Lil Explorers is for sale.
This 57’ cruising catamaran was built with Duracore, triaxial roving and epoxy. It’s a full on cruising cat for $295,000. The boat is now located in Malaysia.
Lil’ Explorers is a 57’ Kurt Hughes catamaran. It was designed and built as a 49 passenger day charter catamaran for the islands of Hawaii. Every phase of it’s construction was inspected by the United States Coast Guard to insure that it met all requirements as a commercial charter catamaran.
Lil’ Explorers (Originally named Flying Jack) was professionally built at Gil’s Catamaran in Costa Mesa California. Lil Explorers was the last catamaran built by Gil Okamoto of Gil’s Catamaran. Gil became a master ship builder during WWII during which time he was responsible for building PT Boats. He was unable to fight in WWII due to his Japanese ancestry.
Prior to the boat being completed Jack Kobaiyashi who commissioned the build, passed away. At this time the boat was completed to a shell level.
In March 2012 Courage Winter purchased the incomplete boat for $45,000, engaged the designer Kurt Hughes, and had the boat completed to his requirements.

The boat was launched in January 2013 and was sailed down the Central American coast to Panama with Courage’s young family. (Two parents, and 6 children ranging in age from 6 months to 13 years old.)
From Panama the boat was sailed to the Galapagos, then to the Marqueses, through the Tuamotos, (Where a coral reef was hit, leaving the boat undamaged, except for a bent rudder, and propeller.)
From French Polynesia the boat was sailed to the Cook Islands, Palmerston Atoll, and to Tonga where the 2014-2015 Cyclone was waited out.
From Tonga the boat was sailed to American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caladonia, and down to New Zealand.
In the end of 2015 in New Zealand Lil’ Explorers was hauled out for one year, and received new bottom paint, new deck paint, all new chain, new Rochna anchor, and many other updates.
In 2016 Lil’ Explorers was sailed back up to Fiji, over to Vanuatu, across the Solomon Islands, through Papua New Guinea, and up to the Philippines. This took place over the course of two plus years.
From the Philipines in 2019 Lil’ Explorers was sailed down into Indonesia, and over to Bali. By July 2020 Covid limited and traveling so Lil’ Explorers was left in Bali until October 2021, at which time it was sailed to Timor, back through Indonesia and then up to Pangkor Marina in Malaysia.
The boat is set up with robust systems, but lacks some of the fine details some yachts enjoy.
There are twin 110 HP Yanmar diesel engines with less than 2,000 hours. One engine will comfortably push the boat at 6-7 knots at 1800 rpm using approximately 1 liter of diesel per mile. With both engines at around 2200 RPM cruising speed will be about 9-10 knots. Max speed under power is approximately 12 knots.
The sailing rig is very robust, and easily handled by one or two individuals. The boat is designed to sail up to 20 knots, but has only been sailed conservatively reaching a maximum of 15 knots, as this was sailed as a family boat, and never pushed.
Hull and decks are constructed of balsa cored sandwich.
A Lighthouse windlass is used for anchoring
A Raymarine chartplotter and Radar for navigation
A Simrad AP-28 autohelm
A WatchMate AIS and anchor alarm
Large refrigerator and freezer
Two separate solar systems – One used for the engine and windlass with AGM batteries, and the other for the rest of the boat which is powered by four (4) 100amp hour Lithium Batteries.

Contact me for more pictures.