This schooner is not just a ship, it is a concept.

The naval architect Daniël Bombigher is a Frenchman of Gypsy origin.

He loved classic boats. He also realized the shortcomings of old-time construction methods. So he designed new classic boats. The construction methods are modern, but the looks are classic.

Feeling that this concept was definitely not mainstream, he named his boats "SHPOUNTZ". This is an old gypsy word meaning the village idiot. Not the one we make fun of but the one who knows the secrets of the winds, the springs and the flowers!

As to the name "44-40", don't look for feet or measurements. As a joke he named this yacht by the calibre of his favourite revolver!

The work of Daniël Bombigher is very, very detailed.

The interior is very classic, simple and miraculously well designed. Many things have more then one function. This makes the ship very comfortable to live on both at sea as well as in the harbor.

Let Daniël speak for himself:

The SHPOUNTZs are sailing ships, designed specially for long voyages: the hull shape, the deck layout, the rig and sails chosen, and the internal layout make these boats real "MARINE HOMES"

The "44-40" carries a gaff schooner rig. Her cruising speed is 8 knots to 12 knots maximum. The "44-40" is specially suited to the trade winds, ocean passages and big waves. She is very well balanced under sail, in both versions (with fixed keel or centreboard) and easy to handle even by a couple alone! She can be sailed with the tips of the fingers.

It is true that she needs a certain amount of learning, such as reducing sails as the wind freshens: it's simply a question of dropping the top sails and then the sails at the ends and keeping the canvas in the centre.

On deck:
The cockpit is huge and can be protected by a sun awning. It can hold more than a dozen people.

The deck, protected by a strong bulwark, provides safety and complete ease of movement.

Below:
To port on entering: the light and airy galley is perfectly laid out for cooking without a retaining belt.

In the middle there is an enormous saloon occupying the full 5-metre width of the boat with 2 m headroom, giving a feeling of generous space. It can easily hold more than 12 people.
Fore and aft of this saloon: 2 beautiful cabins: each with a double bed (1,50 m x 2 m), big storage lockers, cupboards, shelves and space for reading and a real head with shower, etc.

A total of 2 double and 4 single berths, the "44-40" is ideal for 2 couples or a couple with older children. She can be an excellent yacht for an owner with a professional crew or even a very good charter boat.
Naturally she is a magnificent yacht! And the biggest of the Shpountz family.

STRONG
Thanks to the monoblock moulded wood hull on strong laminated frames.

COMFORTABLE
The hull is entirely drawn with radial diagonals. This makes a boat which is comfortable at sea and does not leave any wake, whether light or fully laden.
The draught is little, providing easy access to estuaries, rivers and all those pretty little moorings (including cyclone holes).
The normal heel angle is 8° to 10°.
All these qualities provide stability to the boat and make life aboard comfortable. By comfort I mean the possibility of living and living well on board, regardless of the weather or the state of the sea. Also, cooking, eating, sleeping and washing do not present any problems. For your information, on none of my boats is there a retaining belt for the cook, or even lee cloths.

STABILITY OF BEARING
The long spaced-out sail plan makes the ship easy to balance.
The long keel sharply sloping aft serves as a reaching keel.
The centreboard forward helps windward performance. Working this centreboard enables balance to be achieved: close hauled, it is right down, on a reach it is raised half way and on a broad reach completely raised. For manoeuvring in port the centreboard is lifted half way.
This enables the SHPOUNTZ to sail with the tiller lashed or to simply be fitted with a small-boat automatic pilot.

EASY TO MANŒUVRE
Thanks to the gaff schooner rig, manoeuvring is a refined art enabling the boats to be sailed with the tips of the fingers in all circumstances and at maximum efficiency with no effort, just like a big dinghy.
Don't forget these are powerful schooners like little sailing traders, which do require a little bit of learning. Unlike industrial sloops there's no need for muscles or to be a sportsman, but only to have a little common sense.
If you have no experience of gaff rig schooners please ask my advice!

EASY TO MAINTAIN
Thanks to epoxies and Awlgrip paints, yachts no longer need to be painted once a year as they used to, but only once every 5 years. The rest of the time maintenance simply consists of washing them regularly with sea water.
All the fittings and materials used have been selected to require the least possible maintenance and to be sufficiently simple for everything to be able to be repaired with tools which are on board. Hence there is no need for rare and expensive specialists.

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