44′ Robert Clark sloop

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this 44′ Robert Clark sloop

A true pedigree Robert Clark bermudan sloop with a rich history.

The post war recovery saw the growth of off-shore yacht racing with the formation of the Admiral’s Cup race in 1957 and the 1960 OSTAR while the Fastnet Race first run in 1925 was already a popular and testing long distance race.

Cockade was built for J Dudley Boswell to take part in the Fastnet Race which she did in 1963 -though  recorded as not finishing – and again in 1965.

After 20 years ownership, he sold her to an American owner and she was registered in Gibraltar in order to keep the Red Ensign, cruised European waters and the Mediterranean before being sold to an English couple who lived aboard in Spain.

Subsequently sold by Wooden Ships to a couple from Cumbria she returned to UK before being  sold again by Wooden Ships in 1996 to a Dorset owner and underwent a major refit at Dorset Lake Boatyard. In his ownerships she sailed UK waters for 5 years before cruising to Spain and Portugal and returned to UK in the summer of 2012 to be sold after a 17 year very successful and happy ownership.

Robert Clark was one of the great designers of the 1960’s and Cockade is typical of his work. The design is conventional, a very elegant yacht relatively narrow in the beam compared with modern yachts, limited overhangs and a very sweet sheer line. The result is a yacht which is well behaved and predictable with a comfortable, safe motion yet still a long-legged boat capable of fast passages.

 

The 1996 refit gave her a new lease of life and she remains in excellent condition and ready to be recommissioned.

 

The bottom is planked in teak, the topsides planked in mahogany, all copper fastened to heavy section, close-spaced steam bent Canadian rock elm timbers.

                                                                                     In the 1996 refit, much of the topsides

                                                                                    mahogany planking was replaced and the

                                                                                    hood ends and garboards refastened.

The topsides are exceptionally fair with a hard, high gloss white finish, hardly a seam or plank showing.

Blue boot top over red anti-fouling, the bottom also very fair.

A metal plate round the stem at the water-line protects the stem from the ubiquitous floating debris which can cause damage at sea.

 

Timber rudder in bronze hangings, with heavy bronze strapping and no visible damage.

Bronze stock and stock tube through the aft deck. Heavy cast bronze hinged tiller mount allows the tiller, recently laminated in different coloured woods, to lift up clear of the cock-pit.

 

External 4.5 tons lead ballast keel with stainless steel keel bolts.

                                                                                        Keel bolts replaced in 1992.

Galvanised strap floors with some heavier galvanised steel gusset floors, seen in remarkably good condition where visible.

                                                                                        All sea cock bolts replaced in the 1996 refit

 

Solid teak deck, caulked and payed with butyl rubber compound, yacht laid between varnished teak cover-boards and joggled to the king plank.           In present ownership, the deck has been coated with Coelan, a flexible,clear surface designed to accommodate the movement of the timber in  hot climates and thus eliminate  any potential deck leaks in the Med sun.

5” upstand toe rail and capping all round, varnished inside and out with a varnished rubbing strake outside over a yellow cove line emphasising her fine sheer.

 

Long coach-roof in varnished mahogany coamings set within deck margin boards.

Scrubbed teak laid coach-roof deck with varnished margin boards.

6” step up aft to a dog-house which gives good protection to the cock-pit augmented by a fold-down spray-hood.

At the forward end of the coach-roof, a fore hatch over the separate focsle and a forward hatch over the owner’s cabin, both laid with scrubbed teak and varnished margins on bronze hinges.

Traditional sky-light over the saloon cabin, fitted with a canvas cover.

Varnished grab rails down both side on the coach-roof and the dog-house.

Varnished teak Dorade boxes with twin vents each side.

Cabin entrance hatch aft works in a garage, also teak laid with varnished margins.

Stainless steel stanchion posts with twin guard wires and gates each side, stainless steel push-pit fitted with teak slats seat, stainless steel pulpit with crutches to take twin poles.

Recent substantial, highly polished stainless steel stemhead fitting with twin chain rollers also forms the fore stay lower anchor point.

Galvanised steel Sampson post immediately aft of the stem.
Modern 12v chain windlass on the fore deck.

Bronze deck fittings including fair leads over the rails, traditional period teak bar on bronze pedestals cleats and bronze mushroom vents.

 

Self draining cock-pit well protected by the coach-roof with deep varnished mahogany coamings to give good back support.                                                                                             Cock-pit well rebuilt in 2009

Seat lockers each side with slatted, scrubbed teak surfaces avoid the crew sitting in puddles. Slatted teak gratings in the well lift to access a sealed hatch over the aft end of the engine installation.

Batteries in a sealed timber box in the stbd seat locker.

Gas bottle in an over-board drained timber box in the port seat locker

Step at seat level to the slightly stbd off-set entrance hatch, sliding top and tapered wash-boards.

Fold-down spray-hood on stainless steel frames.

Lift-out boom support crutch to stbd of the entrance hatch.

 

Bermudian sloop rig on aluminium mast stepped through the coach-roof onto the keel.

                                                                                                                   New mast in the 1996 refit.

Stainless steel rigging 1996 with swaged terminals and open-bodied bronze rigging screws.

Twin spreaders, twin standing back-stays.

Internal galvanised steel chain plates.

Schaeffer roller furling gear on the fore stay.

Bell on an internal track on the fwd face of the mast takes the pole.

Internal mainsail mast track.

 

Varnished spruce boom, shaped with internal sail foot track and original Simpson Lawrence bronze roller furling gear either end.                                                                      Boom split and reglued in 1996 refit.

 

Double-tailed main-sheet with twin point attachments in the cock-pit after corners.

Aluminium spinnaker pole

 

Winches.

Cock-pit                                 Pair of black enamelled 3-speed, top-action Lewmar 45 primaries

Pair of Gibb top action 2-speed top action sheet winches

Mast                                        Pair of Gibb top-action 2-speed halyard winches.

Modern Lewmar 45 self-tailing mainsail halyard winch.

 

Sails.                                      Mainsail 1996

Roller furling genoa 2004

Cruising shute 1996

 

 

Machinery.

Nanni Diesel 4-cyl, 40hp @ 2800rpm fresh water cooled, flexibly- mounted engine installed new in 2008.

Centre-line installation under a box step at the entrance hatch with  conventional shaft drive to centre-line 3-blade bronze prop.

Conventional bronze flexible gland with remote greaser.

The sensibly-designed Nanni diesel is based on the Japanese  Kubota engine with all service components at the forward end of the engine, easily reached from the cabin with the engine box removed.

Stainless steel drip tray below the engine keeps the bilge oil-free.

 

Electrics                                 3 x 12v batteries on 12v circuits.

                                                      Engine driven alternator

Shore power supply battery charger.

 

Tanks                                       30 galls diesel in a stainless steel tank under the cock-pit sole.

                                                                                                                                      Tank cleaned in the 1996 refit.

 

                                                      Approx 65 galls water in a stainless steel tank under saloon cabin sole.

   New tanks 2009

                                                      Approx 10 galls reserve water tank under the saloon cabin sole.

 

                                                      Black water flexible tank in the bilge, plumbed in to a manual pump in the  head compartment, never used in present ownership.

 

 

 

Accommodation                    7 berths.         6’4” head-room midships

5’11” in fore cabin

6’4” bunks

 

Interestingly, the accommodation reflects sailing of an earlier period with a separate cabin forward for the paid hand, an owner’s cabin and a saloon cabin with the galley and chart desk aft by the entrance.

Focsle cabin, deck access only through the fore hatch.

Single berth to port, stowage to stbd.

Gas water boiler on the bulkhead

Varnished teak sole boards, varnished ,mahogany joinery, standing  head-room under the hatch, open to the chain locker forward.

The first owner, Dudley Boswell reputedly took his gardener along  as crew in this focsle cabin, used in present ownership for stowage only.

The gas water boiler has been little used in present ownership and must be checked before use.

Owner’s cabin with cosy double berth to port, generous single berth to stbd.

Lockers under the berths, boxed in.

Dressing table against the fwd bulkhead with drawers

Varnished slats to the ship’s sides, white painted deckhead with varnished deck beams, varnished coamings and cabin sole. In present ownership the forward bulkhead has been lined in varnished mahogany boards.

Mast against the after bulkhead by the doorway.

Stbd offset passageway aft through to the saloon cabin.

Deep full height hanging locker to stbd.

Head compartment to port with new Jabsco sea toilet, lockers under the side deck behind and a stainless steel hand basin in a surface along the after bulkhead with locker below.

Pressurised H&C mixer faucet with pull-out showerhead.

Bronze Patay hand pump provides cold water.

Sealed shower tray with manual pump-out into WC bowl.

 

Saloon cabin with slightly staggered port and stbd settee berths.

Stbd settee berth extends by a few inches to give extra width

Substantial Pullman berth folds out above the stbd settee berth.

Shelf above the port settee berth.

Lockers at the forward end of the stbd settee berth.

Part bulkheads aft.

 

Galley in the after port corner, redesigned with a deep stainless steel sink in the after corner, a gimballed stainless steel 4-burner and oven gas cooker and drawers against the fwd bulkhead.  Lockers under the side deck above and more lockers below.

Manual pump out overboard to the sink.

Chart desk in the after stbd corner with large chart drawer under and forward facing seat.

Oilies locker in the after corner.

Engine under a step box between can be removed completely to give good all round access to the engine. Sound proofed.

All original varnished mahogany joinery in nice condition, varnished teak cabin sole boards, vinyl covered bunk cushions with matching back cushions, white painted deckheads with varnished deck beams and coamings.

A long polished mahogany saloon table is fitted off the fwd bulkhead and stows above the Pullman berth when not is use. A smaller tables doubles as saloon table or cock-pit table and stows in the owner’s cabin.

Stainless steel gas cabin heater on the forward bulkhead with flue to deck.

12v cabin lights and bunk lights and oil lamps on the bulkheads.

 

Inventory.

Navigation.

Sestral steering compass on the coach roof alongside the entrance  hatch.

Hand bearing compass.

2010 VHF radio

1996 log

1996 echo-sounder

GPS

Clock and barometer

Autohelm auto-pilot on the tiller.

 

Safety gear.

Life raft

Life buoy

Radar reflector

 

Ground tackle

Lofrans 12v chain windlass

Bruce anchor

90’ extra heavy chain

Long warp on a revolving drum.

Kedge anchor

 

Deck gear

Boat hook

Summer and winter covers

Dodgers and sky-light cover

Teak boarding ladder

Mooring warps and fenders

Inflatable dinghy with pump and oars.

 

Disclaimer:

These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.