Laurent Giles Vertue

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Laurent Giles Vertue

designed by Jack Laurent Giles before the war and has become probably the most celebrated small cruiser ever, largely due to the amazing voyages made in these tough little ships.

It was Humphrey Barton who made the design’s reputation in his blue water voyages in Vertue XXXV and Hiscock spoke highly of the design. He engaged Laurent Giles to design his Wanderer 2 and 3, both designs owing much to the Vertue.

Since these first extended voyages in the 1960’s proving that a well-designed and built small yacht could sail safely off-shore, many Vertues have made similar and longer voyages and a Trans-Atlantic voyage in a Vertue is nowadays regarded as totally normal though still just as challenging.

The early boats had very short coach-roofs with only sitting head-room below. After the war, the topsides were raised by a plank and a much bigger coach-roof added extending forward of the mast and raised to a dog-house aft so that Vertues are often identified as “long” or “short” dog-house models, there being a few inches difference but seen as a one window or two dog-house. In a little boat, a few inches can make a significant difference.

This one is the long dog-house model with twin windows. The extra few inches length in the dog-house make a noticeable difference to the space below.

This very tidy example was built by Kimber and Blake of Bridgwater in 1962 to Lloyds 100A1and kept in class for over 30 years.  Although not on the same scale as big yards such as Prior’s or Camper and Nicholsons, they were very well known in their day and built many fine boats over the years.

 

Planked in teak, fastened with copper nails and roves to steam bent Canadian Rock Elm timbers.

Bronze strap floors fastened through to a Wych Elm keel.  Pitch pine bilge stringers.

Lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts.  Several drawn in 2012 and found to be sound.

 

Deck in marine plywood, and finished in grey deck paint on Pitch pine deck beams and beam shelf.  4” toe rail all round with varnished capping rail.

 

Solid varnished teak coachroof and dog house coamings with laminated spruce coachroof deck beams.  Marine plywood coachroof with an attractive rolled over edge, finished in cream deck paint.  Varnished teak handrails fore and aft, varnished forehatch and dorade vents.

One bronze framed window in the coachroof coamings and the traditional 2 windows in the dog house each side.

 

Galvanised steel stem head fitting with twin anchor chain rollers, forestay and inner forestay fixings.  Bronze fairleads on the toe rail with centre line oak sampson post for mooring lines.  Bronze hawse pipe.  Varnished teak dorade boxes with stainless steel dorade vents to the original Vertue design, new in 2004.

Stainless steel pulpit fixed to the deck with stainless steel guard wires and stanchions to a substantial stainless push pit on the aft.

Bronze highfield levers on the side decks for the running backstays.

Small aft deck with a pair of wooden mooring cleats and a bronze deck vent to the lazarette.

Rutland 913 wind generator fixed to the push pit.

 

Rig

 

Bermudan ‘slutter’ rig on deck stepped varnished spruce mast.

This standard Vertue rig allows the option for the boat to be sailed as a sloop with the conventional genoa, or by rigging the removable inner forestay, she can be rigged as a cutter.  The inner forestay gives the option of having a staysail or storm head sail to lower the centre of effort of the rig in heavy weather, making these very versatile little boats.

Original mast with roller reefing varnished wooden boom.  With the addition of lazy jacks for convenience, the mainsail and boom have been altered to slab reefing.  Strengthened mast step over the coachroof with an oversize Iroko pad on the deck and stainless steel knees internally to support the original oak knees.

Mast stripped and re-varnished 2008.

Stainless steel 2 spreader standing rigging with twin lowers, single cap shroud, single intermediate and twin standing back stays.

Rigging renewed 2004. Surveyed and checked 2008 and 2011.

Satinless steel rigging screws to strengthened steel chain plates.

Chainplates cleaned, checked and painted 2012.

Standing backstays fixed to substantial push pit frame rather than  the deck to allow clearance for the boom.

Running backstays for when inner forestay is in use on Highfield levers.

Inner forestay on a highfield lever.

Furlex headsail roller reefing new in 2004.  Serviced 2012.

 

Comprehensive wardrobe of sails.

Mainsail, very good condition

Genoa, new 2005, very good condition

Spare genoa, staysail and storm sails

 

 

Machinery

 

Volvo Penta DV8ME 18hp 3cyl diesel.  Installed new in 2002.  Recent service.

Fresh water cooled modern diesel with Volvo gearbox to bronze shaft and  3 blade bronze propeller giving 5 knots cruising.  Conventional bronze packing gland with greaser.

9 gallon stainless steel diesel tank under saloon berth.  25lt plastic tank in the aft for daily use.

25L plastic diesel tank in the aft.  Gauge on the distribution board.

18l calorifier tank run off the engine to heat domestic

 

Seperate domestic and engine start batteries.

Large domestic battery bank

Stirling Combi inverter/charger

Shore power connection

 

 

Accomodation.                    3 berths.

Varnished teak sliding hatch with 2 washboards in the entrance hatch.

Steps down over the engine box into the cabin.  Engine box rebuilt with new insulation in 2004.

 

Quarter berth to starboard  with DC switchboard above.  Fold down varnished chart desk over the berth.

 

Galley to port with 2 burner Taylors paraffin stove and grill.  Refurbished 2011.  Storage lockers behind and below the stove.

Single stainless steel sink with hot and cold running water, waste pumped overboard.  Hot water from 18L engine heated calorifier.  9 gallon stainless steel water tank under saloon berth.

Main saloon finished in gloss white surfaces with varnished trim to create a light and airy cabin.  Port and starboard setee berths with blue upholstery.  New in 2004.

Trotter box at forrad end of both sette’s to give full length

Centre line varnished teak saloon table with fold out leaves.  Removable to give more space while

Hinged varnished door to the forepeak with storage cupboards to starboard and a Taylors paraffin cabin heater to port.

Typical Vertue forepeak with Blakes sea toilet and ample storage for sails, fenders etc.  Drop down pipe cot berth on the starboard side.  Anchor locker under at the forward end.

The cabin of this particular Vertue is a very warm and comfortable space, helped by the smart upholstery and very tidy cosmetics.  The addition of the quarter berth makes the best use of space for a corner that can often be forgotten.

 

Inventory

 

Raymarine ST60 Tri data instruments with compass, wind and sounder/log, including repeaters

Raymarine RL70RC plotter/radar.  18” radome.

Autohelm 4000

Garmin GPS

VHF

NASA Navtex

Original wind vane steering (not attached)

Rutland 913 wind generator with charge regulator

 

EPIRB

4 man liferaft, serviced 2011

Flares

Fire Extingushers

First aid kit

 

25lb CQR

50m Chain

Spare anchor

Fenders and warps

 

Sail cover and dodgers

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.