12 Ton Hillyard
Wooden Ships Comments on this 12 Ton Hillyard
12 ton Hillyard, designed and built by Hillyards of Littlehampton in 1961.
One size up from their most popular 9 tonner, this design has the same standard layout with centre cockpit, aft cabin, saloon and forecabin, but with a little more space and comfort in all directions.
David Hillyards design were very well received by the UK market, leading to them becoming one of the most prolific boat building yards the UK has ever seen. Their boats were not flashy or fast, but offered excellent value for money cruising yachts with a huge amount of space and volume for the length. The layout enabled a family to cruise in comfort with the parents cabin aft, youngsters up forward and a communal saloon that did not have to be turned into sleeping berths at night unless guests were aboard. The design has not aged and still serves very well today as a comfortable, safe and capable cruising yacht.
The design is easy to handle under sail, particularly this yacht as she has been converted to a cutter rig with the addition of a bowsprit giving more flexibility in the sail plan. Self tailing winches and furling headsails add to the ease of sailing her.
This particular example has had time and money lavished on her in recent years both in the previous ownership and in a major refit between 2018 and 2021 with the current owner. Notable works include a Nanni Diesel 50 hp engine, recent rigging and sails, all new systems, significant hull repairs and a complete re-paint inside and out. She is all in all and excellent yacht and incredible value for money when compared to other similar volume vessels of this standard. Possibly the best 12 ton Hillyard available given her level of finish and equipment list.
Whether it is local cruising or a long distance voyage, sailing as a couple or with a whole family, this is a boat that will do it all at a fraction of the price of many other similarly capable yachts. Great live aboard cruising yacht.
Full survey carried out in 2018 prior to the refit, plus a second 2021 report after the work was completed.
Length on Deck 36’
Length Overall
Length Waterline 31’
Beam 10’
Draft 4’6”
Thames Tonnage 12TM
2018 – 2021 Refit Work List
- Stripped all paint from hull and topsides
- Raked out all seams on topsides (not necessary on hull except garboard seam)
- All primed and re-paid seams with cotton caulking and white lead putty on topsides, red lead putty in garboard seam
- Removed bulwark kicking board and re-fashioned ends to suit fairleads
- Removed chainplates as identified in survey and let in new timber and refastened
- Cut out all soft wood as identified in survey and let in graving pieces
- Hull and topsides faired off and repainted
- Cockpit sole re-designed in accordance with survey recommendation
- Decks and cabin tops re-painted
- Cabin sides and cockpit coaming stripped and re-varnished
- New cabin windows with polished stainless steel frames installed
- Cabins interior repainted and revarnished
- New interior lockers designed and fitted
- News sea toilet and plumbing installed
- Simpson Lawrence porthole rims removed and chromed
- Engine removed from boat and extensively renovated
- New engine panel and wiring loom fitted
- All ships electrics ( DC and AC) re-organised and updated
- New s/s wire steering cables fitted with tensioning adaption
- Simpson Lawrence windlass removed and overhauled
- Forestay fitting adapted to take new roller reef staysail
- Mast, boom, bowsprit stripped and re-varnished
- Mast fittings adapted to take new standing rigging
- Boom fittings adapted to facilitate slab reefing system
- New mast and cockpit winches fitted
- Install new standing rigging with new rigging screws and end fittings
- New stackpack and lazyjacks fitted
- New cockpit tent
- All defects identified in 2018 survey report rectified