Interior Accommodations

The interior of the Santa Cruz 52 is beautifully constructed – solidly built yet lightweight. Solid teak trim is used throughout, with teak battens along the hull cielings contrasting the bright white hull and overhead. The floorboards are teak and holly veneer plywood sealed with clear urethane.

Starting forward is the master stateroom with ensuite head. All the way forward is a hinged door for access to the deep anchor locker. The V-berth provides comfortable sleeping arrangements while at anchor. Shelves with teak trim run along the hull side above the bunk. There is a single large overhead hatch above for light and ventilation or quick sail changes when in racing mode. When the cushions are removed there is storage beneath the bunk and two drawers for clothes or tools are always accessible. To starboard there is a dressing settee with storage below and a cabinet above. Just aft is another set of built in cabinets, hanging locker with carbon hanging dowel, a small shelf and a cupboard and two drawers below. Headroom in the stateroom is 6’ 3” and the bunk is 7’ to accommodate tall sailors or several sail bags.

Opposite the aft end of the stateroom is the ensuite head with separate shower stall is separated by a solid teak door when cruising or canvas drop cloths for racing. Outboard along the hull side is a long counter with a sliding door cabinet above. Additional storage is available below the sink in a large cabinet. There is a manual flush toilet with a plastic holding tank situated below the countertop with a manual pump out. An opening port and overhead hatch provide excellent ventilation. Forward of the head compartment is the large separate shower stall that doubles as an excellent hanging locker. There is a teak seat outboard and a teak grate over the shower sump.

Marda Gras spacious main salon is just aft and accommodates the whole crew. On the port side there is a U-shaped dinette with pilot berth above and outboard. Below the pilot berth is the compressor for the refrigeration unit. Under the port settee is an 88 gallon Ronco molded water tank and access to the Spectra water maker. A large teak table is centralized in the salon and is removable for reducing weight while racing. A custom bag is available for when it is in storage. On the starboard side there is a linear 6’8” settee with a 55 gallon water tank and two house batteries below. Above and outboard, just like the port side, is a pilot berth and the hull is lined with teak battens. Below the berth is storage.

The L-shaped galley is next aft on the port side of the boat and easily accessed from the cockpit or salon. The galley has a well-conceived design for cruising or racing alike, everyone benefits from a good meal. Teak fiddles keep everything on the counter for preparation at sea and are sturdy enough to steady yourself with. Forward and inboard is a dedicated trash compartment below the countertop and just outboard is the double basin stainless sink. A separate drinking water tap is here in addition to the pressurized hot/cold and manual water taps. Below the sink is storage with access to plumbing and trash bin. At the forward end of the counter along the hull side is the access to the top loading fridge and freezer box. Just aft is the Force 10 three-burner propane stove and oven. Aft of the stove is a small counter space with four drawers below. Outboard along the hull side there is excellent storage that runs the length of the counter and is concealed by a sliding door.

The forward facing navigation station is opposite the galley on the starboard side. B&G electronics navigation computer and communications equipment is within arms reach here. There is storage available under the lifting chart table, below the nav seat, on a small shelf outboard and in four drawers below the table. The seat is comfortable and supportive regardless of which tack or just at anchor. Just aft on the bulkhead is the AC/DC distribution panel and more storage.

The aft stateroom is located to starboard of the companionway and aft of the nav station. The double berth can be for a couple or segregated by lee cloths for two people and an additional pipe berth is available for storage or another person. There is a dressing settee at the forward end of the bunk and a storage locker is above.

Directly aft of the galley is the aft head. This is a smaller day head style that is very conveniently accessed by crew on deck. The molded fiberglass and laminate surfaces with teak trim are user friendly and easy to maintain. There is a teak grate on the floor, manual flush toilet and single basin stainless sing in this area. Above the sink and countertop is storage concealed by tinted acrylic sliders and an open shelf above with teak fiddles to keep things in place.

The expansive lazarette is accessed through the aft door in the head or the port cockpit settee on deck. Line storage, fenders or extra boat parts can be stored here as well as excellent access to steering gear.

Galley

• Double stainless sink
• Seagull water filter system
• Manual fresh water
• Manual salt water
• Under counter soap dispenser
• Pressurized hot/cold water
• 3-burner LPG stove/oven
• Refrigerator & freezer compartments
• Accessible storage
• Functional layout and design

Electronics and Navigation

• B&G Hercules electronics
• (5) B&G 20/20 at mast display
• (2) B&G Hercules Pilot (one at helm, one at nav station)
• (2) B&G Hercules 2000 (one in cockpit, one at nav station)
• B&G apparent wind indicator in cockpit
• Raymarine radar display (RL70C display in cockpit)
• B&G gyrocompass
• Icom MF/HF marine transceiver (IC-M710RT)
• Icom AT-130 SSB tuner
• Standard Horizon Intrepid VHF with command mic
• DSP Multimode radio controller modem
• Dell computer monitor
• Kenwood stereo (KDC-BT862HD)
• MB Quatro cabin speakers

Electrical Systems

• Custom SC 52 AC/DC Bass distribution panel
• 30 amp 110 AC Marinco shore power inlet
• 50’ shore power cord
• Heart Link 2000 battery monitor and inverter/charger controller
• Heart Freedom 20, 2000 watt inverter/100 amp battery charger
• (2) 8D house batteries
• (1) Lifeline group 27 start battery
• Perko battery switch
• Ample Power 150 amp alternator
• Yanmar 80 amp alternator

Mechanical Systems

• Yanmar 4JH2-TE 62HP engine (1701 hours)
• Folding propeller (Reported Gori)
• Kanzaki KM4A transmission
• PYI dripless shaft seal
• Aluminum fuel tank (86 gallons)
• (2) plastic water tanks (143 gallons total)
• Plastic holding tank (30 gallons)
• Glacier Bay refrigeration/ freezer compressor
• Espar Airtronic diesel fired forced air furnace
• Force 10 LPG 3-Burner stove
• 25 lb. aluminum propane tank
• (2) Jabsco manual flush toilets
• Henderson manual holding tank pump out
• Rule 2000 electric bilge pump
• West Marine high water bilge alarm
• Ultra Sensor pump switch/ high water sensor
• Edson 9” bellows high-capacity bilge pump
• Jabsco Sensor Max 14 water pump
• Jabsco Par Max4 pump
• Jabsco Ultra Max pump
• Whale Gulper anchor washdown pump
• (2) Whale Gusher manual water pumps
• Precision Temp Shower Mate “on demand” propane fired hot water heater
• Transom deck shower
• Shower sump box (Rule 500)
• Marelon seacocks & Pex water plumbing

Hull and Deck

Marda Gras’ hull is white gelcoat with a maroon pinstripe and double boot stripes. Her deck is white gelcoat with light gray contrasting molded nonskid. Wide side decks allow easy movement fore and aft, and double lifelines with stainless steel pulpit and split pushpit provide security. The carbon stanchions are anchored through the deck in fiberglass reinforced pockets to increase strength and eliminate additional deck hardware. When installed, the genoa furling drum and anchor windlass are hidden below deck to maintain a sleek appearance. The spacious aft cockpit is a perfect platform whether racing or cruising. All halyards and control lines are led aft to line stoppers and four halyard winches at the aft end of the cabin. Well-proportioned cockpit benches run aft from the house. To starboard, a shallow lazarette provides excellent storage for dock lines and winch handles. To port, the deep “garage” lazarette also accessed from the aft head will swallow a mountain of gear. The cockpit combing is high and provides a comfortable seatback in addition to built-in cupholders. Currently the “coffee grinder” is installed for racing which is mounted through the two portlights in the cockpit. This can be removed for “cruising mode” and the winches operate as usual. Moving aft, the cockpit widens to create space for the mainsheet traveler and wheel. The Navtec hydraulic panel with controls for the backstay, boom vang and outhaul are close by the trimmer’s station. There are molded footrests to port and starboard for the helmsman and mainsheet trimmer. The open transom aft steps down to a wide swim platform.

The Santa Cruz 52 was designed and engineered to yield high strength to weight ratios with specifications that meet and exceed ABS Standards. The hull is constructed of hand laid fiberglass and end-grain balsa core sandwich bonded with vinylester resin and epoxy using vacuum bag technology in a female mold. All interior bulkheads and furniture are bonded directly to the hull to provide an integrated support structure that is stiff and light. The forward section of the hull includes a Kevlar collision mat and a watertight bulkhead for safety. The deck is constructed of hand laid fiberglass laminate incorporating balsa core on the cabin top and side decks to save weight where appropriate. The deck and hull are conspicuously joined by an alloy T-track aft and solid teak toe rail forward which are bolted with 5/16” stainless flathead machine screws on four inch centers.

The keel is a bolted on fin and Marda Gras is the only Santa Cruz 52 with her keel designed to hang 5º more vertical than the standard. Bob Smith designed this keel to be lighter and thinner by 400 pounds, creating a boat that sails faster and higher than the others. In addition to the weight savings under the waterline, the Southern Spars carbon mast was designed to save another 70 pounds in the top half alone.

• (2) custom padded door storage bags
• Canvas interior doors
• Lewmar deck hatches
• (2) canvas spinnaker pole covers
• Mainsail cover
• Carbon stanchions
• Uncovered lifelines
• Stainless grab bars
• (4) self-bailing recessed beverages holders
• Canvas dodger

Sails and Rigging

• Southern Spars custom high modulus carbon triple spreader mast
• Carbon boom
• (2) Carbon spinnaker poles
• Aluminum spinnaker pole
• Reaching strut
• Harken carbon fiber “coffee-grinder” winch pedestal system
• Hydraulic mast jack
• 2:1 Main halyard
• (2) Jib halyards
• (2) Spinnaker halyards
• Spinnaker pole topping lift
• Running backstays
• Check stays
• Permanent backstay
• Navtec hydraulic backstay adjuster
• Navtec hydraulic boom vang adjuster
• Vang quick release button at helm
• (2) Harken 45ST winches
• (2) Harken 53ST winches
• (2) Harken 980ST 3-speed winches
• (2) Harken 48.2ST winches
• Harken traveler system
• Harken line blocks
• Harken spinnaker pole track on mast

EVOLUTION Racing Sails:

• Main (~2014/2015)
• Jib H1 (2015)
• Jib L1 (2014)
• Symmetrical spinnaker S2 (2015)

QUANTUM Racing Sails:

• Carbon mainsail, QC 20/15 (2002)
• #2 carbon Genoa, QGL 22/16 (2002)
• #3 carbon Jib, QC 15/20 (2002)
• 125% Jib Top, carbon QC 10/15 (2002)
• 85% Spinnaker Staysail, 9933 poly (2002)
• Code 1S VMG, Airx 500 (2002)
• Code 2S Runner, Airx 600 (2002)
• Code 3S AP, Airx 700 (2002)
• Code 4S Runner, Airx 700 (2002)
• Code 6S AP, Poly 9933 (2002)
• Code 3S, “practice” (an older Sobstad spinnaker ideal for practice and MOB drills)

NORTH Racing Sails:

• Deep-roached 3DL 600M racing downwind mainsail (2004)
• 155% #1 Jib Top, Kevlar NLT120SX (2004)
• 75% Genoa Staysail, Kevlar 150YX Aramid (2004). Code 1A, Superlight 50, with custom “feathers” graphic (2004)
• Code 2A, Airx 600, with custom “feathers” graphic (2004)
• Code 2A+, Airx 600, with custom “feathers” graphic (2004)
• Code 3A, Airx 700, with custom “feathers” graphic (2004)
• Code 5A, “the Axe,” custom reacher (2004)

QUANTUM Cruising Sails:

• Full-batten Aramid Taffeta Fusion TT 22/18 mainsail (2002)
• Roller furling 95% jib, Aramid Taffeta TT 22/18 (2002)
• Code 3A asymmetrical spinnaker with snuffer sock, Airx 700 (2002)
• Delivery mainsail, Spectra.

Safety and Miscellaneous

• Thomcat box trailer (single axle ~ 10’) for gear and sail storage
• Spare rudder
• Fairing templates
• Racing Cushions
• Portable electric winch – Winchmaster
• 12v fans
• Yanmar engine parts
• Assorted fenders
• Assorted docklines
• Assorted spare rigging line and blocks