Sailing yachts
Lyle Hess 32 Gaff Cutter
(REF: 32227)£68000
Full specification
Wooden Ships Comments on this Lyle Hess 32 Gaff Cutter
Lyle Hess 32 designed by the famous American naval architect and built in Malaysia by the Haji Abdullah Bin Muda shipyard in 1991. She was built for the son of high ranking politician Teo Eng Tat.
The Hess 32 took inspiration from the working boats and pilot cutters of the UK making them very seaworthy and capable vessels. Her generous beam and stiff bilge sections give her excellent stability and the rocker on the keel is reminiscent of the Morecambe Bay Prawners which were renowned for their speed.
As with most yachts built in that part of the world, the very durable hardwood Chengal was used for frames and planking giving the yacht longevity even in harsh environments.
Imported into the UK by the previous owner after a period of neglect, the vessel had a lot of professional refit work carried out by Waterfront Marine in Bangor to bring her back up to A1 condition. She then left for an 8 year Atlantic cruise, winning prizes at the Antigua Classics Regatta in 2008, 2009 and 2013. The work done at this point included the following:
- Replacement of the bottom 4 planks either side in iroko
- New teak on plywood deck with stanchions, bulwarks, cockpit etc
- New interior joinery
Purchased by the current owner in 2016, she still had her original Bermudan cutter rig on aluminium spars. The owner decided she would look superb with a gaff rig so he started on a 2 year refit with Waterfront Marine where a complete new gaff cutter rig was designed and made including all new spars, rigging and sails. In the same period the systems and electrics were renewed entirely, new nav gear and many other jobs to bring her up to a high spec.
Since that time she has cruised the Irish Sea and Western Scotland but age and health has forced the owner to find a new custodian.
This is a high quality yacht built from very durable materials and maintained to an excellent standard. Having proven herself over many thousands of miles of ocean cruising, there is no doubt she has the capability to sail across oceans as well as gentle cruising around our coasts.
Length on Deck 32’ / 9.76m
Length Overall 44’ / 13.4m
Beam 10’10” / 3.29m
Draft 5’10” / 1.77m
Displacement 9 tons
Construction
Hull
Planked in 1.25” Chengal. This is a tropical hardwood used commonly for boat building in Malaysia. It has a high density and high resistance to decay.
Planking is edge fastened with wooden dowels, common to Malaysian boat building.
The bottom 4 planks either side were replaced in iroko.
Sawn Chengal frames of 2.25” square at 12” centres. Fastened with bronze screws.
Structural floors are a mix of bronze straps and sawn Chengal, all bronze fastened. The wooden floors are side fastened through the frames.
External lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts.
Decks and Cockpit
Decks laid by Waterfront Marine, Bangor in 2000.
Marine plywood subdeck, sheathed in epoxy glass cloth with a straight laid teak deck glued over the top. There are no screws in the outer deck planking to cause leaks. The seams are made from an epoxy/graphite mix giving a hard wearing and low maintenance deck.
Low bulwark all round on stanchions mounted through the covering board.
Bronze Panama eyes in the bulwark with bronze cleats.
Stainless steel stanchions and guard wires above the bulwarks.
Self draining cockpit well with thwarts at deck level and scrubbed teak backs.
Bridge deck to the companionway with a sliding entrance hatch.
Superstructure
Coachroof with Chengal coamings, painted externally with bronze portlights.
Epoxy sheathed plywood coachroof deck with teak handrails, dorade boxes and skylight.
Rig
Gaff cutter rig designed and built by Waterfront Marine, Bangor.
Keel stepped hollow douglas fir mast with solid douglas fir boom, gaff and bowsprit.
Standing and Running Rigging
Galvanised wire standing rigging new in 2018. Galvanised rigging screws to external stainless steel chain plates.
Wire is spliced with parcelled and served splices.
Running rigging all new in 2018 using synthetic 3 strand traditional looking line.
Wykeham Martin furling drum on the jib.
Sails
Mainsail North Sea Sails 2018 363sqft Excellent condition
Staysail North Sea Sails 2018 139sqft Excellent condition
No.1 Jib North Sea Sails 2018 157sqft Excellent condition
No.2 Jib North Sea Sails 2018 120sqft Excellent condition
Topsail North Sea Sails 2018 92sqft Excellent condition
Drifter 2013 600sqft Good condition
Winches
2 x Lewmar 40ST cockpit sheet winches
2 x Lewmar 20ST cockpit sheet winches
Machinery
Engine
Perkins Perama M30 29hp 3cyl diesel installed new in 1991.
Regularly maintained, new alternator and starter motor in 2018.
Hurth HBW50 gearbox rebuilt in 2023.
New prop shaft, ‘dripless’ stern gland, flexible coupling and propeller in 2020. Fixed 3 blade bronze propeller gives 5 knots cruising speed @ 2 litres/hour.
Tanks
100 litres of diesel in 3 x stainless steel tanks under the saloon sole. New tanks and filters 2018.
180 litres of fresh water in 3 x plastic tanks.
15 litre waste tank connected to the heads.
Batteries and Electrics
4 x 100ah AGM domestic batteries, new 2018.
1 x 100ah AGM start battery, new 2018.
Charging from the 85 amp engine alternator with Adverc battery management system
40 Watt solar panel on deck.
Complete new wiring in 2018, all exposed wiring running through copper conduit.
Accommodation
Berths and Headroom
3 single berths and a double. Pilot berth and 2 x saloon settee berths. Double berth in the forecabin.
Saloon headroom of 6’2” / 1.88m
Forecabin headroom of 1.6m (1.8m under the skylight)
Bunk lengths of 6’6” / 1.98m
General Description
Very smart interior fit out giving a comfortable and practical cabin for cruising.
Steps down from the companionway over the engine box with galley to port and chart desk to starboard.
The chart desk faces outboard. Large storage space aft of the chart desk under the cockpit thwarts.
Half height bulkheads separate off the main saloon. These bulkheads at T&G panelled with varnished hardwood trim.
Centreline dropleaf saloon table with a settee berth either side and a pilot berth to port under the side deck.
Dickinson Alaska diesel fired cabin heater against the forward bulkhead.
Starboard side passageway going forward into a double berth cabin which reaches the full breadth of the hull. Double berth to port with some very smart teak joinery to starboard containing storage drawers and lockers.
Doorway into the forepeak which contains the heads, anchor locker and storage space.
Galley
Galley has a varnished hardwood work top with a single stainless sink with manually pumped water from a bronze hand pump.
Top loading 12 volt Frigo fridge compartment. New compressor 2018.
Force 10 2 burner galley stove with oven and grill.
Heads
Jabsco manual sea toilet connected to a waste tank.
Stainless steel hand basin.
Equipment
Silva Challenger steering compass
Raymarine T100 wireless sounder (2020)
Raymarine Mn100 Wireless log (2020)
Raymarine MN100 wireless wind indicator (2020)
Standard Horizon GX2000 DSC VHF
Handheld VHF
Raymarine Axiom 9 chart plotter (2020)
Raymarine Quantum Q24D radar (2020)
Raymarine ST1000 tiller pilot attached to rudder trim tab
Digital Yacht AIT5000 Class B+ AIS connected to plotter (2020)
Windpilot Pacific windvane self steering gear
Clock and baromoter
Seago 4 person valise life raft (needs service)
4 x life jackets
Lifebuoy
1 x orange LED flare
Dan buoy
Jon buoy with floating line
MOB block and tackle
Fire blanket
4 x fire extinguishers
Auto electric bilge pump
2 x manual bilge pumps
45lb CQR anchor + 30m x 10mm chain (30m x 16mm warp)
20kg Bruce anchor
10kg Bruce anchor
10m x 10mm chain + 50m x 16mm warp
Lofrans X2 electric windlass
(All ground tackle and windlass new in 2018)
Mooring warps
Fenders
Mainsail North Sea Sails 2018 363sqft Excellent condition
Staysail North Sea Sails 2018 139sqft Excellent condition
No.1 Jib North Sea Sails 2018 157sqft Excellent condition
No.2 Jib North Sea Sails 2018 120sqft Excellent condition
Topsail North Sea Sails 2018 92sqft Excellent condition
Drifter 2013 600sqft Good condition
Mainsail cover
2 x Lewmar 40ST cockpit sheet winches
2 x Lewmar 20ST cockpit sheet winches
Bunk and berth cushions
Dickinson Alaska diesel cabin heater with separate diesel tank on deck
Jabsco manual sea toilet with waste tank
Force 10 galley cooker
12 volt Frigo fridge
2 x gas bottles
Paraffin cabin lamp
LED cabin lights
Boarding ladder
Sprayhood
Boat hook
3D 2.5m Superlight inflatable dinghy
Yamaha 2.5hp 4 stroke outboard engine
5 x 100ah AGM batteries
40W solar panel with regulator
Adverc battery management system plus 85amp alternator
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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.
