Sailing yachts
Alfred Mylne Sloop ‘Trefoil of Kames’
(REF: 34878)£40000
Full specification
Wooden Ships Comments on this Alfred Mylne Sloop ‘Trefoil of Kames’
Designed by Alfred Mylne and built Alfred Mylne & Co. in 1950. She was design No.414 and is the last yacht designed and built by the late Alfred Mylne Snr. Mylne once said this design was the best small cruising yacht he ever produced and her history would support that with her extensive voyages around the west coast of Scotland.
Mylne came up with the design in response to a great desire in post war Britain for affordable yet capable cruising boats at the start of what would become prolific years of wooden boat building in the UK. The size of boat meant she was easy to handle yet capable of offshore sailing and large enough for 4 berths and a heads.
Built from stocks of high quality timber Mylne hid away from prying eyes before the War, the quality of the original build is clear, but her price tag of £2,500 was several times that of a regular cruising yacht at the time, indicating the quality of materials and time that had gone into her construction. The book matched mahogany of the saloon doors is another small indicator of the quality of this yacht.
Commissioned by Mrs Jean Wilson, her voyages in this yacht Trefoil of Kames became legendary as she singlehandedly charted every corner of the west coast of Scotland, with her work used in the fledging Clyde Cruising Club Directions, a volume that would go on to become the bible for west coast cruising.
After first seeing Trefoil and falling for her charms as a 5 year old boy, the present owner was put through a rigorous ‘interview’ with an elderly Jean Wilson and was granted permission to become the custodian of Trefoil in 2004 with a few stipulations:
-She must always be called ‘Trefoil of Kames’
-She must always be blue
-She must always be sailed on the West Coast each year
-She must never be sold to England…
Over the next four winters, a major refit of the boat was carried out including major hull repairs, replacement of systems and a rebuild of the interior. Nothing was done in haste and any changes to the original design were not acted upon without extensive sailing to ensure the changes were for the better.
A fascinating yacht with a wonderful history that has proved herself as one of Mylnes great designs despite being one of the smallest boats in his back catalogue. Proven as deceptively fast and very seaworthy, she will take any weather thrown at her and is a delight to sail in any conditions.
June 2026 survey report available.
Length on Deck 28’3”
Length Waterline 22’10”
Beam 8’1”
Draft 4’8”
Sail Area 367sqft
Thames Tonnage 7TM
Construction
Hull
Planked in best Honduras mahogany above the waterline and Pitch Pine below the waterline. The seams are splined from deck to keel.
Copper rivet fastened to steam bent timbers, with a mix of Canadian Rock Elm and oak from the Isle of Bute.
External iron ballast keel fastened with wrought iron bolts.
Wrought iron strap floors across the centreline.
Decks and Cockpit
Straight laid Douglas Fir deck sheathed externally in epoxy glass cloth.
Varnished teak toe rail all round.
Self draining cockpit with varnished mahogany thwarts and teak coamings.
Tiller steering with a transom hung rudder.
Superstructure
Elegant coachroof that finishes just aft of the mast with a gently radiused coachroof deck.
Varnished teak coamings with bronze portlights.
Coachroof deck is straight laid T&G cedar sheathed externally in GRP cloth and finished in cream deck paint.
Varnished mahogany sliding companion hatch.
Rig
Spars
Masthead Bermudan sloop rig on a keel stepped hollow varnished spruce mast.
This is the original mast designed and built by the Mylne yard using the best quality clean spruce available
Slab reefing varnished spruce boom and spinnaker pole. These are both original spars.
Standing and Running Rigging
Stainless steel standing rigging from 2010 to internal galvanised chain plates.
Twin spreaders with twin lower shrouds, intermediate shroud and cap shroud. Twin standing backstays.
Rotostay roller furling headsail system.
Sails
Mainsail, 2002 by Iolaire Sails in very good condition.
Genoa, 2002 by North Sails in very good condition.
Various older sails.
Winches
2 x self tailing cockpit sheet winches
3 x non self tailing mast winches
Machinery
Engine
Yanmar 2GM 18hp twin cylinder diesel engine installed new in 1988.
Engine stripped and rebuilt in 2019 with a complete cylinder head rebuild plus new fuel pump, water pump, alternator, starter motor and engine mounts. Injectors refurbished. Engine refitted in 2022.
Mechanical gearbox to a centreline fixed 2 blade propeller giving 6 knots cruising speed. Approximately 1.5 litres/hour consumption.
Tanks
Stainless steel fuel tank under the cockpit sole.
Batteries and Electrics
2 x 12 volt batteries charged from the engine alternator.
Solar panel with regulator.
Accommodation
Berths and Headroom
3 single berths including a quarter berth and 2 x saloon settee berths.
5’10” headroom in the saloon. 4’6” headroom in the forepeak.
General Description
Steps down from the companionway into the cabin. Quarter berth to port and chart desk to starboard.
Door into the main saloon with the galley to starboard and some nice mahogany joinery to port.
Main saloon has a dropleaf centreline mahogany table with a settee berth either side.
2 lockers and a shelf either side behind the settees under the side deck.
Centreline door into the forepeak which contains the heads and storage space.
Galley
Plastimo Neptune gas stove (new 2026) with 2 burners and a small work top space alongside.
Heads
Plastimo manual sea toilet discharges directly overboard
Equipment
Sestrel steering compass
Hummingbird sounder and log
Raymarine DSC VHF
Raymarine ST400Plus tiller pilot
Hummingbrid chat plotter
Garmin GPS
Hand bearing compass
1 x manual bilge pump
1 x auto electric bilge pump
2 x harnesses with life lines
Jackstays
40lb+ Fishermans anchor
300’ of 10mm chain (new 2025)
20lb Fishermans anchor
25lb CQR anchor
2 fathoms of chain + 20mm warp for kedge
Simpson Lawrence electric anchor windlass (rebuilt 2023)
Fenders
Mooring warps
Bunk and berth cushions
Plastimo Neptune gas stove (new 2026)
Jabsco manual sea toilet
Water jerry cans (6 gallons total)
Plastic bowl for galley
Mainsail, 2002 by Iolaire Sails in very good condition
Genoa, 2002 by North Sails in very good condition
Various older sails
Mainsail cover
2 x self tailing cockpit sheet winches
3 x non self tailing mast winches
Spray hood (new 2026)
Inflatable dinghy
2 x 12 volt batteries
Solar panel
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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.
