1997 Caliber 35 LRC in Outstanding Condition is Priced to Sell Now Below Market Value at $75,000

Balera is an outstanding example of a 1997 Caliber 35LRC. She is priced to sell now at a very attractive below market price. Video tour of vessel is available here. See Balera under sail here. Many photos are available here. She recently returned to the Chesapeake Bay from the Florida Keys crossing 510 miles of the Atlantic Ocean from West Palm Beach, Florida to Beaufort, North Carolina (photos here). The owner then took her solo from Beaufort to Deltaville, Virginia, where she is available to see now.

The Long Range Cruiser (LRC) model has 100 gallons of water (50+50) and 85 gallons of diesel (50+35). No need to haul Jerry jugs on deck or offshore and no need to pour diesel into fuel tanks from jerry jugs while underway (which can be tricky at best). Download full 35 LRC brochure here.

She has important recent upgrades including: new prop shaft, new PSS dripless stuffing box, updated shaft tube, new cutlass bearing, new bottom paint, and topsides and decks compounded and polished! She looks fantastic! (September 2024)

The interior has been updated as shown here. She is now ready to sail coastal or blue water. The new owner(s) only needs to bring a seabag and toothbrush!

Jim is the second owner and has owned her since 2007. He sailed her with friends and family on the Chesapeake Bay until untying the lines in 2008 to explore the US east coast south to the Bahamas and Florida Keys (photos here). Jim spent the lock-down in the Florida Keys back country here. Jim is a mechanical engineer and a USCG 50 ton master. Balera has been his pride and joy since the day he took ownership of her. Jim is at a point in life that I want to pursue world travel scuba goals. During his professional career as a Virginia patent attorney, he spent almost all of his spare time sailing, maintaining and updating Balera.

Scuba diving is also a lifelong passion and a window of opportunity exists to explore/dive do underwater video of some of the world's most prolific and beautiful reefs. So it is time to sell Balera to the next owner(s) who can enjoy great times sailing and exploring on the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. Balera is a very solid, honest and safe vessel. Jim has a modest YouTube Channel focused on underwater video here that he plans to expand to show diving and exploring on reefs worldwide.

Balera had a hard grounding on the Delaware Bay in 2016. The grounding damaged the keel (shown here) and it was professionally repaired by Garry Williams of Osprey Marine Composites in Deale, Maryland (See bottom during and after repair here). During the repair, a completely new barrier coat was applied and the integral fiberglass fuel tank was replaced with a custom aluminum fuel tank.

Description:

Balera has low engine hours & has been well maintained & consistently updated by her second owner, a lifelong sailor, engineer & U.S. Coast Guard Master. She is ready to go now with fresh bottom paint and topsides are compounded and polished!

New clear Isenglass was installed in the dodger in 2023.

Balera was refitted in 2019 & includes the latest navigation electronics, digital Doppler radar, cockpit anchor windlass control with chain counter & new lithium batteries. Sail & anchor easily short-handed. All lines are lead into the cockpit to control halyards, sheets and the in-mast furling main. The remote control with chain counter for the anchor windless allows effortless and precise anchoring control from the helm.

The shallow 4.5 foot draft allows gunkholing in remote shoal anchorages where deeper draft boats cannot go. The standing rigging, mast electrical wiring & lighting fixtures (all LED) were all replaced in 2013.

The interior includes all LED lighting, is finished in teak & has 6'3" headroom. It features a large V-berth with new Portland Mattress custom topper & generous storage beneath, a large hanging locker & additional cabinet, drawer, & shelf storage. Custom storage duffle compartments are provided along the sides of the V-berth. The fully enclosed head with shower to starboard has two doors & is accessible from either the forward stateroom or main salon without disturbing the other occupants. A drain pump is provided for the shower sump that is separate from the bilge pump.

The main salon features facing settees, one of which converts to a berth and a twin dining table that folds up against the bulkhead for additional room. The U-shaped galley includes a double sink & Seagull water purifier for ultra fresh tasting water. The nav station includes a hinged chart table lid with storage beneath, chart light & swing out padded back, fold-down nav chair. The aft quarterberth includes a double berth with mattress.

Two crates of essential and optional spare parts are included for the engine and for the vessel's systems.

Balera has spent all but 4 years seasonally sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Equipment:

Cabin:

V-berth w/ Portland Mattress Latex topper (2021), 3 fans, Brass hanger in head, Weems & Plath Time/Tide Clock, Weems & Plath weather station Weems & Plath Gimballed Brass Yacht Lamp

Galley:

Hot water heater 6-gallon, 2-burner propane stove with oven, Icebox with Frigoboat keelcooler refrigerator, Seagull water purifier with spare filter, CO/propane alarms.

Instruments:

Raymarine Axiom Pro 12" Chartplotter (2019), Raymarine Below-decks autopilot, VHF RAM Mike at helm, Vesper AIS transceiver, Raymarine Quantum 2 Radar (Repaired at factory 2023), Wireless remote control for Autopilot, LastWatch II cockpit alarm system (2024), Raymarine i70s Multifunction Display (2019), EchoPilot Forward Scanning Sonar (2019),Raymarine Evolution EV-200 Sail Autopilot (2019), Richie Compass at helm, Tactick wireless wind speed/direction with Raymarine wireless repeater for STNg Network (2019), Raymarine Axiom 7 chartplotter at Nav Station, Custom Helm Chair, Cockpit Cushions, Elkhide steering wheel cover

Communications:

Standard Horizon GX-1500 VHF, Remote RAM Mike, Kenwood TS480HX 200W Ham Radio, Groove 5 mile WiFi antenna and Mikrotik shipboard router.

Electrical:

Group 24 engine Start battery, 4 Group 27 Li-Time Lithium Batteries-400Ah (2021), Balmar 100 Amp alternator (2024), Victron DC to DC charger (2021), Balmar MC-618 regulator (2021), Serpentine belt/pulleys on engine, Renogy 3000W Inverter (2024),

Xantrex battery monitor, Shore Power Cord, Pronautic 50Amp Charger (2019), Galvanic Isolator, 150 W fixed solar panel on davits, Semi flexible solar panels (x2) 90 Watts/each on bimini, Marine Kinetix MK4+ 600W Wind Generator, Garhauer outboard engine lifting crane

Entertainment:

Samsung 19" Flat screen TV, Dual Stereo system with speakers in/out, wireless RF remote control, Roku Media Player (2021), 300 Watt Inverter for TV

Ground Tackle:

Rocna 20kg primary anchor w/ 275 ft high test 5/16 chain, SS Bruce 35 pound secondary anchor w/ 25 ft chain, 200 ft rode, Lofrans Project 1000 Electric Windlass, Chain grabber, Quickline SS flat line reel 200 feet nylon flat line, Quick Remote Windlass Control in Cockpit with Chain Counter

Deck and Hull:

Double lifelines with 2 gates (2015), 10 SS Newfound Metals opening ports with removable screens, 2 SS Dorades with guards, OGM tricolor masthead light with strobe and automatic photocell (2010), Fenders with custom navy covers, Radar reflector, Skanvik Stern shower sprayer, SS Stern ladder on sugar scoop stern, 2 throwable boat cushions, Boat hook, Kato Davits with Solar panel mount and Garhauer 6 part block, Custom starboard hard dodger, Garhauer engine lift on wind generator pole.

Sails and Rigging:

Ullman Mainsail (2015), Z-Spar In mast furling refurbished (2015), 135% Genoa with Schaefer Roller furling, 2 Lewmar 40 winches, Rigid boom vang, Removable inner forestay with Johnson quick release; Hank on Staysail and removable running backstays, Separate track on mast for storm trysail, Standing Rigging Replaced (2013) mast hardware replaced, OGM LED masthead and Marine Beam LED steaming/deck lights replaced (2013)

Mechanical and Engine Equipment

Yanmar 3GM30F, engine approximately 1450 hours, Hot water heater, Electric bilge pump with auto switch, backup bilge, Engine tachometer, Manual bilge pump, High water alarm, Engine temperature gauge, 2 fuel tanks (50/25 gallons), Shower sump pump, 2 freshwater tanks (50g/each)

Hookah Rig

72 cubic foot scuba tank with 50 foot air hose and second stage regulator in aft compartment.

Dinghy Engine

15 horsepower Yamaha 2-stroke engine is included but no dinghy.

Spare Parts

Consumable engine spares are included plus 2 crates of spares for major engine components and for major vessel system components

What does BALERA Mean?

Many photos are available here

Contact Jim Pravel by email with phone number at svbalera@gmail.com

More photos:

The Origin and Meaning of "BALERA"

After some negotiation, I became the proud owner of the then unnamed 1997 Caliber 35 LRC hull number 3593 on December 6, 2007.

I managed to round up 2 friends without sailing experience and 1 firefighter with some delivery experience to help me move my new treasure from Yorktown, Virginia to Deale, Maryland the following week on December 15. That would allow me to winterize her and keep her near me during the winter before I started fitting her out in the spring.

Here is a picture of my buddy Paul D. (RIP brother). Yes it was that cold!

We left later than planned and although legal, the boat had very limited instruments. We got out of the York River after dark, it was freezing cold, and the winds were increasing. We rotated 3 hour watches and kept an alcohol heater in a milk crate below to thaw out between watches.

We had issues with the in mast furling main which I later learned was due to the age of the sail and my inexperience with in mast furling sails. The dark hour and wind and cold did not help. So we ran the little Yanmar 3GM30F diesel for the 19 hour run.

When we arrived in Deale (Herrington Harbor), we all felt like we had accomplished something. But also, I could not help feeling how strong the boat felt and that led to her new name. The confidence I have had in Balera has only grown stronger during the 17 years that I have owned her.

Later, I was able to take another helpful crew/friend, Jim B. out on Balera on a nice weather day!

BALERA*

Origin: Latin

Sex: Female

Unisex Name? No

Meaning: Strong.

Soul Urge: People with the name Balera have a deep inner need for quiet, and a desire to understand and analyze the world they live in, and to learn the deeper truths.

Expression: People with the name Balera tend to be creative and excellent at expressing themselves. They are drawn to the arts, and often enjoy life immensely. They are often the center of attention, and enjoy careers that put them in the limelight. They tend to become involved in many different activities, and are sometimes reckless with both their energies and with money.

* https://www.allbabynames.com/BabyName/Latin/Balera.aspx

I later learned that BALERA is also used as a trademark for a ballroom dancing school and for dancewear. So the name fits for those meanings too considering that Balera does do a bit of dancing while cutting through the waves!

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