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The Boat We Couldn't Stop Thinking About
Garuda II (“Two-ie”) is a 1992 Island Packet 35 built in Largo, Florida. This particular model was designed by Bob Johnson and built from 1989 to 1994, but the company remains in operation to this day with one of the most active Owner’s Associations in the cruising community. The IP35 was built to deliver superior strength, safety, and performance, featuring a signature full foil keel. She’s a blue water cruiser and is most comfortable at sea, but does enjoy a 4.5-foot (1.37-meter) draft, so she’s handy navigating the shallows as well.
Strong Enough for Offshore Miles, Comfortable Enough for Life Aboard
Overall Length: 35’4″ (10,77m)
Length at Waterline: 30’0″ (9,14m)
Beam: 12′ (3,66m)
Draft: 4’6″ (1,37m)
Displacement: 17,500 lbs. (7,938 kg)
Ballast: 8,000 lbs. (3,629 kg)
Sail Area: 640 sq.ft. (59,46 m2)
Mast Height: 48′ (14,63 m)
Water: 90 gal (341 l)
Fuel: 48 gal (182 l) + 27 gal (102) aux
Power: Yanmar Diesel 35hp
Where We Met
I first set eyes on Garuda 2 back at Atwood Harbor on Acklins Island, Bahamas. Despite the name, the place is little more than a remote shallow bay along the island’s north shore, offering shelter from southerly swells. I intended it to be an overnight rest stop on our way from Crooked Island to Mayaguana. We arrived in the early evening and were thrilled to discover fellow sailing friends Daniel, Meagan and their son Fin on SV Egret anchored there with additional “buddy boats.” We quickly settled in, dropping anchor next to a striking Island Packet named “Nina.”
We’ve always admired Island Packets – dreamed of them, really – but I was too timid and inexperienced to invest what would be needed for such a serious vessel. Island packets have storybook sailboat lines, but it’s their well-thought-out use of interior space that made us fall in love. (We seldom walk through the new model sales docks at boat shows, but have never missed a chance to see the Island Packets.
Before pulling our anchor the next morning, Heather and I stood on deck and admired her look. Then we were off for a 150-mile run to the Turks and Caicos. We saw her again briefly in Grace Bay off Providenciales and even pointed her out to some friends who flew in for a visit, but just like a dream, she was off again.
It would be six months before I saw her again in Luperon, Dominican Republic – just after Daniel and Megan had purchased her! Had I known she was for sale, I might have tried to out-bid them right then and there. But I also couldn’t have been happier for Daniel & Meagan – who spent the next year sailing her through the Eastern Caribbean, down to Grenada, then back to Puerto Rico.
This is during the period when life had interrupted my sea-time. I had returned to Texas to care for my father but followed their journey through WhatsApp and social media posts – never too far out of touch. After my Dad had passed, Daniel contacted me with a unique offer. He and the family were holding to their original plans to explore Malaysia and Indonesia in the coming year – and to do so, Daniel was planning to sail Nina, now named SV Ibis, across the Mona passage to the Dominican Republic, where he would pick up his previous family boat and head back to Florida. One Captain can’t sail two boats and he was hoping I might be interested in stretching my sea legs and coming along.
I bought a one-way ticket to San Juan for the following week – knowing full well that if Nina/Ibis was everything that I remembered, I’d do my best to buy her before we reached the Dominican Republic… and I did just that.
What I Liked More
Garuda I and Garuda II (“Two-ie”) have a number of similarities. Both boats are 35 feet at the waterline, have a displacement of around 17,500 pounds, and full keels with a 4.5-foot draft.
Island Packet builds very distinctly, so there are many differences ranging from materials to assembly methods. I feel like that gets a bit too technical for a “what I like more” post, so I’m going to simply lump all of those design details into one overall description. Unlike Garuda I (and most of the other production sailboats on the water), Two-ie doesn’t have that “wine glass” shaped midsection. She’s a little more “canoe-like” with a full keel, with the base of the rudder connected to the aft keel edge with a stainless steel strap. Her beam at the waterline is also wider (more on this in a moment), with less water turbulence striking the prop and improved rudder efficiency. Next, we add a cutter rig with more sail area than Garuda I. And the takeaway is that Two-ie sails really nicely.
Here is where it gets harder for me to explain (at least mathematically). Keep in mind, both boats are basically the same size.
Two-ie’s interior accommodations are straightforward – a V-berth forward, followed by a port side head, opposing settees with an aft fold-down table (so far, almost the same as Garuda I – but also not). Two-ie has an aft-faing navigation table at the end of the port settee, a larger starboard side galley, AND a port berth cabin (a whole other bedroom!) This is all accomplished by a 12-foot beam that allows the interior cabin space to be pushed outboard, providing greater livable space without giving up storage space. These are features that are difficult to match on a boat in the size range.
Although I don’t know Two-ie like I know Garuda I (yet), I feel like these similarities provide a good toe hold to begin building more confidence. Garuda I is a fin-keeled ketch, and Two-ie is a full keel cutter – so they sail differently. Garuda I is also a challenge to single-hand sail, where Two-ie has in-mast furling and is rigged for single-handed sailing, minus the storm sail or flying a spinnaker. If all that sounds strange, just know that the jobs associated with sailing Two-ie are lessened to the point where it can be operated with only one person aboard.
Lastly, Two-ie is 12 years younger, so some of her original systems are a bit more modern. If you’re a Patreon or follow the YouTube channel, you know I’m still likely to rip it all out and change everything! Still, it’s nice to have a solid platform to build my off-grid adventure home/vehicle.
Where Did the Name “Garuda” Come From?
The garuda is a half-bird, half-human mythical creature in Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, the garuda is one of the “Four Dignities” – animals that represent characteristics of those who work for the enlightenment of all beings. Garudas are said to have a large body with a sharp beak and human arms. Their wingspan is many miles wide, so when they flap their wings, they can cause significant winds. And since they’re born in the air, they are ready to fly from the moment of their birth. That just sounded cool to us, but even more appealing is this: Garudas are able to soar high above the earth because they have abandoned a formal sense of “me” – flying above petty concerns, anxieties, fear, and depression. The garuda accepts whatever comes up in life and rolls with whatever winds come their way… and we could all use more of that.
The Garuda is a mythical half-human, half-bird being found in Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the “Four Dignities,” symbolic creatures representing qualities associated with those who work toward the enlightenment of all beings. Garudas are described as enormous beings with sharp beaks, human arms, and wings spanning miles across the sky. Legend says that when they flap their wings, they create immense winds — and because they are born already airborne, they are ready to fly from the very beginning.
Naturally… we thought that sounded pretty incredible. But what resonated with us even more was the deeper meaning behind the symbol. Garudas are said to soar high above the world because they’ve abandoned attachment to ego, fear, anxiety, petty concerns, and emotional heaviness. They accept changing winds instead of fighting them.
That philosophy felt familiar. Life rarely moves in straight lines. Plans change. Storms arrive. Things break. People evolve. Garuda became a reminder that freedom often begins the moment we stop gripping so tightly to who we thought we had to be. And honestly, we could all use a little more of that.