Garuda I

The sailboat that turned restless dreams into a life at sea.

Detailed sailboat architectural drawing with measurements

The Boat That Started the Drift Toward Something Real

Garuda is a Pearson 365, hull #339, originally built in 1980 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At 36.5 feet long and weighing just under 18,000 pounds, she’s the kind of boat that quietly earns respect—sturdy, capable, and built for sailors more interested in horizons than marinas. She may not be the biggest vessel in the harbor, but she was never meant to impress from the dock. Garuda was built to move across coastlines, through changing weather, and into the kind of life that asks more from you than comfort ever could.

Built for Shallows, Ready for Oceans

With a shallow 4.5-foot draft, she can navigate waters many larger cruisers can’t reach while still carrying the strength and stability required for offshore passages. Her ketch rig—featuring two masts with the mizzen stepped forward of the rudder—gives her balanced handling and more sail versatility than her size first suggests. And despite her classic profile, she moves faster than most people expect.

A Boat With a Past and a Future

We purchased Garuda from the estate of a loving owner who, unfortunately, had to let go of his plans for her before seeing them through. Like many older sailboats, she came with stories, scars, unfinished ideas, and a long list of projects waiting patiently in the wings.

Built by Trial, Error, and Tide

That was part of the appeal. She wasn’t perfect. Neither were we. Garuda quickly became more than transportation. She became a workshop, a classroom, a proving ground, and occasionally a floating puzzle designed to test our patience and creativity at the exact same time.

The Refit Is Part of the Voyage

There are still countless upgrades, rebuilds, and changes ahead for her—which makes following her transformation part of the adventure itself.

Learn About Us

Small Enough for the Shallows, Strong Enough for Open Water

Core Dimensions

Overall Length: 36’5″ (11.10m)
Length at Waterline: 30’0″ (9.14m)
Beam: 11′5.5″ (3.49m)
Draft: 4’6″ (1.37m)

Performance & Construction

Displacement: 17,700 lbs. (8.03 tonnes)
Ballast: 7,300 lbs. (3.31 tonnes)
Sail Area: 615 sq. ft. (57.14 m²)
Mast Height: 49′ (14.93m)

Interior Comfort

Headroom: 6’3″ (1.91m)

Currently for Sale

Garuda I has carried us through lessons, breakdowns, victories, experiments, and unforgettable moments offshore. Now, she’s ready for whatever comes next — and for whoever feels called to continue the story. For additional details, pricing, and inquiries, click the image below.

Finding the Right Boat Without Falling in Love Too Early

Early in our sailboat search, we made one agreement: we would not fall in love with a boat. We’d both experienced emotional decision-making with major purchases before, and this time we wanted to stay grounded. More than anything, we wanted a fair, budget-conscious car—not something driven by fantasy or impulse. Still, as we searched, a pattern of priorities slowly emerged.

Keels, Rudders & Real-World Durability

One of our first considerations was the keel. There are countless sailboat designs out there, but for our style of cruising, we consistently leaned toward heavier, fuller-keel boats with solid offshore reputations. At the same time, we didn’t want a deep draft that would limit access to anchorages and shallow destinations. Eventually, we landed somewhere in the middle:

Heavy displacement
Fuller keel design
Shallow enough draft for flexibility

Built to Take a Hit and Keep Steering

Then came the rudder. And on this point, we weren’t flexible. We wanted a rudder mounted on a skeg. As newer sailors and cruisers, durability mattered enormously to us. We knew mistakes were inevitable, and if we ever hit debris, ran aground, or encountered trouble offshore, we didn’t want to watch the rudder drift away while the boat stayed behind.

Join the Journey

Designing for Real Life Aboard

It may seem strange to prioritize interior layouts before sail plans, but our logic was simple: We weren’t buying a weekend toy. We were buying a home. Living together aboard a small sailboat changes how you think about space. Every inch matters. Every layout decision affects daily life, movement, cooking, sleeping, storage, and sanity.

Keeping It Simple, Keeping It Strong

And unlike many sailing systems, interior renovations can become incredibly expensive very quickly. So we focused heavily on finding the strongest possible foundation.

The Features That Made the Difference

The Galley

A proper galley was non-negotiable. We knew from watching countless cruising videos that straight-line galleys become difficult and sometimes dangerous underway. We wanted:

A secure U-shaped galley
Adequate food storage for long passages
A large refrigerated compartment
Enough counter space to actually cook comfortably aboard

Because if you’re living offshore, the kitchen becomes one of the most important spaces on the boat.

The Settee & Dinette

This wasn’t originally high on our list, but it quickly became important as we toured more boats. We preferred:

A dinette and settee combination
Or double settees with a shared table
Open social seating areas over isolated chairs or excessive cabinetry

A boat can feel much larger — or much smaller — depending entirely on how people gather inside it.

Berths & Sleeping Arrangements

Oddly enough, this became one of the biggest deciding factors. Some berth designs looked beautiful in theory but felt impractical in reality. We considered:

Pullman berths
Athwartship beds
Aft cabins
V-berths
Single-berth layouts

If We Can Sleep, It Works

But we kept coming back to one simple question: Can two actual adults comfortably sleep here every night? We quickly ruled out layouts requiring one person to climb over the other, excessively cramped sleeping quarters, or isolated single-berth designs. In the end, our evaluation process became wonderfully technical: we simply laid down and checked whether we fit.

The Practical Stuff

Engines, Sails & Systems

Some decisions carried more weight than others.

Engine

Surprisingly, the engine wasn’t our biggest concern. Partly because we didn’t yet know enough to obsess over specific models — and partly because engines, while expensive, are still replaceable. Our priorities were simple:

A functioning diesel engine
Evidence of reasonable care
Something reliable enough to support the sails, not replace them

Because ultimately, this was still a sailboat.

Sails

Sails, however, mattered a lot. They’re expensive. They wear out. And replacing them can reshape a budget overnight. So when comparing boats, we looked closely at:

Current sail condition
Immediate replacement needs
Future upgrade costs

The sails needed to be in genuinely good shape.

Rigging

As we searched, we found ourselves increasingly drawn toward cutter-rigged sloops. They felt versatile and practical and somehow matched the image we carried in our head of what a sailboat “should” look like. Then we discovered ketch rigs. And once we realized how many experienced cruisers genuinely loved them, we stopped resisting the idea. Garuda slowly changed our minds.

The Little Details That Came and Went

Over time, we debated everything:

Solar systems
Battery banks
Windlasses
Cabin height
Quarter berths
Navigation electronics
Storage layouts
Even parquet flooring

Some mattered. Most didn’t. Because after all the spreadsheets, compromises, walkthroughs, and discussions, the goal stayed surprisingly simple.

Above All Else

She Had to Be a Budget-Friendly Cruiser

Not perfect. Not flashy. And not the most modern boat in the marina. Just capable. Durable. Honest. Adaptable. A boat that could carry us toward a different kind of life. And somehow, against all odds, Garuda turned out to be exactly that.

The Horizon Doesn’t End Here

Garuda is still in motion, still learning, still becoming. If this story speaks to you in any way, we’d love to hear from you—whether it’s a question, a thought, or simply a connection across the water.