Joubert-Nivelt Custom Sloop Custom

Offered for sale is Rosemary, a 53-foot aluminium expedition yacht with an strong pedigree and proven track record in high-latitude and bluewater cruising. Built by renowned French yard Meta and custom designed by Jobert-Nivelt, Rosemary was conceived for strength, autonomy, and global exploration.

Launched in 1999 and featured in the book Wild Seas to Greenland as well as Boating NZ, she has sailed from the Arctic to the tropics -- a rare find for serious offshore adventurers seeking a self-sufficient, go-anywhere vessel. Her robust aluminium hull (11mm plate) and cutter rig make her as capable as she is comfortable.

Currently located in Opua, New Zealand, Rosemary has been meticulously maintained and continuously upgraded by her owners. She is fully offshore-ready, Cat 1 certified, and offered as a truly turn-key liveaboard or expedition platform. A full survey (including hull) was completed in 2021 and is available on request.

Highlights:

Expedition-built aluminium hull with 3,000L fuel capacity for extreme range
Cutter rig with Northsail NPL Tour sails (mainsail, furling genoa, and jib)
Powerful John Deere 150hp engine with just 2,000 hours
Spectra Cape Horn Extreme watermaker (~50L/hr)
State-of-the-art B&G navigation and autopilot suite (upgraded in 2022)
NZ Category 1 certified (2024) with offshore safety inventory
Fisher Panda generator, wind and hydro power, and wind generator
Starlink high-performance system with PredictWind integration
3 double cabins + 2 quarter berths -- spacious, warm, and built for passage-making


Construction & Systems

Hull & Deck: 11mm aluminium plate
Engine: John Deere 4045T (150hp) installed 2016
Transmission: PRM 750 with 3-blade Max-Prop folding prop
Diesel: 3,000L across 3 tanks for transoceanic range
Water: 300L + Spectra watermaker
Heating: Eberspacher diesel + diesel saloon stove
Safety: 8-person offshore liferaft, EPIRB, drogue, jacklines, full fire & bilge kit


Power & Navigation
Rolls AGM battery bank, Mastervolt inverter + charger
Watt&Sea hydrogenerator, D400 wind gen, Fisher Panda 10kW genset
Full B&G nav package (Zeus 3, Halo2 radar, Triton displays, Precision 9, VHF, AIS)
Dual autopilots with spare rams & computers
Starlink, Iridium GO!, PredictWind Datahub


? Layout

Forward owner's cabin with en-suite
2 spacious aft double cabins + 2 quarter berths in saloon
7ft headroom in warm, airy saloon with diesel stove
Nav station & galley with fridge, freezer, and gas oven
Engine room, workshop, and lazarette storage


Sail Handling

Northsail mainsail (2 reefs, full batten), furling genoa, jib, and spinnaker
Manual Lewmar winches throughout
Running backstays, granny bars at mast, solid cockpit


Tender & Extras

AB Lammina 3m alloy dinghy (new pontoons 2022)
20hp Suzuki 2-stroke outboard (2024)


SV Rosemary is more than a boat -- she's a proven global voyager, with pedigree, systems, and soul. If you're looking for a capable, self-sufficient yacht with serious offshore credentials and comfort to match, this vessel is ready to take you there.

Currently berthed in Opua, New Zealand.
2021 full survey available on request.
Get in touch for inventory, documentation, and history.