BITTERSWEET is an Able Apogee 50, a Chuck Paine design that epitomizes Maine boatbuilding craftsmanship and bluewater pedigree. Built by Able Marine in Southwest Harbor, Maine, the Apogee 50 combines performance, strength, and timeless beauty. With her powerful rig, balanced hull form, deep fin keel and water ballast, she is a sailor’s yacht — capable of crossing oceans swiftly and safely, while offering the comfort and elegance of a finely finished cruising yacht.
The Apogee 50 was conceived as a performance cruiser with the heart of a racer and the soul of a passagemaker. BITTERSWEET carries that spirit with a warm, inviting interior satin varnished cherry, robust offshore systems, and a deck layout optimized for shorthanded sailing. She has received a high level of care and attention over recent years and shows as a far newer boat. From the exterior, her hull, deck and spars are shiny. Portlights and hatch lenses are clear. Sail handling systems are updated and operate well, including recent Harken deck hardware. Electronics have recently been replaced, and she features a full Victron energy package including lithium batteries. Her interior has been refinished and is in beautiful condition. The engine room/mechanical space is clean and well organized and systems throughout show true pride of ownership. BITTERSWEET represents a rare opportunity to acquire a Maine-built yacht of this caliber.
Highlights:
Recent B&G instruments
Victron lithium batteries and charging system
Solar panels on dodger hard top
Dual alternators on main engine
Composite bowsprit/anchor platform
Carbon fiber mast and boom and recent (2024) UK X Drive sails
Liferaft and EPIRB
Espar diesel cabin heat
Frigoboat 12v refrigerator and freezer (separate compressors)
Watertight bulkheads forward and aft
| Name of vessel | BITTERSWEET |
| Model | Able Apogee 50 |
| Year | 1995 |
| Builder | Able Marine |
| Designer | Chuck Paine |
| Price | $399,000 USD |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Length (feet) | 54 |
| Beam (feet) | 14'8" |
| Draft (feet) | 9'9" |
| Displacement (pounds) | 35000 |
| Ballast (pounds) | 15000 |
| Engine model | Yanmar 4JH2-DTE |
| Engine horsepower | 88 |
| Engine hours | 2713 |
| Fuel tank capacity (gallons) | 170 |
| Water tank capacity (gallons) | 480 |
| Holding tank capacity (gallons) | 40 |
Interior Accommodations
The interior of BITTERSWEET reflects the high standards of Maine craftsmanship. Her beautiful cherry joinery is finished in satin varnish and was recently refinished. Numerous opening hatches and ports ensure excellent ventilation and natural light throughout. Her interior features two staterooms and two heads and sleeps six including her two salon berths. Watertight doors separate the forward cabin and the engine room/garage space aft, adding a extra measure of safety.
- Forward Cabin: Spacious V-berth with drawers, lockers, and private access to the forward head and shower.
- Main Saloon: Port and starboard settees (L shaped settee to port and two straight settee’s to starboard) flank a centerline drop-leaf dining table, creating a comfortable gathering space. There is ample storage and good ventilation. Lee cloths are fitted on the salon berths.
- Navigation Station: To starboard aft, with full-size chart table, electrical panel, and space for navigation electronics plus bookshelves and storage lockers.
- Galley: C-shaped to port, ideal for use underway. Features include deep stainless sink, gimbaled stove/oven, large separate refrigeration and freezer, and abundant counter and locker storage. Large hatch overhead for good ventilation.
- Force 10 propane three burner stove/oven
- Xintex S-2A propane solenoid control panel
- (2) aluminum propane tanks
- Haden microwave and toaster
- Top loading refrigerator and freezer, each with independent Frigoboat Capri 35 12v compressors and digital thermostats
- Trash can with countertop access
- Assorted pots, pans, dishes and galleyware
- Owner’s Cabin: Aft master stateroom with large berth, hanging lockers, drawers.
- Aft Head: Accessed aft of the galley. Large separate shower stall.
- Garage/engine room: Watertight door with work bench and storage space, excellent access to engine and steering gear.
Deck and Hull
The Apogee 50’s hull is constructed with Airex foam-cored fiberglass with Kevlar weave, providing strength, stiffness, and insulation. Her deep fin keel and carbon fiber spade rudder provide stability and control. Her hull and deck were painted in Awlgrip in 2022.
On deck, the Apogee is designed for safe offshore sailing. Wide side decks, robust stainless stanchions and pulpits, and high coamings in the cockpit give excellent security. The cockpit is deep and protected by a hard dodger, with comfortable seating for both passagemaking and harbor lounging. There is an opening window at the front of the dodger and lights beneath. The mainsail is sheeted to the traveller on the dodger top, providing the benefits of end boom sheeting without the traveller interfering with the cockpit. A drop curtain can be installed at the aft end of the dodger, turning the forward end of the cockpit into a enclosed pilothouse. Halyards are controlled on deck amidships, with a electric winch making BITTERSWEET manageable for a couple or small crew.
- Ideal vertical capstan forward and reverse anchor windlass
- Dual anchor rollers on custom composite bowsprit by GC Composites
- Rocna Vulcan 33 anchor (73lbs)
- Rocna Vulcan 20 (44lbs)
- (4) Dorade vents
- Canvas trimmed clear marine vinyl “drop curtain” encloses forward end of cockpit beneath dodger
- Gray canvas covers for liferaft, binnacle, winches, windlass, sail cover, and complete boat cover (to lifelines)
- Marelon thru hull fittings and valves
- Bottom paint June 2024
Sails and Rigging
Bittersweet carries a powerful sailplan with high aspect carbon fiber mast. Headsails are non overlapping and there is a removable inner forestay for a hank on staysail. Off the wind sails are flown from her fixed composite bowsprit. This configuration balances performance with flexibility for heavy weather.
- Carbon fiber five spreader mast (painted whisper gray 2016)
- Carbon fiber boom with wings (painted whisper gray 2016)
- Rod standing rigging with composite backstay (2015/2016)
- Composite running backstay and running backstays (2015/2016)
- Composite removable inner forestay with hydraulic tensioner (2015/2016)
- 2:1 mainsail halyard, two spinnaker halyards, two jib halyards, staysail halyard (2024)
- Antal low friction mainsail track on mast
- Gray canvas “stack pack” style mainsail cover with weather cover
- German mainsheet system led to port and starboard winches at cockpit
- Harken MKIV headsail furler (2016)
- Two sets of jib tracks, plus outboard tracks at rail
- Upgraded Harken blocks and deck hardware
- Navtex hydralic boom vang, backstay, and main outhaul (rams serviced 2016)
- (2) Lewmar 62ST mainsheet winches
- (2) Lewmar 58ST jib sheet winches
- (2) Lewmar 44 secondary winches
- Lewmar 50ST electric halyard winch
- (2) Lewmar 44ST auxiliary halyard winches
- Sails:
- UK X Drive mainsail (2024)
- UK X Drive jib (2024)
- UK Spinnaker (2023)
- 2nd mainsail and jib (2016)
Electronics and Navigation
- B&G hydraulic autopilot with Precision 9 compass and AP48 controller at helm, WR10 wireless remote
- B&G radar on separate mast
- NAIS 400 AIS receiver/transponder
- Starlink high performance version mounted on radar pole with Farallon Electronics DC converter
- Pepwave 5G antenna mounted on radar pole
- At nav station:
- B&G Zeus 2 12” MFD display
- B&G H5000 display
- Icom IC-M506 VHF radio
- Icom IC-M710 SSB radio
- Chart spotlight
- Boston barometer
- Icom ICM1V handheld VHF radio
- At cockpit
- B&G Zeus 2 12” MFD display
- (4) B&G Triton displays in articulating mounts beneath dodger
- Icom HM195D VHF RAM mic
Electrical Systems
- 12v DC and 120v AC electrical systems
- 30 amp 120v shore power inlet with 2 50’ cords
- Bass AC/DC electrical distribution panel with AC and DC voltmeters and ammeters
- Victron GX Touch touch screen system display (2023)
- (3) Solbian SP130 low profile solar panels on dodger top (390 watts total)
- (3) Victron 75/15 MPPT solor controllers (one for each panel, 2023)
- Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120 inverter/battery charger (2023)
- House – (4) 200 AH Lithium Ion batteries (total 800 AH)
- Engine – (2) Optima 12V batteries
- Dual alternators on engine (stock Yanmar and high output Balmar alternator with Balmar ARS5 external regulator and mounted spare regulator)
Mechanical Systems
- Engine: Yanmar 4JH2-DTE 88 hp diesel engine (2713 hours)
- Yanmar engine control panel with oil pressure, tachometer and temperature gauges
- Transmission: ZF68IV V drive transmission (new 6/2024)
- Shaft seal: PYI dripless
- Propeller: Max Prop 3 blade feathering
- Dual Racor fuel filters with electric priming pump
- Fuel capacity: (3) tanks, 170 gallons total (two 60 gallon tanks in salon and one 50 gallon below V berth)
- Water capacity: 240 gallons in two tanks (480 gallons total)
- Holding tank capacity: two 20 gallon tanks, one below V berth and one in aft starboard lazarette)
- Pressure hot and cold water
- Allcraft 12 gallon stainless steel water heater
- Engine driven emergency “fire pump”
- (2) hand bilge pumps
- (3) electric bilge pumps
- Tank Tender tank level gauge
- Wilcox Crittenden Skipper heads
- Jabsco Shower pumps
Safety and Miscellaneous
- Globalfix V4 EPIRB (battery expires 8/2032)
- 4 man Viking UKSL RescYou Pro liferaft in hard canister mounted at the stern in easy deploy rack (new 2023)
- SOS Danbuoy inflatable MOB pole
- SOS Reelsling MOB recovery device
- Throw rope
- Aqua Meter CO Sentry
- Bosuns chair
- Vacuum
- Avon folding transom dinghy
- 8 hp Yamaha 2 stroke outboard engine
- Outboard motor lift
- (5) Aere Inflatable fenders
- (2) Plastimo tubular radar reflectors