Tradewinds is a 44 foot sloop motor-sailor with a (LOA) length over all, of 48 ft. with a 14ft. beam. She is powered by a Perkins 165hp 354cuid turbo diesel, carries 280 gal. of fuel and 300 gal of fresh water. With her winged keel she is well balanced has a shallow draft of 3.5 ft. [...]and a cruising speed of 7.5kts. Tradewinds was built in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1973 originally as a ketch. In the early 80’s she was used to smuggle cigars from Cuba to Key West via a route from Belize. 1997 was her last trip when customs and border patrol agents caught up with her took knives to her overheads, cut hole in decks and bulkheads. She placed in a boatyard on Stock Island just outside Key West. For the next 8 years she was robbed of most of her valuables and infected with termites. It was a sad time for a classy lady. Since 2006 Commander Fernando and first mate Nancy have been restoring and re-fitting her to the sea worthy classy lady she is. THE CREW The Commander, Fernando grew up in Ventura, California and began sailing at an early age. While in high school he was a Sea Scout and spent most of his Summers sailing and boating between Ventura and Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. The First Mate, Nancy grew up in Beaver Falls, PA, moved to Key West and has a love for the sea and sailing. Her first cruising adventure was aboard Tradewinds in 2011 for a 750 nautical mile voyage to the Bahamas where she proved her worth and value as a mate.