Silver Bullet - CUSTOM BUILT FOR SALE

Go-anywhere aluminum pilothouse bluewater cruiser by Hike Metal, a renowned yard. Original owner offering this Scolfield design with a Rubatex-insulated hull, interior helm for high‑latitude voyaging, and robust, extended‑range, globally capable passagemaking systems.

Description

Go anywhere, safely and comfortably, aboard the Hike Metal 55 Pilothouse Silver Bullet—cherished by her original owner—where true expedition mettle meets inviting yacht luxury. Conceived by Mike Scolfield, an American Bureau of Shipping naval architect and engineer recognized for elevating modern yacht construction standards, and built by the renowned Hike Metal Industries shipyard, this rare aluminum pilothouse yacht blends commercial‑grade strength with a warmly finished interior for confident blue‑water cruising to the world’s most remote anchorages.

Her aluminum expedition‑grade construction with reinforced zones and four watertight compartments delivers exceptional offshore safety and peace of mind. A protected pilothouse helm station provides full visibility, a gimballed helm seat, and a pilot berth to keep watch in comfort even in wet, challenging conditions. The hydraulic lifting keel offers ten feet down for offshore performance and six feet six inches up for access to shallower water, expanding your cruising horizons without compromise. An extensive sail inventory stands ready for all conditions, set on a Hall Spars rig with a carbon spinnaker pole, and includes purposeful heavy‑weather options such as a storm jib alongside spinnakers for versatile passagemaking.

Purpose‑built for long‑range voyaging, Silver Bullet’s systems are equally expedition‑ready. Propulsion comes from a Yanmar 4JH‑TNE one hundred horsepower auxiliary engine, complemented by a Yanmar fifteen horsepower generator to keep ship’s services reliably powered. Hydronic heat is delivered by an Espar Hydronic Heater, while an Aqua Marine watermaker ensures self‑sufficiency at sea. Energy generation is diversified with a Primus wind generator, a Watts at Sea cruising electric generator driven by a water impeller, and a solar panel, reducing dependence on engine hours. Hull care is enhanced by a Capac hull monitor providing real‑time display of hull continuity, sacrificial zinc protection, and performance, and by an Ultrasonic Marine hull antifouling system operating on 12 V DC or 110 AC. Thermal efficiency and comfort are further assured by Rubitek one‑half inch hull insulation.

Navigation and communications are comprehensive and redundant. Two chartplotters—one in the pilothouse and one in the cockpit—anchor a suite that includes Simrad AIS, B&G radar with a dedicated display, and Raymarine wind, speed, and depth instrumentation. A Simrad autopilot integrated with Whitlock torsion bar steering handles the miles with authority, while an SSB radio with Proctor modem and antenna tuner extends your communications range offshore.

Below deck, the handcrafted cherry‑and‑ash interior creates a welcoming refuge for extended living aboard. Accommodations include two double berths and two single berths, complemented by a dedicated pilothouse watch berth, and there are two heads to serve crew and guests comfortably. With her lifting keel, protected helm, ocean‑ready systems, and robust sail plan, Silver Bullet is equally at home in high‑latitude exploration, tropical cruising, or a full circumnavigation. For added assurance, safety gear includes a six‑person Elliot liferaft, underscoring the yacht’s unwavering commitment to go-anywhere capability.

Overview

Step aboard through the aft cockpit into a purposeful pilothouse where a gimballed navigation and helm seat anchors the port side alongside a full electronics suite, while to starboard a soft pilot berth with lee cloth doubles as a comfortable sitting area. The pilothouse is framed by 3/8" tempered glass for strength and clarity. Descend the ladder and the interior unfolds in warm cherry and ash, the main salon accented by varnished cherry decks renewed in 2025. Aft to port, the galley is arranged for serious cruising with full cooking capability, generous storage, and refrigeration; opposite, to starboard, lies the aft head. Just aft of the head, a large cabin offers a double berth and ample stowage. Forward from the salon, a watertight door leads to the forward cabin with a large double berth to port and three single berths to starboard, served by a forward head with a large shower. The shower bulkhead forms the collision bulkhead, and ahead of it a deep sail and line locker and the anchor chain locker are reached via a bow ladder through a large deck hatch. Altogether the accommodations present cherry and ash finishes, two double berths and three single berths, and two heads with holding tanks and a shower, with the pilothouse’s gimballed helm chair and convertible pilot berth/settee enhancing watchkeeping comfort.

Underway capability is driven by a Yanmar 4JH2-TNE 100 HP main engine showing 4,700 hours, with its alternator replaced in 2026. Service is simplified by an electric oil-change pump serving both the main engine and the generator. Fresh water independence comes from an Aqua Marine reverse‑osmosis watermaker with 2,103 hours, and climate comfort is provided by an Espar Hydronic heater for the interior.

Self-sufficiency offshore is bolstered by a Primus 12V wind generator with bearings replaced in 2025, a Watts at Sea 12V generator manufacturer‑overhauled in 2021, and a Yanmar 15 HP genset with 2,103 hours that supplies 12‑volt charging, powers the RO watermaker pump, and drives the refrigeration compressor. A solar panel contributes renewable energy, while electrical health is monitored by a Heart Interface Link 2000. The house bank was renewed in 2026 and the start battery in 2025. For low‑maintenance performance below the waterline, an ultrasonic hull antifouling system with W4 transmitters operates on 12V DC or 110V AC.

Navigation and communication systems are comprehensive and thoughtfully located: Raymarine depth, speed, and wind instruments (2017); a Garmin chartplotter at the navigation station in the pilothouse (2023); a Raymarine chartplotter at the cockpit helm (2022); and a B&G radar with a large dedicated display at the pilothouse navigation station (2016). Steering precision is ensured by a Simrad autopilot paired with Whitlock torsion‑bar steering (2022) featuring an NMEA 2000 interface, while situational awareness is enhanced with Simrad AIS. Long‑range reach comes via an SSB radio with Procter modem and antenna tuner (2015), complemented by a Standard Horizon VHF radio for everyday comms.

Built for resilience, the aluminum hull carries a 1/4 inch bottom and 3/16 inch topsides, with a 3/16 inch aluminum deck and high‑stress areas reinforced to 3/8 and 1/2 inch. Four watertight compartments add confidence offshore, and Rubitex 1/2" closed‑cell insulation lines the hull for quiet, efficient comfort. Tankage includes four fuel tanks totaling 110 gallons and four 20‑gallon water tanks, well suited to extended passages.

On deck and aloft, performance hardware is equally robust: a Hall Spar keel‑stepped mast and Offshore spar boom, a carbon fiber spinnaker pole, and rod rigging replaced approximately in 2016. Headsail handling is effortless with a PROFURL 42 roller‑furling jib, while Harken and Lewmar deck gear keep loads under control. A Lewmar hydraulic anchor windlass speeds ground tackle work, and Lewmar hatches and portlights secure the openings. A staysail sets on a removable shroud for heavy‑weather versatility. The sail inventory is extensive—three mains, four jibs, two spinnakers, plus a staysail, a storm jib, and a storm tri‑sail—supported by anchors that include a Bruce 70 lb., a Fortress 55 lb., and a Fortress 37 lbs. The main backstay carries antenna insulators and is adjustable via a hydraulic ram.

Safety at sea is underscored by a six‑person ELLIOT offshore life raft (USCG‑SOLAS). Further, the variable‑draft keel is a standout engineering feature: raised and lowered by a hydraulic pump driven by the main engine through an electric clutch, it actuates two stainless‑steel hydraulic rams to deliver 42 inches of travel. The keel structure is aluminum (1,500 lbs) filled with 10,000 lbs of lead, shaped to a NACA foil for optimal lift and reduced drag—especially upwind—drawing on designs developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to NASA. With the keel fully down, the lead center of gravity sits 8 ft below the waterline, and the vessel can be sailed with the keel in the up position when conditions or depth demand it.