Wings of Desire is a 2019 Garcia Exploration 45 with only 11 weeks of use due to Covid travel restrictions. She is hull No. 24 of the Jimmy Cornell-conceived, Olivier Racoupeau-designed, Garcia-built expedition aluminum sailing yacht. Pete Goss, owner of Hull No. 17, aptly referred to these boats as “Land Rovers of the Sea.” Wings of Desire was launched in December 2019 for a week of testing and handover training in the waters off Cherbourg, France. She was returned to storage at the Allures/Garcia shipyard until the US-based owner returned to France and began cruising in July of 2021. He sailed south to the Med where Wings of Desire was stored in Spain for the winter. Wings was cruised briefly in August of 2022 and then delivered back to Cherbourg by Swiftsure Yachts France agent, Kevin Bray.
The owner’s plans have changed since purchase, preventing the full-time cruising envisioned when he ordered this blue water cruiser. Available now, with only 542 engine hours and 11 weeks of total use, Wings is fully found and outfitted, lightly used, and ready for immediate cruising to the world’s most remote destinations. Tools, spares, safety gear, galleyware, and linens are all included. Priced suitably below replacement value without the three-year wait for a new boat, Wings of Desire, will appeal to the cruiser recognizing that there are no guarantees of health and fortune in the years to come. GO NOW INTREPID SAILOR!
Wings of Desire was specified with a focus on reliability, ease of maintenance, and four-season cruising comfort. After seeing so many painted aluminum boats requiring touch up and repaint after only a few years, Wings‘ owner wisely opted to have all above waterline aluminum left bare. This required the Garcia craftsmen in Conde sur Noireau to use their best welders taking extra time to finish the welds as they were unable to conceal their work below fairing compound and paint. Glorious, bare-naked aluminum in all its oxidized glory is the best material for cruising sailboats whose owners prefer to sail and explore versus work on their boats. Yes, the look may be “industrial”, but this is an “exploration” boat after all. Seasoned cruisers and local villagers will respect the “purposeful look” in remote locations versus a “yachty” yacht.
Wings of Desire has new zincs, bottom paint, and remains ready for immediate commissioning in Cherbourg, France. Asking Price is $875,000 USD Ex-EU VAT
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Comfort layout with two staterooms, two heads, stall shower, and technical/work room
- European Oak interior with blue Sofic leather upholstery and extra storage cabinets above forward stateroom berth
- MarineDeck cork/rubber on side decks, foredeck, cockpit, and swim step
- Welded aluminum toe rail with perforations for drainage and strop, fender and line attachment
- Upgraded Hydranet main, jib, and staysail
- Electrical system with 1000 ah of Victron Supercycle AGM batteries, Watt & Sea hydrogenator, dual 115 amp alternators, and 1125 watts of arch-mounted solar panels
- Deluxe B&G electronics package with multiple chartplotters, Iridium Go, and AIS MOB beacons
- FRib 275 inflatable folding RIB with 9 hp Tohatsu 2 stroke outboard & Suzuki four stroke outboard
- Upsized Lewmar ST50 secondary and ST50 electric primary winches
- Bulletproof Echotec 12V 260DL watermaker – never used
- Dual/redundant autopilots with Jeffa drives
- Webasto hydronic diesel heating system with triple energy hot water heater
- Electronic throttle/shift at port helm and inside pilothouse
- Upgraded GN Espace stove/oven and Gastronom sink
- Soba clothes washing machine
- Two electric heads with fresh or saltwater flush
- Conventional DC switch panel: This was the last Garcia Exploration 45 built before the shipyard began using a Scheiber network switching system.
- Bow thruster, Flexofold propellor, and optional electric capstan on bow for line handling
- Silvertex-upholstered cockpit cushions, Sunbrella bimini, and canvas watchstanding enclosure for hard dodger
- Viking raft, (6) Spinlock deck vests, (5) MOB AIS beacons, EPIRB, and ditch bag
- NEMA interface to monitor Volvo engine on B&G electronics
CONSTRUCTION:
- Hull, deck and coachroof structure in marine aluminum alloy.
- 5083 H111 for structure and plates, 6060 T6 for extruded profiles
- Fully insulated with Neoprene foam in way of living areas
| Name of vessel | Wings of Desire |
| Model | Garcia Exploration 45 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Builder | Garcia Yachting |
| Designer | Olivier Racoupeau |
| Price | $875,000 USD |
| Location | Cherbourg, France |
| Length (feet) | 48 |
| Beam (feet) | 14.6 |
| Draft (feet) | 3.74 |
| Displacement (pounds) | 32214 |
| Ballast (pounds) | 10009 |
| Engine model | Volvo D2-75 |
| Engine horsepower | 75 |
| Engine hours | 542 |
| Fuel tank capacity (gallons) | 238 |
| Water tank capacity (gallons) | 132 |
| Holding tank capacity (gallons) | 155 |
INTERIOR:
- Roller blinds on port lights.
- Oceanair screens/blinds on deck hatches
- Salon table convertible to double berth
- Leather upholstered cushions
- 6 x Hella 12V cabin fans
- 4 x cowl/dorade vents, 5 x opening hatches, 5 x opening ports
- 2 x Electric flush toilets- salt or freshwater
Owner’s Cabin:
- Additional cabinets over berth
- Shower in wet head
- Reading lights
Workshop/Storage room:
- Integrated storage boxes under the workbench
- Compact (3kg) washing machine
Galley:
- Standard 144 liter, two drawer refrigerator with optional 70 liter freezer
- GN Espace two burner gas stove with oven
- GN Espace “Gastronorm” sink with compatible cutting board and stove accessories.
- FW/SW foot pump
- Glem GMI2031IX combo microwave oven/grill -220V/50hz
- 13 kg propane tank in dedicated gas locker at port side of stern platform
- Nereus WG300-LLC-V propane solenoid/gas alarm/CO alarm
- ABYC rated USA-supplied propane hose
Mechanical & Plumbing:
- Volvo D2-75 diesel engine with 542 hours
- Hurth/Volvo MS25A transmission
- PSS prop shaft seal
- Flexofold 22 x 15 three-blade folding prop and fixed three-blade prop as spare
- Electronic engine control inside at the nav desk and at port helm
- NMEA interface for Volvo engine info on Zeus displays
- Engine exhaust high temperature alarm
- Dual Racor (MA500) primary fuel filters with vacuum gage. Switchable between port/off/stbd/both.
- Automatic fire extinguisher in the engine room.
- Additional 250l fuel tank (std. 2x 350l) for a total of 950l
- 12V diesel transfer pump
- MaxPower CT100 12V tunnel bow thruster
- Echotec D260L watermaker -13 gallon per hours 12v
- Jabsco freshwater pump and pressure accumulator tank
- Hot/cold water at swim platorm
- Isotemp 40 liter hot water heater; heats from shorepower, engine, and diesel heating system
- Manual foot pump in galley. Switchable between fresh and salt water.
- 2 x Whale Gulper 220 shower drain pumps
- Jabsco wash down pump in bow locker with hose for washing anchor chain
- Webasto hydronic heating system with three zones (heat exchangers and blowers)
- (4) 12V air extractor fans for removing hot/moist air from interior to prevent condensation on hatches and ports
Electrical System:
- 220v/50hz AC and 12V DC outlets throughout interior
- Victon 3600 watt automatic isolation transformer; accepts 110V or 220V shorepower and outputs 220V
- 1125 watts of solar on aft arch with three Victron MPPT 100/50 SmartSolar charge controllers
- Victron Centaur 60 amp 12V battery charger
- Victron Phoenix 3000 watt 220V/50hz inverter
- 12V AGM engine start battery
- (2) Odyssey 12V batteries for bow thruster and anchor windlass
- Total of 8 Victron Super Cycle AGMs (125ah x 8 = 1000ah)
- 2 x Bosch 115 amp 12V alternators with dual Sterling 130 amp battery to battery chargers
- Battery temperature sensor.
- Watt & Sea Cruising 600 hydrogenerator (tested but never used)
- Philippi Battery and tank monitoring panel
- Philippi DC leakage detector
- Pre-installation for future genset installation. Includes raw water inlet, exhaust out and welded foundation for genset.
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION:
- B&G Zeus3 chart plotters (12” at nav desk and 12” with ZC2 remote control under dodger in cockpit).
- Triton2 digital displays at helms, cockpit bulkhead and nav desk.
- B&G V60 VHF with AIS Transponder
- Autopilot with NAC-3 course computer and Jefa drive unit and OC12 keypad at nav desk and under dodger. AP44 remote at stbd helm. WR10 wireless remote.
- Fully redundant secondary autopilot.
- Wind/depth/speed/water temp transducers.
- Precision 9 compass.
- Broadband 4G radar scanner with 36nm range (mast-mounted)
- V60 marine VHF with H60 wireless handset and charging cradle. Shares Vesper AIS antenna.
- Loud hailer speaker with automatic fog signals.
- Iridium GO satellite comm with antenna on aft arch
- Glomex 4G Lite cell/wifi antenna & router
DECK & HULL:
- Cockpit, swim step, side and foredecks covered with Marinedeck composite decking
- Hot/cold feshwater transom shower
- LED spots in arch over the stern platform
- Waterproof USB outlet at port helm
- Teak cockpit table with locking hinge leaves, and sunbrella cover
- Cockpit cushions with Silvertex Delft Blue upholstery
- Bimini top
- Watch keeping position canvas enclosure under hard dodger
- Welded aluminum slotted toe rail
- Two opening hatches in hard dodger
- Red/White LED spots under dodger
- Granny bars at mast
- Extra pair of mooring cleats inboard of stern arch
SAILS & RIGGING:
- 2 x Lewmar primary winches, upgraded to 50EST electric
- 2 x Lewmar secondary winches 45ST
- 2 x Lewmar ST40 winches on mast
- Wireless remote control for starboard electric winch (used for raising mainsail & spinnaker halyard)
- Full-batten Hydranet mainsail (tri-radial cut) with lazy bag and Facnor Facslide batten cars
- Hydranet solent and staysail on Facnor furlers
- Running back stays for staysail
- Sparcraft rigid boom vang
- Spinnaker pole on track stored on mast
- Asymmetrical spinnaker with Wings logo and snuffer sock
- Foldable mast steps to top of mast
- Lewmar 12V capstan on the foredeck
- Max Power CT100 bow thruster
SAFETY & MISCELLANEOUS:
- Kannad SafePro manually-activated GPS EPIRB with bulkhead mounting cradle
- 5 x Ocean Signal MOB1 AIS beacons
- Six-person offshore safety pack including:
- 6 x Spinlock deck vests with tethers
- Horseshoe with floating line
- Plastimo Rescue sling
- Viking Rescyou Pro 6-person liferaft certified to 8/2022
- Dan Buoy MOB floating pylon with blinking light
- Fire extinguishers and blanket
- Basic medical kit
- Self-recovery ladder on port side
- Ditch bag with handheld VHF, flares, water, and rations
- Mooring pack including:
- 6 Fenders
- 2 x 15m, 16mm dock lines
- 2 x 15m, 16mm dock lines
- Fender skirt to protect topsides
- Anchoring pack:
- Lofrans windlass with wireless remote control fob
- 25kg Spade anchor on 100m of galvanized 10mm chain. Chain upgraded to Force 7 (Grade 70)
- Fortress FX37 anchor (folding) with 50m, 16mm nylon rode of which 15m is weighted
- Folding passerelle for stern to boarding
- Extensive spares
- F-Rib 275 foldable tender with Tohatsu 9.9hp 2-stroke outboard and spare Suzuki 4.5 hp 4-stroke in bow locker
TOOLS & SPARES:
- Tool kit
- Milwaukee M18 cordless drill
- Milwaukee M18 wet/dry vacuum
- Canon printer
- Brother P Touch label machine