Maurice Griffiths Tidewater

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Maurice Griffiths

This yacht was one of the most significant prophets of yachting in the post war period. As long time editor of Yachting Monthly and a keen East Coast yachtsman he was one of the greatest influences in bringing yachting to the people. To this end he designed a wide range of small affordable yachts, many of them aimed at the home builder. Building small Maurice Griffiths yachts was work which kept many small Essex and Suffolk yards in business for years.

Being an East Coast man his signature features were shoal draft to creep over those shallow coastal waters and a cabin top extended out to the full beam thus creating volume in the cabin.

The Tidewater is a classic Maurice Griffiths design and well named. She has his classic shoal draft and the cabin roof is extended out to the full beam of the yacht and thus gives a volume in the cabin which one would not believe in a 30’ yacht. The cock-pit is deep, safe and very sheltered because the dog-house roof is extended aft to cover it. With her buoyant bows, 50% ballast ratio, full bilge and good freeboard this is a yacht which will sail relatively upright, she is a dry boat for her size even in a chop and her 4 ½ tons weight gives her a comfortable motion seldom found in modern designs of a similar size.

Timber bilge keels which allowed a full bodied yacht like this to sit upright on a drying berth were optional.

Despite these features her performance belies her looks and like so many MG designs their windward performance is better than one might expect. While she may not be as scary racing round the cans as some modern small yacht designs she will be steady off the wind and with her long keel she will sail herself.

Planked in iroko fastened with copper nails and roves in the traditional way to steam bent oak timbers.

Varnished capping rail and rubbing rail round deck level.

Fore deck raised to the height of the bulwark to give a lot of extra volume in the fore cabin.

Varnished iroko coach-roof raised to a dog-house aft with a roof over-hang aft which gives tremendous protection to the cock-pit and obviates the need for a spray-hood.

A really comfortable and protected deep cock-pit with a bridge deck across the cabin entrance and  tiller steering.

Oak back bone including oak keel, dead-woods, stem and stern post and related knees..

The steam bent oak timbers are doubled over some 8’ throughout the mid-ships sections of the yacht, the additional laminated timbers carried up round the turn of the bilge.

A heavy section bilge stringer runs full length all adding to the exceptional strength of this yacht.

Massive laminated iroko floors with arms carried well up the side of the ship spread the keel and mast loads more than adequately and allow her to take the ground without distortion.

Long external iron ballast keel 2.6 tons with iron keel bolts.

Dec 2011survey indicates no issues with the keel bolts.

Short, stout, varnished plank bowsprit over the stemhead with fixed stainless steel wire bob-stay. The heel secured between twin varnished oak Sampson posts on the fore deck providing an excellent strong point for mooring warps.

A galvanised fitting with nylon rollers half way out the bowsprit allows a self-stowing anchor each side keeping anchors and chain well clear of the ship’s sides and removing the necessity to lean over the pulpit to launch or retrieve the anchors.

Stainless steel pulpit, push-pit and stanchions with gates both sides. Fender Step fenders each side for the not so nimble.

 

The deck is laid in marine ply, sheathed with grp.

Laminated iroko deck beams, extra heavy in way of the mast.

The cabin coamings and cock-pit coamings are in iroko, finished in varnish.

Deep self-draining cock-pit, well sheltered by the over-hang of the coach-roof deck.

Two seat lockers each side and a bridge deck across the cabin entrance all at the same height, all in varnished iroko.

Self draining well in Cascover-sheathed marine ply with teak gratings. Cascover sheathing is a well established method of protecting the timber using a woven nylon cloth secured with a resorcinol glue. The method has been largely superseded by epoxy and glass cloth which, however, lacks the enormous strength of the nylon cloth.

Tiller steering to a transom-hung rudder.

Double doors over the bridge deck with sliding hatch above to the cabin entrance.

The doors open right back and sensibly all the nav instrument repeater displays are carried on the inside of the port side door, all clearly visible to the helmsman with the port door open. Under the overhang, this presents no danger of flooding except in the hardest weather when the doors would be closed.

 

Bermudian cutter rig on gold anodised aluminium mast stepped in a galvanised tabernacle on the deck in front of the coach-roof.

Single spreaders.

All stainless steel standing rigging with twin lowers and cap shrouds.

Twin standing back-stays to the quarters.

Inner for stay to the stemhead with Wickham Martin type roller furling gear, the stay set on a quick release McNaughton Clip so that the stay can be removed and the yacht sailed as a sloop on the genoa set masthead to the end of the bowsprit. (this is how the present owner usually sails)

Outer fore stay to the end of the bowsprit with Wickham Martin type roller furling gear.

 

Boom.             Gold anodised aluminium. Sheeted to a stainless steel horse on the aft deck.                                  Tufnol blocks, lower block fitted with a jammer.

Winches.

                        3 x Lewmar 6 single speed halyard winches.

2 pairs of sheet winches on the cock-pit coamings, all fitted with rubber top self-                           tailing rings.

 

Sails                Slab reefing mainsail in excellent condition. Carbon fibre sail battens.Snap                                     shackle on the reef tack and reefing lines run forward to the mast make for                                     smooth and simple reefing.

Nearly new full genoa

Small genoa

Light genoa

No 1 jib

Storm jib

Spinnaker

The present owner sails the yacht as a sloop on a headsail set to the end of the bowsprit. He finds she is most easily handled solo with the full main and the jib and then sails very upright but with power and very adequate passage speed.

Ample sheets + spare un-made sheet line.

Telescopic aluminium whisker pole .

Spinnaker pole carried vertically up the forward face of the mast.

 

 

Perkins 4108 4-cylinder naturally aspirated diesel 48hp engine, mounted on the centre-line to a centre-line 3-blade prop. fitted with a rope cutter.

The engine is believed to have been installed about 1990 and at June 2013 records approx 1500 hours.

Flexibly mounted on  heavy oak beds with a drip tray between.

7 knts at 2200rpm

3.8knts at 90rpm

5knts cruising speed at 1400rpm  10 nm/gall

Fresh water cooled with heat exchanger. Sea water inlet filter.

Oil pressure, audible alarm, water temperature, revs and hour meters.

Hydraulic gear-box with single lever controls.

Aquadrive on the shaft eliminates any vibration.

A very clean installation. Good access to the engine by removing the sound insulated front box cover in the cabin or lifting the trap in the cock-pit sole.

The engine compartment is vented with a fan out to a stainless steel fitting on the port side deck.

Spare filters, impellors and belts. Oil change May 2012.

 

Electrics.

2 x 110v batteries new May 2012  in the stbd cock-pit locker with change-over link switch at the chart desk.

Engine belt driven alternator. A second alternator is fitted above the primary but currently not fitted with a belt. It’s purpose is to charge the anchor windlass battery, rarely required by present owner.

Anchor windlass battery fitted forward, new May 2012.

Fridge battery located under the cabin sole, new May 2012

240v main circuit for shore power connection.

 

Fuel

2 x 10 gall diesel tanks in the lazarette. Shut-off valves, drain valves and separate deck fillers.

 

 

 

Accommodation

6 berths. The yacht is probably comfortable for 3 adults but ideal for a family with children.

Foprward cabin with an easily accessed 6’6” berth to stbd.

Similar berth to port but with an upper berth above.

An excellent hanging locker to port shortenes the two port berths

Stowage on a shelf across the front and open to the chain locker and Sampson posts in the fore peak.

Fore hatch on the deck above. Approx 5’ head-room.

Port off-set bulkhead door to a passage aft through to the saloon cabin. A hand basin in a unit is fitted to port.

Heads compartment to stbd, door opens to seal off the fwd cabin. A door across the hand basin seals off the saloon cabin to make a complete athwartships ablutions compartment.

All joinery in mat varnished iroko and in excellent condition.

The heads is fitted with a Blake sea toilet and a large 2-door locker above against the ship’s side. Opening port hole.

Saloon cabin with port and stbd settee berths. These berths are 6’6” long and wide to provide very comfortable seating.

Due to the width of the cabin sole and the width of the deckhead under the full width deck (no coach-roof ) the cabin has a great feeling of space.

Lockers over the fwd ends of the settees provide stowage for bedding.

Fine mahogany double drop-leaf table slightly off-set to stbd allows clear passage through the the forward cabin and heads.

Galley aft to port with 2-burner and grill gas cooker, stainless steel sink with fresh water by hand pump at the sink. Stowage below.

Removeable chart desk to stbd over the head of the quarter berth. Instruments and electrical switch boards above.

Engine box step and double doors to the cabin, sliding hatch above.

All satin varnished iroko joinery in almost as new condition. White painted deck-head with varnished deck beams. Varnished coamings. Excellent feeling of space.

6’ head-room in the saloon cabin, more aft under the dog-house at the entrance steps, chart desk and galley.

 

 

Water.

2 x 25 gallon galvanised steel tanks, one each side under the settee berths. Seen in excellent condition, fitted with inspection hatches. Port side deck filler. Balancing pipe with valve.

Manual pump supply to the galley and the forward hand basin.

Webasto diesel fired hot air cabin heater.

 

Inventory.

Port hole type steering compass with light on the stbd cock-pit bulkhead under the over-hang.

Hand bearing compass.

Sailor VHF Radio

Cobra hand held VHF

Electronic paddle-wheel log with cock-pit repeater (on the door)

Echopilot fwd looking sounder and Seafarer 3 sounder.

MLR GPS with multi-function cock-pit repeater.

Navtex Obsolete and not to be trusted.

Brookes and Gatehouse wind speed and direction and close haul indicator.

12v charger socket under the chart desk.

Deck level port and stbd nav lights

Stern light

Masthead tri colour

Masthead riding light

Steaming light.

Deck floods

In date paper charts for most UK Coastal Waters

Parallel rule and dividers, clock, barometer, thermometer and tide clock.

 

Ground Tackle

35lb CQR on the stbd stem roller

30 fthms 5/16” calibrated short link galvanised chain, bitter end secured by a lanyard as it should be and marked every 4 fthms.

25lb CQR kedge anchor on the port side roller with 20 meters of short link galvanised chain.

55lb Fisherman anchor stowed in the fore cabin.

Anchor windlass fitted with 12v electric motor. Short handle for manual work, long handle to break out a stubborn anchor.

 

Deck gear

Avon Redcrest inflatable dinghy with pump and oars.

2-stroke outboard engine.

Red ensign on a pole

Ful set signal flags with 2 signal halyards

Courtesy flags for Holland, France, Wales and Ireland.

Boarding ladder

Named dodgerCock-pit cover

Winter cover

New marina berthing lines

4 x 100’ warps for berthing on a tidal wall.

Lots of fenders.

 

Safety gear

4-man Avon life raft

2 x dry powder fire extinguishers

Fire blanket

Coastal Flare pack, new spring 2012

Bilge vents and alarms with explosion-proof fan under the galley to a stainless steel deck vent in the port side scuppers.

Gas alarm ( all gas systems including the cooker are less than 12 months old)

New webbing deck safety lines

4 x almost new self-inflating life jackets wit built-in harnesses.

2 x safety harnesses.

2 x traditional life rings

 

Most unusually the yacht is fitted with both bow thrusters and a small stern thrusters for ease of handling in confined marina space. Neither have been sued by the present owner.

This yacht was seen in remarkable condition, fully equipped with a reasonably accurate recent survey report and ready for cruising this season. Very sensibly priced.

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.