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Insuring Down East Yachts: cover and premium

sailing boats and sailing yachts · several countries

Down East Yachts: californian builder of heavy bluewater cruisers. NAMMERT insures a Down East Yachts regardless of year built or where you bought it, liability, hull, legal expenses and personal accident cover from one house, taken out online in five minutes.

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At a glance

Origin

several countries

Class

sailing boats and sailing yachts

Typical sizes

9,8 to 13,8 m

Premium from

from €39 a year for liability

Worth knowing

Down East Yachts; cover, cost and conditions

Down East Yachts was based in Santa Ana, California. Bob Poole, who had previously worked for Columbia Yachts, founded the company in August 1974. The lines came from Henry Morschladt, a Californian naval architect who concentrated on cruising sailboats. The first boat was the Downeaster 38, with a wineglass stern, a full keel and a bowsprit, and the later designs were developed from it. These were heavy boats meant for long passages across open water, offered as cutter, ketch or schooner. After the founder died in 1978 the moulds were sold to Newport Offshore Yachts, and the company closed in 1983. In a marina a Down Easter stands out by its traditional profile: a deep, solid hull, a bowsprit and that narrow, lifted stern.

Our model records list five designs, all of them sailing yachts: the Down East 32 and Down East 45, and the Down Easter 38, 41 and 45. The earliest entry is the Down Easter 38 from 1972, and the latest build years run to 1985, for the Down East 32 and the Down Easter 38. None of the lines reaches recent build years, all of them ended decades ago. Lengths range from 9.75 metres for the Down East 32 to 13.8 metres for the Down Easter 45, with the Down East 45 at 13.7 metres. One detail stands out: the Down Easter 38 is recorded at 12.02 metres, slightly longer than the Down Easter 41 at 11.9 metres. Three of the five designs measure more than twelve metres.

A full-keel cruiser of this age rewards a careful survey. On a used Down Easter the chainplates, the bowsprit and its fittings, and the joint between hull and deck deserve a close look, as do teak decks if fitted. Many of these boats were fitted out for long voyages, so the gear on board often tells its own story about past passages. A heavy hull and a long keel make for a steady motion at sea, while manoeuvring astern in a tight marina takes practice. Owners who keep the rig, the engine and the tanks in good order have a boat that can still head offshore.

Questions and answers

Frequent questions

Who designed the Down East yachts?

For Down East Yachts: Henry Morschladt, a Californian naval architect known for cruising sailboats.

His first design for the yard was the Downeaster 38 with full keel, bowsprit and wineglass stern,

and the other designs were developed from it.

Which is the largest Down East design?

For Down East Yachts: The Down Easter 45 at 13.8 metres,

just ahead of the Down East 45 at 13.7 metres.

Our model records list it for the build years 1974 to 1983.

The cover that fits

sailing yacht insurance

Tariffs, cover and FAQ for sailing yacht insurance in detail.

Third-party liability

The foundation for a boat from Down East Yachts: damage to third parties, worldwide,

from €39 a year for liability.

Hull cover

Partial or full hull cover for a Down East Yachts, at replacement value with an agreed fixed value.

For the whole class of boat

For Down East Yachts: What matters for sailing boats and sailing yachts is the same across every

brand; engine output, how a claim is settled, cruising range and theft protection.

The class page lists every point and every brand in this class, Down East Yachts included.

Insuring sailing boats and sailing yachts, every brand and every condition

Other builders in this class
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Directory of all makes from A to Z

Nautical information What counts before you cast off, papers, equipment, waters

Licence

A powerboat licence (inland or coastal) is required from 15 hp (11.03 kW).

Registration

Registration from 3 hp; for trips abroad carry the boat certificate or flag document.

Waters

Inland, coastal and abroad; plan fairways, bridge clearances, draught and tides.

Equipment

Lifesaving gear, fire extinguisher, anchor, signalling equipment and correct navigation lights.

Cruising range

The agreed cruising range is stated in the policy and can be extended at any time.

Weather

Check wind force in Beaufort and wind direction before casting off, and allow for gusts.

General guidance, not a complete account;

what governs are the rules of the waters you are on and the manual of your Down East Yachts.

Current wind force and direction for your waters are shown on the Home.

Series by Down East Yachts, build years and cover

Down East 32

Down East 32 is a sailing yacht from Down East Yachts, built from 1973 to 1985.

Down Easter 38

Down Easter 38 is a sailing yacht from Down East Yachts, built from 1972 to 1985.

Down Easter 41

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1977 to 1984.

Down Easter 45

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1974 to 1983.

Down East 45

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1973 to 1980.

What this means for the cover

For the Down East 32, Down Easter 38,

Down Easter 41 by Down East Yachts and 2 more series there is no list price left.

That is why we work with an agreed value: you state the figure, we agree it,

and in a total loss exactly that amount is paid, with no deduction for wear.

For the Down East 32, Down Easter 38, Down Easter 41 by Down East Yachts and further series:

On sailing yachts the rig and the underwater hull are the expensive parts:

a dismasting quickly costs a quarter of the boat,

and osmosis counts as wear and is covered by no hull policy.

All series at a glance

The Down East Yachts range in figures

These figures come from the model records we keep for Down East Yachts: boat type,

build years and length, nothing estimated.

sailing yacht
5 models, 1972 to 1985, 9.8 to 13.8 m

Which model was built when?

Sailing boat Motorboat RIBEach bar is one Down East Yachts model, running from its first to its last year of build. The colour shows the type of boat.

What does a used Down East Yachts cost?

We hold today’s price ranges by year for 5 models by Down East Yachts.

The table shows what boats in average condition are worth,

from the oldest to the youngest year on record.

Choose your exact model, year and condition in the calculator.

ModelYears builtRange today
Down East 321976 to 1982€29,000 to €39,800
Down East 451976 to 1977€98,100 to €124,900
Down Easter 381975 to 1982€47,200 to €62,100
Down Easter 411980 to 1981€46,900 to €59,800
Down Easter 451977 to 1980€90,900 to €124,700

Estimate my boat

Estimate from our boat records, October 2026.

Not a survey.

Sailing yachts moored along a quay after sunset

Down East Yachts insured in five minutes.

Boat type, year built, length and value of your Down East Yachts are all we need.

Work out the premium online or call us: +49 3375 29 12 77.

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Four friends laugh and raise a toast in the cockpit of a sailing yacht in harbour in the sunshine

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A premium in one minute, a real person on the phone.

Or call us now: +49 3375 29 12 77

Down East Yachts: from €39 a year for liability

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