Steel Away - Dufour 53’ ??

Has anyone here chartered this monohull? Would lie, to know any details you could share. We are taking her for 8 days the last week of January. She is based in Nanny Cay - through Waypoints.

Thanks!

Great looking boat. I love chartering mono hulls. Couple of companies have this boat for charter.
Interesting cabin configuration.
But two heads for a boat this size is a no go for my group of eight.

It’s in the standard private yacht configuration other than converting the sail locker to a 4th cabin. Calling that a 4th cabin is a bit of a stretch. It should be marketed as a 3 cabin yacht with a crew cabin.

I have a boat in the Waypoints fleet and I can say all of the boats are just about brand new and kept to a high standard. I let the owner of Steel Away know you were asking about it, in case they wanted to join the forum and see if they could answer any questions for you before your charter. Cheers!

Mike
S/V Scarlet Ibis

Thanks Mike!

I posted the boat was in the private configuration. It actually does have a small 4th cabin with stacked bunks in the main cabin. Those 3 cabins share 1 head.

Steel Away has 2 heads, 3 cabins, and a pullman. The pullman is 2 bunk beds for either crew or kids. We were just on the boat for 6 weeks (allowed as the owner) and had guests switching over each Saturday, though never more than 5 adults at one time, and didn’t have any issues with waiting for the head. It was a hard choice, but as there are also several extra shower options, we opted for the pullman rather than another bathroom. The forward head is split, head and sink on starboard side and shower and sink on Port side, so can be used by 2 people, and shared with guests. She is new, arrived in the BVIs just in time for her first charter in late March. After 6 weeks we can pretty much answer any questions you may have, so feel free to ask.

Perfect, thanks for the additional info. Was planning to use the small cabin as my quarters. I usually stay in the salon.

Couple more questions if you don’t mind. 1). Do the davits work to raise the dinghy? 2). How is the built in grill at the back of the boat? 3). Anything special or quirky we should know about the boat?

I’m very familiar with Beneteau (25+ charters), but this is my first Dufour charter.

Thanks a bunch.

Funny thing about those davits, I never thought to ask if they, as well as the engine mount, fit the dinghy and motor that were recommended to me for the boat. They Do Not. So you can’t use either. On the positive, the islands of the BVIs are so close, that everyone tows their dinghy behind, and then brings it in close when moored or anchored. And best part for me, I have a push button ignition for the dinghy, her name is Safety Third, and we get a lot of comments about the easy start and the name.

While I bought Steel Away, my brother is her Captain. He loves the Plancha, and now having spent many weeks aboard her, he would be happy to share the quirks we encountered with you. He is not on this site, but you can email him at msgrober@gmail.com.

We had only chartered Beneteaus and that is why we chartered with Waypoints at first, to try the Dufour. Liked the boat and the group at Waypoints BVI, and ended up buying the Dufour 530 and partnering with Waypoints. They are meticulous with the care/maintenance.

So awesome, thank you!!

We own the other Dufour 530 at Waypoints BVI, also booked during the same time as your charter. I add to @steelawaybiv's comment that the Waypoint boats are immaculately cared for and maintained. These boats are a major investment for all the owners, and great care and maintenance are major factors in deciding to put the boat in charter. You will be happy with Steel Away at Waypoints.

The Waypoints Dufour "Hoosier Lady" is tied up to a ball right behind us at BEYC.

They also have their anchor down. Belt and suspenders? Seems like a recipe for getting things tangled.
Or is this a thing?

That is NOT a thing. My understand that you should never put an anchor down in a mooring field unless there is an emergency. Maybe a friendly chat with them or a call to Waypoint? I see a tangled mess and Ben and Kay at Sunchaser don’t want to waste their day fixing things.