One important thing to know about the Esprit/Valiant 37 is that Bob Perry “drew the boat for myself. It’s the boat I wanted.” He owned hull number 1, Ricky Nelson, for three years on Puget Sound. On the heels of the Valiant 40, the Esprit quickly established a reputation as a good all-around performer and a seaworthy passagemaker.
Thistle, hull number 136, is proof of that offshore capability. The owners have sailed it from the Pacific Northwest to New Zealand and back, plus two round trip circumnavigations of Moresby Island in the Queen Charlottes (Haida Gwaii) combined with three full circumnavigations of Vancouver Island. Thistle is equipped for offshore with self-steering gear, solar panel, and an intermediate stay with runners, among a full complement of cruising gear.
The boat spent its early life in Maine. When the current owners bought it in 1993, they shipped it to the Valiant factory in Texas, where builder and Valiant Yachts owner Rich Worstell oversaw a refit, bringing it up to the current standards. It was then shipped to the Pacific Northwest.
Thistle’s proven its voyaging capability, is well maintained, and is equipped to do it again.
| Name of vessel | Thistle |
| Model | Esprit 37 |
| Year | 1980 |
| Builder | Valiant Yachts |
| Designer | Bob Perry |
| Price | $80,000 USD |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Length (feet) | 37 |
| Beam (feet) | 11.5 |
| Draft (feet) | 5.8 |
| Displacement (pounds) | 17000 |
| Ballast (pounds) | 6700 |
| Engine model | Volvo MD 2040 |
| Engine horsepower | 40 |
| Engine hours | 1347 |
| Fuel tank capacity (gallons) | 40 |
| Water tank capacity (gallons) | 130 |
| Holding tank capacity (gallons) | 20 |
Interior Accommodations
Because Bob Perry designed it for himself, two of the interior highlights are 6’7” headroom and a spacious galley. The quality interior joinery provides a warm and comfortable feel. Lockers and floorboards are all securely fastened for comfort at sea.
Starting forward, the V-berth features 6’8” berths with a seat between that serves as a good step-up point. The hull sides throughout the boat are lined with teak. Shelves are to port and starboard with removable rails. There is a locker with shelves to starboard and a hanging locker just aft of it. To port there are four drawers, providing plenty of storage for personal gear.
Moving aft to port, the head has a separate shower stall with a seat, rare for a boat of this size and vintage. The keel-stepped mast nestles unobtrusively next to the fold-down table.
The main salon features and L-shaped dinette to port, plus cabinetry and a settee to starboard. For extra accessible storage space during passagemaking, Thistle has a divider that holds gear inside the “L.” There are hinged leeboards both to port and starboard, laying flat under the cushions when not being used. Lockers line both hull sides.
The U-shaped galley is to port, with generous storage in lockers for dishes and dry goods. An approximately 10 cubic foot icebox is on the aft side of the galley, while the sink and dry goods lockers are on the forward side. Every inch of spaced is used, including three drawers facing inboard and a small locker tucked in the aft outboard corner of the galley. The navigation station is to starboard along with the 6’5” quarter berth
Wallas 30 Dt diesel heater, forced airducts in V-berth and main salon
Gas Systems Regal 2 4-burner gimbaled propane stove with oven
(13) Marinebeam LED interior red/white dome lights
PYI floor anchors for 6 cabin sole bilge-access boards
Hinged teak leeboards in settee berths and quarter berth, canvas lee cloths in V-berth-port, starboard, and centerline
Salt water foot pump in galley
Fresh water foot pumps in galley and head
Icebox (10 cu. ft.) drains to bilge
(12) teak retaining fiddles for shelves and other storage
130 gallons fresh water in 2 stainless tanks, 65-gallons each, with removable inspection ports.
Double galley sinks
Seagull IV fresh water filter in galley
Pressure water to head, shower, and galley with accumulator tank
Raritan PHII head with 20-gallon holding tank and Y-valve
6-gallon hot water heater (engine or shore power)
Separate shower stall in head
Shower sump pump discharge over board with strainer
Salt water washdown pump with deck hose access
50-foot fresh water hose
20-lb propane tank in cockpit lazarette with overboard drain
Xintex S2-A propane detector/solenoid access panel in galley
(3) Fixed mount bilge pumps(3), all with separate through hull discharges (no T- junctions)
Rule 2000 electric bilge pump with float switch
One manual bilge pump in cabin
Electronics and Navigation
Autohelm ST5000 autopilot integrated with Sea-Talk navigation instruments
Raynav 300 GPS master unit at chart table
Raynav ST 60 multi-data, wind, depth and speed
Raynav ST 60 autopilot control mounted in pedestal pod
Standard Horizon GX-2100 VHF fixed mount with AIS at navigation station
West Marine submersible handheld VHF radio
Electrical Systems
Two 60-amp Volvo alternators
(4) Odyssey12-volt AGM batteries, Group 31(100AH each) in two banks, with meters
Original Sam Dick Industries electrical panel with 18 DC circuits and 7 AC circuits
Cole-Hersee battery bank selector switch
Protech 1240i Plus AC battery charger
120-watt solar panel welded to dodger top, with charging voltage regulator 200-watt Whisper inverter
Cigarette lighter DC plugs in cockpit and navigationstation
Guest model 260 12-volt searchlight
30-amp SmartPlug AC inlet in cockpit with galvanic isolator
50’ shore power cord
Extension cord and shore power adapters
Mechanical Systems
Volvo MD 2040 D 40hp diesel with 1347 hours (repowered 2005)
Volvo 130-S-A saildrive, 2.47:1 reduction Maxprop18″ 3-blade MaxProp feathering prop(18x11L) (2005)
(2) Racor 500 FGSS primary fuel filters in parallel
Vetus water lift muffler
H2 Out fuel tank vent line filter
Engine compartment blower
Engine spares including filters, belts, impeller et. al.
Spare hull, shaft, and prop zincs
36-gallon aluminum fuel tank with 6″ removable access port and companionway gauge
Enclosed storage space for 16 5-gallon jerry jugs secured below decks
Deck and Hull
The hull is solid, hand-laid glass and the deck is balsa-cored for lightness and strength. While osmotic blistering has been a problem in some of these boats, Thistle’s hull was refurbished at the Texas factory in 1993 and then peeled and re-glassed at Northwest Marine Center in 2020.
The deck was fitted with Vetus “Happy Elephant” nonskid in 2016.The side decks are wide and easy to move around on. There are genoa tracks on the side decks and on the cabintop for smaller headsails. The cockpit is comfortable and secure for offshore passages.
CapeHorn wind vane self-steering system with spares
Edson pedestal chain/cable quadrant steering
Yacht Specialties 36” wheel
Emergency tiller with pedestal clearanceRitchieGlobemaster5″binnaclecompass
(2) Lewmar Ocean Series hatches
(6) Hood custom opening ports
(4) Diamond Sea Glaze cabin windows
(4) Dorade deck vents and caps
Original teak companionway boards
Heavy ¾” plexiglass offshore companionway boards
(9) mosquito screens
Vetus “Happy Elephant” nonskid tread on deck
Artful Dodger frame and Sunbrella dodger, canvas replaced
Detachable cockpit awning, zips to aft edge of dodger
Sunbrella mainsail cover and staysail bag
Manual bilge pump in cockpit
Simpson Lawrence 555 Seatiger two-speed manual windlass
CQR 45-lb plow anchor with swivel
275 feet 5/16″ HT G4 chain in forepeak locker beneath windlass
Nylon three-strand snubber
300 feet 5/8″braided nylon rode
150 feet ½” nylon three strand with 20 feet ¼” chain Fortress FX-16 anchor and swivel
Spare anchor shackles and swivels
Sails and Rigging
The single spreader Spartech mast is extremely well stayed, and has an intermediate forestay and runners for utilizing a double headstay rig or small storm sail when conditions demand. The Tides mainsail track combined with Harken Battcars slide make hoisting and dropping the mainsail a smooth operation. The Haase sails remain in good condition.
Spartech mast & boom
Navtec rod rigging, except 1×19 wire headstay
Harken mechanical backstay adjuster (winch handle fitting)
Mast has separate trysail track to starboard
Inner forestay with pelican hook and tension adjuster
Running backstays with 2 padeye positions on each side deck
Telescoping whisker pole mounted on mast track
Steaming light
Deck light
Masthead tricolor light
Anchor light
Tides Marine mainsail track system with Harken Battcars
Mid-deck Lewmar traveler with mainsheet and control lines to cockpit
Mainsail reefing lines and winch at the mast
(4) Preventers, two mid-boom to rail and two boom end to stem
Yacht Tech solid boom vang
(2) Andersen 52ST primary winches,
Lewmar 40ST on mast
Lewmar 40 on mast
(2) Barient 21 on cabintop
Barient 23 on cabintop
Lewmar 14 ST for furling line.
(5) winch handles
(4) Harken and Schaeffer snatchblocks
Rigging spares including sail repair kit and replacement stay
Hasse (Port Townsend Sails) fully battened main
Hasse 120% jib
Schaeffer 2100 roller furler
Hasse asymmetric spinnaker with ATN “Snuffer” sleeve (not currently aboard)
Schattauer storm trysail (not currently aboard) with wire tack pennant sheeting to quarters with boom and dodger clearance, on separate mast track
Mariner staysail ,pistonhanks, sheeted to cockpit (currently not aboard)
Lazy jacks on mainsail
Miscellaneous and Safety
Flares and emergency smoke signals
Airhorn
LifeSling Horseshoe buoy
MOB pole
(4) adult life vests
Folding stainless boarding ladder (mountseitherside)
Emergency rope ladder, rail mount
Davis radar reflector on spreader halyard
Halon fire extinguisher in engine compartment
(3) Conventional fire extinguishers
Carbon monoxide alarm
Smoke alarm
(2) handheld bilge pumps
Dyer dinghy 7’11” “Midget” with 2 pairs of oars and sailing rig
Folding grapnel anchor for dinghy
(2) Necky Manitou11-foot kayaks and paddles (not currently on board)
(8) fenders
(8) docklines
West Marine Bosun’s chair
(8) 5-gallon fuel jerry cans, fitted to specific storage areas
West Marine fuel funnel filter
Disclaimer
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.