybe not. And I do agree with what Richard said above; in addition to the higher maintenance costs to consider, we certainly don’t want a boat that we couldn’t handle with just the two of us.

We’re always looking for boats to feature – powerboats, sailboats, racing boats, wooden boats, work boats and others. If you’re like us to feature yours, drop us a line at tips@threesheetsnw.com and tell us a little about it.

About Deborah Bach

Deborah Bach is the editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. She is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Deborah aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38, with her husband Marty and their cat Lily.

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