Archives: Sailing yachts

Wooden ships comments on this International Dragon One design

The famous International Dragon One Design originated when the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club decided that a new and more economic class of small yacht was needed to encourage youngsters into the sport in the face of the high cost of racing in the existing 6 meter and other classes.

The great Swedish designers of the day, Johan Anker and Charles Jensen were commission to produce the design which rated with the existing 20sqm Rule. The Dragon is a One Design thus going a long way towards eliminating cheque book racing and gaining economies of scale in production.

Originally intended as a cruising yacht as well as a racer, the Class really gained world-wide popularity when it became an Olympic Class in 1948 continued up to 1972.

The best known Dragon is probably Bluebottle, owned and raced by the Queen and Prince Philip further increasing the popularity of the Class in UK.

No 184 was built by Johanssen in Gothenburg in 1948 and was imported to UK 4 years later by Michael Cream, RYS, coming second with her in the great Dragon race, The Edinburgh Cup.

Sold in 1957 she spent a few years with the Torbay fleet before crossing to Ireland in new ownership, based in Cork.

In 1983 she came back to Abersoch in Wales, in the early 1990s she sailed from Falmouth where she had a refit before coming into present ownership in 2003.

After 2 years lay-up she was berthed in Dartmouth and raced in the 2007 and 2008 Royal Dartmouth Regattas and in the classic section of the 2008 Edinburgh Cup in Plymouth.

In the Falmouth yard refit the hull was stripped to bare wood and the iron ballast keel dropped. The stern-post heel to keel tenon was damaged so new timber scarphed in in that corner and the keel bolts all replaced.

After preparation the hull was sheathed in epoxy and a light glass cloth thus keeping the yacht dry and to weight.

The deck was replaced in marine ply sheathed in epoxy and glass cloth with varnished mahogany coverboards and king planks.

The cuddy was rebuilt with new varnished mahogany coamings and ply roof.

Aluminium mast with new spreaders and new 1995 stainless steel rigging. Original boom.

North mainsail 2008

Excellent little used Hood main sail, 1995

Light and heavy genoas 1995 on roller furling with under-deck drum

Spinnaker

Harken blocks, tracks and clutches.

Anderson sheet winches with under-deck handles.

An honest and smart example of the class well set-up for club racing. Inspected and photographed August 2012.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this Cornish gaff cutter built by Kitto of Porthleven, Cornwall in 1898 as a sailing fishing boat. These little boats from this area were commonly known as hookers and worked a few miles off-shore with long lines. They are documented in Edgar March’s book Inshore Craft of Britain in the days of Sail and Oar.

The design typically features a long keel with considerable drag, straight stem, occasionally even fractionally raked aft and a slightly raked transom stern with transom-hung rudder, good freeboard and generous beam. They carried a high peaked gaff cutter rig on a pole mast setting a large topsail on a yard and the bowsprit was set running. They were working boats so had to be practical and functional, they stood up well to their canvas and the buoyant bows would rise to the swell to keep them dry.

The mainsail was usually loose-footed and the tack could be triced up to spill the wind or they would scandalise the gaff while hauling the lines like the Falmouth oyster boats.

The hookers had a cock-pit aft, a fish hold and net hold midships with the net on a transverse roller and even  the smaller boats had a small cabin forward with a bogey stove as they would often spend a few days at sea.

Only a few of these lovely boats have survived and this is certainly one of the best examples, slightly bigger than the average hooker and now extensively rebuilt.

She worked for a while in Falmouth as an oyster dredger but was reckoned to be too deep for the grounds.

In previous 20 year ownership up to October 02, Pat Crockford from Falmouth gave her a major rebuild when the deck was replaced, a new rig fitted, engine and interior replaced, all documented in a 6 page Classic Boat article, December 1993.

Planked in yellow pine fastened with galvanised boat nails to 3” x 4” sawn oak frames in futtocks at 14” centres. This is a very substantial construction.

The appearance of the underwater shape indicates that the draft has been increased by the addition of an oak keel of approx 9” depth below the original oak keel with an iron shoe of approx 4” depth below it, the whole secured with galvanised through bolts checked within the last 10 years.

In addition, there is a quantity of internal ballast carefully stowed in triangular section  lead ingots laid across the frames clear of the planking.

Grown oak floors.

The deck laid in the Falmouth refit in solid teak, narrow planks swept in and joggled to the cover-board, caulked and payed in butyl rubber. All new deck beams

New beam shelf. It appears the topsides were raised by one plank when the new beam shelf was fitted.

Varnished margin board round the coach-roof.

9” deep bulwark with varnished teak capping.

Galvanised stemhead fitting takes the fore stay, single chain roller to stbd. bowsprit gammon iron to port.

Bronze fair leads on the capping rail.

Rowlock holders each side of the cock-pit for use with sweeps.

Bronze capping to the rudder stock head, inscribed with the yacht’s name.

Long wrought iron tiller.

The coach-roof was new in the Falmouth refit, built in varnished teak coamings with 3 small fixed port

lights each side.

The coach-roof is quite wide taking advantage of the yacht’s generous beam and tapers

gently down forwards so does not stand out significantly above the bulwark.

The coach-roof deck is double planked with scrubbed teak externally over internal painted pine boards.

Traditional varnished sky-light with copper drip strips and bronze bars.

Teak grab rails each side of the roof.

Varnished Dorade vent boxes with soft rubber removable vents.

Spray hood with forward window on s/s frame.

Deep self draining cock-pit with high bridge deck at deck level and two teak-laid seat locker lids each

side.

Open shelf under the side deck each side.

The varnished teak cock-pit coamings are raked outwards to make comfortable back rests that do not cut

into the back, bronze capped.

T&G varnished teak lift-out door to the lazarette.

The well is GRP sheathed and fitted with two brass trimmed, lift-out inspection panels, covered in

Trakmark.

Wrought iron tiller with varnished hand grip.  Pegs in the aft coaming form a simple self-steering.

Stainless steel fuel tank in the port fwd locker.

Manual bilge pump in port aft locker.

Batterries in the stbd fwd locker.

Stowage in stbd aft locker.

Fold-down varnished mahogany table against the bridge deck bulkhead with drop-down leg.

Gaff cutter rig built new in the Falmouth refit on varnished spruce pole mast stepped through the main deck onto the keel. This is a very tall mast, certainly taller than her original working boat mast but allowing her to set the sail which gives her her reputation for speed.

The lower section of the mast is squared to above deck level with a square stainless steel collar box on deck to keep the apperture watertight.

Single spreaders.

Stainless steel standing rigging about 15 years old.

Twin lowers with soft eyes around wooden cheeks above, swaged Norseman terminals into open-bodied s/s rigging screws with swivels to external galvanised chain plates which reach well down the topsides.

The after lower is set well aft so the running back-stays are not necessary all the time.

Single cap shroud round the spreaders to external chain plates alongside the forward lower chain plates.

Runners on tackles usually set up alongside the shrouds but with deck eyes aft when in use.

Fore stay to a very substantial galvanised stemhead fitting which reaches well down the front of the stem and round over the top of the stem.

Bowsprit gammon iron set to port with opening upper half of the rig allowing the bowsprit to be steeved up.

Bob-stay on chain and tackle.

Fixed s/s bowsprit buys to s/s rigging screws on external fittings.

Jib on leathered traveller.

Varnished spruce main boom with stainless steel end collar pivots on a vertical galvanised pivot post between twin heavy section galvanised steel mast bands very adequately spread the loads of this long boom and powerful mainsail. Belay pins on the lower band take the falls.

Double tailed main sheet with varnished wooden blocks to a stainless steel sheet horse on the aft deck.

Reefing winch on the throat of the boom, stbd side.

Bronze track on the fwd face of the mast with stainless steel ring on bronze car to take a pole.

Varnished spruce gaff with traditional leathered gaff saddle. Peak and throat halyards on varnished blocks.

Stainless steel, marlin served, mainsail  mast hoops.

Twin topping lifts to the boom.

Substantial fixed boom gallows on bronze tube verticals with hand-hold turns and scrubbed teak cross bar.

Headsail sheet tracks on the side decks with single cars.

All winches on the cock-pit coamings:

Pair of modern Lewmar 43 self tail sheet winches.

Pair of top-action Lewmar 16

Pair of older design bronze Gibb28.

All working sails by SKB Sails, Falmouth in cream terylene approx 2000:

Mainsail

Topsail

Jib

Staysail  new 2007

Older suit of sails for a smaller mast.

Beta 28hp 3-cyl diesel engine fitted new in 2007 with 60hrs (winter 10)

Centre-line installation under the bridge deck with stainless steel shaft angled to 9” stbd off-set prop. Conventional stern tube and stuffing gland.

German SWB bronze 4-blade feathering prop. Single lever controls.

6knts cruising speed.

15 gall stainless steel fuel tank in the port fwd cock-pit locker.

2 x 12v batteries in the stbd fwd cock-pit locker. 12v circuits.

Switch board under stbd side deck, saloon.

Fuse box in the locker below.

Extensive new wiring.

Accomodation 4 berths.

Fore peak with double berth to port, wide shoulders, narrower towards the feet fwd. Single large mattress.

Plastic drain pipe chain chute takes the chain right fwd.

Low seat lockers to stbd allow comfortable seating for socks.

Reduced head-room under the deck but comfortable sitting head-room on the berths.

Very nicely varnished teak deckhead with varnished, carefully shaped and finished deck beams.

Mahogany slats to the ship’s sides.

Fore hatch over with bull’s eye light.

T&G varnished pine bulkhead from port side across to the mast leaving the stbd side open for access.

Heads compartment to stbd by the access opening, fitted  with Jabsco sea toilet. The door is skewed so even with the door closed the Jabsco affords a comfortable seat though sitting head-room only.

To port of the mast a Taylor’s drip-feed, diesel fired cabin heater on the bulkhead with lagged flue to deck. Stainless steel fuel tank above in the corner.

Saloon cabin with generous port and stbd settee berths with stowage under accessed either from the front or from above with the cushions lifted. Due to the position of the heads compartment fwd to stbd and the galley aft to port, the settees are slightly staggered.

Upholstered seat backs with shelves and lockers under the side decks above the seat back lockers.

Galley in the after port corner with smart almost new stainless steel Voyageur 2000 2-burner, grill and oven gas cooker, gimballed with crash bar.

Good work surface in the after corner with circular s/s sink pumped overboard, hand pump in the locker under.

Foot pump to the galley sink from 30 gall stainless steel water tank under the stbd settee berth.

Stowage space under the side deck.

Chart desk in the aft stbd corner with short trotter box under and lockers. Electrics and instruments under the side deck above. Pretty turned rail across the front edge.

Engine box between chart desk and galley serves as a seat when working at either and a step down from the cock-pit. Open space under the bridge deck and either side of the engine box for stowage of odd bits.

5’10” under the sky-light

5’6” under the deck

White painted deckhead with varnished oak beams and varnished teak coamings. The cabin top is the full width from seat back to seat back so giving a good feel of space.

Varnished teak sole boards on a wide cabin sole. Plenty of space between the settees.

Exposed beam shelf, varnished half deck beams and side deckhead, heavy hanging knees.

Plastimo porthole compass, stbd of entrance hatch.

Raymarine sounder and log.

Compact VHF

MLR GPS

4 life jackets

Horse-shoe life buoy

Selection of flares (probably out of date)

Fire blanket

Manual bilge pump in the cock-pit locker

12v bilge pump on flat switch.

CQR anchor

Fisherman anchor

15fthms chain

Manual chromed windlass on the fore deck.

Beaching legs stowed on the coach-roof.

Fenders and warps.

Built for fishing in Mounts Bay, this boat is similar to but slightly bigger than the nearby Falmouth oyster boats and heavier built for the open sea work with double frames all through.

She was in the same family ownership with 3 generations of the Laity family for 80 years until decommissioned and laid up in 1978 during which time she was mostly dredging oysters in Falmouth.

She was bought shortly afterwards by Pat Crockford, a Falmouth fisherman with years of experience with the oyster dredging and took on a new lease of life. The oyster industry had collapsed, she was no longer viable as a working boat so Pat converted her for leisure use. Over the next 10 years he gradually changed and improved her until she became the fastest boat in the fleet and a regular race winner.

A new taller mast was fitted, the sail area increased, the ballast increased, much of the planking replaced, the deck replaced, a cabin top built and the cabin fitted out below.

Much of the work and history is documented in a Classic Boat article Dec 1993.

Sold by Wooden Ships Yacht Brokers in October 2002 to the present Cornish owner.  She has a reputation for being a fast boat, especially with her new taller rig. Very comfortable, safe deep cock-pit, proper West Country gaff rig, surprisingly spacious and practical cabin and the weight to make her a comfortable boat in a blow.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this 18 ton Hillyard bermudan cutter

from the famous yard of David Hillyard in Littlehampton.  Hillyards were one of the first yards in the world to mass produce yachts and make the sport more available to the average person.  Although nothing like on the scale of modern yacht builders, Hillyards produced many hundreds of boats in the time they were trading, and although not known for their high performance or yacht like finish, they were nonetheless extremely solid, well built and safe cruising yachts that were available at a sensible price.

This particular example is one of the bigger boats, built in 1964 with the typical canoe stern, straight keel and a full bilge with a chine just below the waterline.  Used in present ownership for local cruising and living aboard, however she was cruised extensively by the previous owners who put the boat through a major refit, including new deck and superstructure by Hillyards and replacement of all systems.  They then started a 30,000Nm journey that took them from Russia to the Caribbean and America in which the boat was thoroughly tested and put through her paces.

Planked in 1 ¼” Mahogany, fastened with copper nails and roves to 4”x 2” sawn oak frames, with 2”x 2” intermediates at 12” centres.

New sheerstrakes in 1995.

External 2T  iron ballast keel with galvanised steel keel bolts, all replaced in 1995.  Internal ballast of approximately 2-3T made up of lead pigs and concrete.  Concrete has been there from new.

Marine plywood deck sheathed in epoxy cloth and finished in cream deck paint for an absolutely tight, low maintenance deck.

Deck completely replaced in 1995 refit along with some  deckbeams and sheerstrake.  All professionally done by Hillyards yard.

Mahogany coachroof coamings running aft into the aft cabin coachroof.  Sheathed marine plywood coachroof deck finished in cream deck paint.  Portholes in the forrard end of the coachroof with opening windows in the coamings to give plenty of light down below.

Varnished mahogany hatch on the aft cabin coachroof for access and ventilation, with 2 large wooden cleats at the forrard end for making fast the mainsheet.

Coachroof finishes just aft of the mast giving a large open foredeck.

Twin roller galvanised stem head fitting to take the anchor with a heavy duty Simpson Lawrence 500 Manual windlass.  Large admiralty style galvanised bow cleats port and starboard on the foredeck.

Varnished mahogany forehatch.

Large galvanised stanchions with galvanised top rail and wire lower rail.  Varnished toe rail very cleverly set on the stanchion bases to avoid screwing down through the plywood deck.

Varnished handrails on the coachroof with canvas sprayhood giving shelter to the centre cockpit.

Large self draining centre cockpit. Very deep and safe cockpit well with high coamings and plenty of shelter.

Wheel steering, offset to port at the aft end of the cockpit, with chain gypsy onto wire cables attached to wooden rudder, new in 1995 refit.

Bermudan cutter rig on deck stepped built spruce mast in a galvanised tabernacle.

Mast new in 2000.  Deck beams around the mast all renewed and strengthened in the 1995 refit.

Slab reefing varnished spruce boom.  Varnished jib pole.

Stainless steel wire standing rigging with Stalock S/S terminals, all replaced in 2000, to galvanised rigging screws on external galvanised chainplates.  This is a very unstressed rig unlike modern high tension rigs so the standing rigging will have plenty of life left in it yet.  Twin lower stays, single cap shroud and twin intermediate stays.  Single standing backstay.

Hanked staysail on the stainless steel inner forestay.  Roller furling jib.

Mainsail           Supasails          340sqft                        11yrs               Excellent

Yankee                        Arun Sails                                12yrs               Good

Staysail                        Arun Sails                                12yrs               Good

Winches

Pair of Andersen 48 self tailing yankee sheet winches on the cockpit coamings.

Pair of Lewmar staysail sheet winches

1 non sel- tailing Lewmar for the roller furler

1 Harken self-tailing halyard winch on the mast.

1 Lewmar non self tailing on the boom for reefing lines.  Clutches for each reefing line.

Accomodation

6 berths in 3 cabins including the saloon.

Double hinged doors from the cockpit leading down into the open saloon with L-shaped settee and saloon table over to port.  Full length settee berth along the starboard side.  6’2” headroom throughout the saloon.  Chest fridge under port settee.

Plenty of storage space in numerous shelves and lockers.

Dickenson Newport diesel heater on fwd starboard bulkhead with its own small header tank behind the stb berth.

Passageway in aft stb corner to aft cabin.  Double berth aft cabin with 6’2” headroom.  Hanging locker and storage under the berth.

Centreline passage fwd from saloon.  Step down into galley offset to port.  1 ½ bowl stainless steel sink with hot and cold running water.  ‘Force 10’ 4 burner gas cooker and oven.  Ample work surface area with storage above and below.

2 x water tanks beneath the saloon cabin sole, 1 galvanised and 1 plastic with 80 gallons total capacity.

Heads to stb with Baby Blake sea toilet pumped into plastic TecTank black water tank.  Full standing headroom shower, drains to a sump and pumped overboard via automatic electric pump.

Forward to twin cabin with large port and starboard single bunks.  6’ headroom between beams.  Full height hanging locker with plenty of storage under the bunks.

Fore peak currently used for storage.  Possibility of V-berths for the younger members of the crew.  Chain locker under.

The accommodation is spacious and light with plenty of grab rails as you would expect from a seasoned cruising yacht.  The layout of these boats allows for separate living areas outside of the saloon making it perfect for couples to cruise and have their own space onboard.  In warmer climes, the cockpit becomes another living area giving a huge amount of space inside a 40’ yacht.

Machinery

Ford Parsons Pike 4 cyl 60Hp diesel engine, installed 1968.

Engine completely rebuilt in 1996

New mounts in 2000

New heat exchanger in 2004.

Parsons Marinomatic single lever control gearbox to centre line stainless steel shaft with 3 blade bronze propeller.  Gives 6 knots cruising, 7.5 knots max.

70 gallon galvanised steel fuel tank below the saloon cabin sole with dipstick gauge.

1 x 12 volt engine start battery

2 x 12 volt domestic batteries

Seperate alternator charging for each battery bank.

Inventory.

Original Sestrel steering compass

CTREK sounder

CTREK log

DSC VHF

Raytheon radar

Garmin 120 GPS

Navtex

Wind indicator

Hydrovane wind streering

6 man Oceansafety liferaft (due service)

Horse shoe lifebuoy

Danbuoy

Various fire extinguishers

30kg Bruce anchor

30kg plough anchor

20kg plough anchor

20kg Fisherman anchor

65m 10mm galvanised chain

50m 18mm Octoplait warp

2 piece 10’ plywood ‘Nesting’ dinghy

Mooring warps

6 Fenders

1 summer cover

Full winter cover

This great yacht has proved her worth time and again with several owners over many thousands of miles of ocean sailing and is now on the market after this particular adventure has come to its end.

She is priced to sell as the owners now want to move on, but she is ready to take on new challenges and carry on exploring.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this Classic Buchanan Sloop,

designed by Alan Buchanan as a development to his famous and very successful race yacht Vashti, this boat, originally launched as Vae Victus was designed to be easier to handle by a small crew while still keeping the performance and seaworthiness of Vashti.  She is a little narrower in the beam, with slightly deeper draft and a more compact rig, resulting in a stunning yacht that is easily driven and handled while still being fantastically fast.

Built in 1961 by E. W. Sutton, Essex, she had a successful first season on the race circuit, winning the Burnham Town Cup and going on to be twice champion of the East Anglia Offshore Racing Association’s cup series.  She was notably featured in the Yachting World Annual of 1962.

A sweet sheer line as is typical of Buchanan boats with a beautiful counter, a nice touch of tumblehome and a low coachroof make this a very eye catching yacht.

Planked in teak below the waterline, mahogany above, fastened with copper nails and roves to steam bent Canadian Rock Elm timbers on an oak backbone with oak stem and stern post.

Top two seams raked out and splined and the transom replaced in 2011

Lead keel with bronze keel bolts.

Keel dropped off in 2010, keel bolts checked and found to be sound.  Keel rebedded

Teak deck over a 20mm marine plywood subdeck on oak deck beams. Yacht laid 10mm teak glued to the plywood with Epoxy and payed with Sikaflex, joggled to a king plank with a high scrubbed teak toe rail and capping rail.

New deck professionally laid in 2005.

Varnished teak coachroof coamings extending aft to create the cockpit coamings with cockpit thwarts at deck level.  4 bronze framed fixed portholes each side.  Coachroof in plywood on laminated pine beams to give the nice camber.  Sheathed and finished in blue deck paint.  Varnished handrails down each side,  varnished teak forehatch with Perspex centre to allow light into the forepeak.

All bronze deck fittings with a small Sampson post on the fore and aft decks to secure mooring warps.  Stainless steel stem head fitting with twin bow rollers.  Installed pipework at the stem head fitting to wash the chain as it is hauled in.  ‘Quick’ 12volt vertical axis anchor winch just aft of the Sampson post.

Long self draining cockpit with scrubbed teak cockpit seats gives plenty of space for a helmsman and crew to work.  Blue canvas sprayhood fixed to the coachroof extends aft to give shelter to the companionway and the cockpit.  Tiller steering on rudder stock that emerges through the aft cockpit thwart infront of the aft coaming.  Large sealed locker lids in the cockpit sole give access to the stern gear and storage for mooring warps.  Compass to starboard of entrance hatch with Tack Tick & Stowe instruments on a panel above the companionway.

Masthead bermudan sloop rig setting 480sqft of sail on a keel stepped single spreader Proctor alloy mast.  Slab reefing Proctor alloy boom with lazy jacks and stacker system new in 2005.

Stainless steel wire standing rigging to bronze rigging screws and chainplates.  Twin lower stays and single cap shroud.  Split standing backstays.  Inner forestay on over centre lever to carry the storm jib.

Harken roller furling headsail system.

Furler and foil new in 2010

Mainsail                                John McKillop                      1999

Genoa                                   John McKillop                       1999 (altered for new furler system)

Working jib                        Unknown                                   Unknown

Storm Jib                           Ratsey                                          Unknown

Spinnaker                           Unknown                                      1999

Accommodation   4 Berths

This is a largely original interior layout with a very open feeling to get the most from the space.  Finished in white panelling with varnished trim with scrubbed teak sole boards and blue bunk cushions.  Webasto diesel hot air cabin heater.  Handrails at head height around the inside of the coamings plus vertical handholds on the bulkheads as would be expected of any good sea boat.

Entrance through the sliding hatch onto the engine box.  Locker behind the steps under the bridge deck with battery switches and stowage.  Port and starboard quarter berths, open right through to the aft end.  Comfortable berths that allow full access and ventilation to the aft end.

Galley to starboard with a gimballed Plastimo Neptune 2 burner and grill gas stove.

Gas pipework renewed 2012

Single stainless steel sink with hand pumped fresh water from approximately a 70l tank under the cabin sole.  Plenty of storage space with sliding doors to lockers behind the galley and lockers under the stove.

Chart desk to port just forward of the quarter berth with chart drawer and open front locker under.  Fully integrated electronics at the chart desk.

Port and starboard setee berths.  Ample stowage under and behind both berths with lockers and shelving above under the deck head.  Trotter box at forrad end with joinery over providing a flat work surface and a cutlery drawer.  Shelving above on the bulkhead.

Passage way forward offset to starboard of the keel stepped mast.  Heads to port with Blakes Lavac sea toilet, installed 2005 and wash basin.  Hanging locker to starboard under the deck head.

Forward to the forepeak, currently only used for stowage of sails and loose gear.  Could be converted with v-berths to create 2 extra bunks which has not been necessary in the current ownership.

The layout, design and finish of the interior makes the most of the space available and avoids the cramped feeling often found in the narrow gutted boats typical of this era.

Machinery

Yanmar 3HM 3cyl 30Hp diesel engine, rebuilt in 2005.  Stainless steel shaft to 3 blade bronze propeller gives 6.5knots cruising speed and ½ gallon per hour.

70l stainless steel fuel tank with gauge situated under the cockpit sole.  Gravity feeds through two separate filters.

Dedicated engine start battery.

2 x 110ah AGM service batteries.  Charging from the engine alternator and a solar panel.

Sestral Minor compass

Stowe log

Stowe sounder

Tack Tick wind instrument

Avansea T25 plotter with AIS interface

McMurdo ICSNAV6 Navtex

VHF

Echomax radar reflector

Fire extinguishers and blanket

Personal EPIRB

Flare pack

35lb CQR with 60m chain

Fishermans kedge anchor, 4m chain + warp

Mooring warps and fenders

Zodiac 2.5m inflatable dinghy

Cockpit tent

Folding camping table

This is a superb pedigree yacht with a rich and successful racing history as well as a proven track record cruising extensively around UK, France and Spain in the last13 years.  She has been maintained to the highest standards with all the serious structural issues that can affect these yachts being addressed in recent years.  We now have a boat that is absolutely ready to sail away and will be equally at home campaigning at classic regattas or cruising with the family.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this 31′ Morgan Giles Sloop

Designed and built by Morgan Giles Ltd, Teignmouth, in 1960.  She was designed as good value cruiser racer yacht that would provide a good amount of internal volume but at the same time being competitive on the race circuit.

Mahogany planking on rock elm timbers.  Elm backbone with oak stem and stern post. Iron ballast keel.  Galvanised steel strap floors.

Plywood deck sheathed in GRP and finished in cream deck paint.  Varnished mahogany cover boards and king plank with small varnished toe rail set just in from the deck edge.  Solid wood deck beams with plywood hanging knees, through fastened with copper nails and roves.

Large galvanised steel plate knee spanning the bulkhead at the forward end of the saloon to support the deck stepped mast.

A well proportioned dog house leading into a long coachroof with varnished mahogany coachroof coamings and sheathed plywood coachroof, finished in cream deck paint on laminated coachroof deck beams. Varnished grab rails with forehatch infront of the mast.  Bronze framed dog house windows and coachroof portholes.

Accomodation  4 berths.

Full standing headroom throughout due to the good sized coachroof.  Steps down from the companionway over the engine.  Snug ¼ berth to port, galley to starboard.  Plastimo 2 burner gas stove with grill and single stainless steel sink with hand pumped fresh water from a 65L tank, set in a varnished mahogany surface.  Plenty of storage under.

Saloon with two full length setee berths and shelves behind.

Varnished bulkhead door through to heads compartment.  New Jabsco manual sea toilet to port with storage lockers to starboard.  Bulkhead through to fore cabin with starboard berth.  Chain locker to port and fore hatch above.

Bermudan fractional sloop rig on hollow section spruce mast.  Slab reefing main on varnished spruce boom.  Roller furling genoa.

Encapsulated halyard winches at the base of the mast.

Stainless steel standing rigging.

Machinery

Yanmar 2GH 18Hp diesel, installed 2004, with stainless steel shaft to 3 blade bronze propeller.  6 knots at 2.5l/hr.  32l Stainless steel tank under aft deck with CAV filter and water separator.

CQR anchor and chain.

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.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this English Folkboat

the design was developed in the 1930’s largely at the inspiration of a group of yacht designers led by the great Swedish designer Tord Sunden, the aim being to design a yacht which was economic to build to widen the appeal of yachting and access to the sport for a larger number of people.

The result was the most successful design ever produced with thousands of examples being built in all corners of the world over the past 60 years.

The early design was very simple, now known as the Nordic Folkboat. It was clinker planked, had no engine and a short coach-roof.

The Folkboat rig was standardised from the beginning and is common to all subsequent hull modifications.

A modified version was designed for build in UK. While dimensions remained the same the boats were carvel planked – with a few exceptions – and sported a larger coach-roof, usually with a dog-house.

Other versions were built in Poland and Hungary with many of those imported into UK because they were cheaper. They are always recogniseable by their large coach-roof and dog-house giving them a top-heavy appearance.

Length on Deck                                  25’

Length waterline                                 19’8”

Beam                                                    7’

Draft                                                     3’11”

This particular example is quite an early English Folkboat, built by Bussel & Co, Weymouth in 1958, for a Dr Whittaker who sailed in and around Weymouth Bay concentrating more in his book than his navigation.  Carvel planked with a nice low profile coachroof gives her the sweet lines similar to the original Nordic boats.

Carvel planked in mahogany fastened with copper nails and roves to steam bent oak timbers at 6” centres.  Hood ends fastened with silicon bronze screws.

Hood ends completely refastened July 2009.

2009/2010: The complete underwater hull was stripped back to bare wood, seams raked out, recaulked and repayed with red lead, and the whole refastened with over 300 silicone bronze screws.

Built on an oak backbone with oak floors.  1050kg external iron ballast keel with Iron keelbolts.

2 keelbolts replaced in the last 3 years, including the one under the engine.  The rest have been inspected and found to be in excellent condition.

Marine plywood deck over pine deck beams, epoxy sheathed and finished in cream deck paint with varnished mahogany king plank.

2010/2011: Deck stripped back to bare wood, deck edge to toe rail seam raked out and epoxied.  New epoxy sheathing then laid.  King plank removed, rebidded and refastened in 2012.

Varnished honduras mahogany coachroof coamings with three bronze framed windows each side.  Epoxy sheathed plywood coachroof deck, finished in cream deck paint.  Forehatch at fwd end of coachroof infront of the mast.

New Houdini hatch fitted 2012 with strengthened base.

Typically deep and safe Folkboat cockpit with the varnished coamings simply an extension of the coachroof, tapering off to a pretty low rail at the aft end of the cockpit.  Varnished bench seats either side give lots of storage, scrubbed teak cockpit sole.  Open hatch through the aft bulkhead into large storage locker under the aft deck.

Mainsheet traveller across the thwarts towards the aft end.

2011/2012: Cockpit rebuilt with reinforcement around the mainsheet traveller.  Inside of the hull and all panelling in the area stripped and repainted.

Tiller steering on transom hung rudder.

Rudder stripped and repainted/varnished with extra fastenings added for strength in 09/10

Bronze stem head fitting as originally fitted with bronze fairleads and centreline bow cleat.

Original bronze Highfield levers refitted to side decks but not in use.Bronze fairleads on the aft deck with varnished mooring cleats.

Fractional Bermudan sloop Folkboat rig on keel stepped solid built spruce mast.  Varnished wooden boom with slab reefing, sheets to the traveller in the cockpit.  Varnished spruce spinnaker pole.

2009/10: Mast stripped to bare wood, all fittings removed and replaced or regalvanised and varnished.

Mast, boom and pole revarnished 2011.

Stainless steel wire rigging comprising single lowers, cap shrouds, single fore stay to a point well inboard of the stem and a split standing back-stay with a tackle tensioner on the port leg.

Internal stainless steel chainplates.

Rigging screws replaced May 2012

All running rigging led back through turning blocks port and stb on the coachroof to clutches so the whole rig can be operated from the cockpit.

Pair of Barton sheet winches mounted on stainless steel pedestals on the cockpit coaming.  Similar pair of Barton winches on the coachroof to serve the running rigging on the clutches.

New sails 2011

Mainsail                                Saunders               2011       183sqft                  As new                   Premium cruising grade

Jib                           Saunders               2011       75sqft                    As new                   Premium cruising grade

Genoa                    Jeckell                    1994       101sqft                  Good

Storm Jib               Kemp                                     20sqft                    Unused

Spinnaker              Kemp                     2005       250sqft                  Very Good            (Triradial)

Spinnaker 2                          Old but serviceable

Machinery

Yanmar 1GM10 single cylinder 8Hp diesel fitted 2004.  Drives through standard gearbox with single lever controls to centre line stainless steel shaft and 2 blade bronze propeller.  Gives max. 5 knots.  Regularly serviced, last done June 2012.

Engine lifted out, paint touched up and engine beds strengthened in 2011/12

25L plastic fuel tank in port cockpit seat locker with rubber fuel hose.

1 x 12volt battery, 110Ah, in stb cockpit seat locker.  Provides power for engine starting, lighting and nav instruments.  Oversize aftermarket alternator fitted.

Accommodation

Entrance to cabin through sliding hatch with 3 varnished washboards.  Engine box provides a step inside.

Hatch rebuilt, strengthened and varnished 2012.

Simple open plan layout with galley area at aft end of cabin to port.  2 burner Origo spirit stove with large storage space under.

2 full length setee berths either side with varnished slats and cushions.  Sitting headroom.

Scrubbed teak cabin sole boards.

Staggered half height bulkhead allows access to forepeak, used mainly for sail stowage but with a port side berth as well.

The interior has been repainted where necessary and is light, airy and dry.

Equipment

Plastimo bulkhead Compass with light

Stowe log

Stowe sounder

Navico tiller autopilot (not fitted)

Icom DSC VHF

Pack of coastal flares

2 x fire extinguishers

Fortress anchor with 6m chain

50m warp

4 mooring warps

6 fenders

This is a nice solid example of the ever popular Folkboat design, and although not one of the Nordic boats, she is very pretty because of her low coachroof.  In previous ownership she has competed successfully at Folkboat week, proving she still has the legs to race round the cans, but she would be equally as happy on weekend adventures exploring the creeks and coasts.

She has benefitted from extensive professional work in recent years with all the important structural areas being addressed.  She is now in need of some cosmetic work to bring the paint and varnish up to scratch.

Full list of work carried out available.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this John Illingworth Merle Class sloop

Built by Frank Hoare of Shoreham, 1970. Frank Hoare was a highly respected professional boat builder from Shoreham with several notable yachts built in his yard.

John Illingworth designed Merle of Malham (named of Malham like many of his own yachts after his Yorkshire home) in 1967 for the Quarter Ton Cup – the RORC 15’ rating and JOG and she was built by his old friends at the yard in St Malo.

Merle did well in her first season and several more were built to the same design.

Ambuscade is believed to be the last of the Merle Class built.

The Merle gives the feel of a very competent little yacht with some interesting features typical of John Illingworth, one of this country’s most experienced off-shore yacht racers.

She has quite marked beam for her length, generous freeboard and quite deep draft all of which combine to make her a stiff, dry and very capable yacht.

The cock-pit is big for her size allowing her crew of 4 to work the yacht without falling over each other. She has a bridge deck which not only adds to the strength of the hull but reduces the size of the cabin entrance for safety.

The coach-roof is quite low profile to present the minimum resistant to any water passing over her. Her beam allows for relatively wide side decks, the toe rail rises towards the bow helping to keep the deck dry and the deck is generally uncluttered.

The cock-pit coamings are very deep again to keep the crew dry. The sheet winches are well forward, the main sheet track runs across the bridge deck which, although on occasions it might impede anyone getting into the cabin does allow the crew to work at the forward end of the cock-pit leaving the helm aft clear to concentrate on his job in a race.

The rig is as simple as it can be, a single spreader mast mounted on deck.

The significant feature in the cabin is the placing of the galley and chart desk each side right in the middle of the boat where the motion is least. This allows for a quarter berth each side aft, extending over half way out into the cabin and 2 settee berths forward running up to the forward bulkhead so a completely open plan cabin

Ablutions are all confined to the fore peak through the forward bulkhead with hatch over.

The result is a remarkable little yacht with tremendous capability, far in excess of most crews, a performance which will amaze many modern yacht owners and yet still a super little cruising yacht for 2.

Construction.

Conventionally planked in mahogany with splined seams, the topsides finished varnished with a white cove line. The mahogany for the planking has been particularly well selected with uniform grain and colour and is exceptionally fair.                              Topsides revarnished

Bottom equally fair, finished in grey anti-fouling.

The planking is fastened with copper nails and roves to steam bent oak timbers, 1 ¼” x ¾” at 62 centres.

The back-bone appears to be laminated, possibly also mahogany.

Varnished transom with transom-hung rudder on massive, cast bronze hangings.

External lead ballast keel. No record of keel bolts.

Heavy section laminated oak floors.

The deck is ply, sheathed and painted cream and carried up the inside of the toe rail. Varnished mahogany toe rail capping.          Recessed bronze fair leads forward and aft.  Deck repainted.

Pair of heavy teak cleats on the fore and aft decks to take mooring warps.

Laminated mahogany deck beams.                                        Some delamination noted in a coupleof the deck beams.

Coach-roof with painted marine ply coamings fitted with fixed Perspex windows.

The coach-roof is well cambered both athwartships and fore and aft give good standing head-room at the bottom of the cabin entrance steps and in way of the galley and chart desk.

Varnished mahogany fore-hatch at the forward end of the coach-roof.

Varnished mahogany cabin entrance sliding hatch with a dark Perspex panel working in a garage to maintain water-tight integrity.

Varnished grab rails both sides of the coach-roof.

Pair of bronze mush-room vents on the coach-roof deck with protective bars over to prevent sheets catching.

Stainless steel pulpit, push-pit and lift-out stanchions.

The cock-pit is self draining through a pair of holes in the transom under the aft seat below the tiller thus avoiding the necessity of sea-cocks and holes in the hull below the wl.

Fixed seats over the quarter berths both sides in painted ply with varnished mahogany trim make the hole area completely water-tight with none of the damp and dirt traps of the usual cock-pits with seat/lockers.

Bridge deck carries the main sheet.

The seats are dropped below the deck level with really deep backs to the varnished mahogany coamings to give a sense of sitting in the boat rather than one the boat and tremendous security so valuable in a small boat in heavy weather.

Twin wash-boards and sliding hatch to the cock-pit entrance.

A clever little feature is the cave locker each side forward formed by the extra width of the capping which carries the sheet winches, useful for twine, sail ties and winch handles.

The varnished marine play cabin bulkhead carries a new porthole compass to port, other nav read-outs to stbd.

Masthead Bermudian sloop rig on parallel oval section aluminium mast stepped in a show on the coach-roof deck.

Single spreaders.

Stainless steel rigging believed to be new 2004 with stainless steel open-bodied rigging screws to internal stainless steel chain plates.

Single fore stay to the fore deck inboard of the stemhead, twin standing back-stays to the quarters, single lowers to the spreaders and cap shrouds.

Alloy slab reefing boom, sheets to a car on a track across the bridge deck, jammer on the lower block. Car control lines.

Headsail sheets through track cars on the side decks and up to the winches.

Winches.

Pair of original top action Lewmar 16 sheet winches with adjacent chromed cleat on the coamings.

One top-action tufnol halyard winch on the mast.

Sails

Mainsail by Richardson, Hamble

No 1 jib

No 2 Jib

No 3 jib

Spinnaker

The mainsail is in pretty good condition, the others are very useable cruising sails.

Machinery installed new in 2005 by Power Marine, Bursledon, Hamble.

Yanmar 2GM20 2-cylinder 20hp raw water cooled diesel engine flexibly mounted on the centre-line with conventional drive to a centre-line 3-blade prop.

Single lever controls, the lever in the cock-pit well.

Max speed 8 knts.

Filter on the raw water intake sea-cock.

Electrics.

2 x 12v batteries under the stbd quarter berth.

Engine alternator

Accommodation      4 berths in a single cabin.

Varnished mahogany 2-step open tread ladder from the entrance hatch landing on top of the engine box at berth level.

Quarter berth each side.

The ladder removes to allow the engine box lid to be lifted clear. Front panel of the box also removes to give excellent engine access.

Ply quarter berth bunk boards lift to give access to stowage under the berths. Batteries under the stbd berth.

Chart desk to stbd with chart drawer and lockers below.

Galley to port with gimballed Optimist 2-burner meths cooker.

Washing up bowl. Manual water pump mounted on the surface.

Plate stowage under the side deck.

Lockers below the surface.

Port and stbd settee berths with canvas lee cloths. Open cave lockers under.

Back rest on the shelf behind at shoulder blade level.

New bunk cushions required.

Lockers at the forward ends against the forward key-hole bulkhead.

Fore peak with SL400 sea toilet.

Fold-down seat-step over the sea toilet to make easier exit through the fore hatch above.

Chain locker right forward.

Aluminium compression post under the mast step in the middle of the cabin also provides a practical hand hold.

Triple varnished mahogany hanging knees on the coach-roof coamings amply reinforce the structure in way of the mast.

Painted coamings, deckhead and bulkheads.

Varnished laminated deck beams and some joinery trim.

Head-room.  6’ at the cabin entrance hatch, 5’10” midships.

Water.

GRP sheathed ply tank of about 10 galls in the galley floor bilge.

Fuel.

Approx 40 litres plastic tank under the cock-pit sole aft of the engine.

Equipment.

Silva porthole compass in the cock-pit bulkhead

Sestral hand bearing compass

Sounder

Log

Silva S10 VHF DBS

Garmin GPS

Autohelm autopilot

Wand vane steering (not fitted)

CO2 fire extinguisher

Some old flares.

Gusher Mk 3 hand bilge pump.

35lb CQR anchor  with long heavy nylon anchor warp.

Small CQR anchor

Sprayhood frame requires new cover.

Present ownership since 2003, previously berthed on the River Hamble.

Recently revarnished exterior and deck painted and looks very smart indeed with a particularly fair hull above and below and no apparent faults.

For family reasons the yacht was not sailed last year so a degree of tidying up in the cabin will be required prior to recommissioning and a new owner will want new cushions.

This is a lovely little yacht with sparkling performance and capability far beyond her size making her a super and very economic small cruising yacht.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this 12 Ton Berthons Gauntlet

The 12 ton Berthons Gauntlet was designed and built by the Berthon Boat Co. Lymington, 1938. The Gauntlet range was the great early success story in the Berthon history starting with the first 12 tonner in 1934, aptly named Gauntlet, the yacht being built as a challenge in a race which of course she won.

16 12 tonners were built,  5 of the smaller 8 tonners, 10 of the 14 tonners and another 5 or so up to the largest at 26 TM before building ceased with the last 8 tonner Bardu in 1951.

The design was conceived as a cruiser racer and several of these yachts have shown remarkable performances over the years.

This one is the third to last of the 12 tonners built in 1938 for the naturalist Oliver Hook who had previously ordered an 8 tonner. He eventually sold his 12 tonner but later bought her back! The present owner bought her from Oliver Hook in 1950 making over 60 years in the same ownership which must qualify for the Guiness Book of Records.

Inspected in summer 2012 and found to be the most remarkably original yacht, almost exactly as built and in very smart sea-going condition.  She is always stored ashore in a dry shed in winter.

She has never undergone one of those refits which so often spoiled a beautiful yacht and while she has been very little altered she has of course had some modernisation including  a new engine and sails and no doubt a new owner will want to look at some of the dark corners and check the keel bolts, sea-cocks, floors and rigging as ever when taking on a new boat.

She still has all her original fittings including the magnificent gear bilge pump operated while sitting on the loo and above all the most magnificent panelled mahogany interior joinery in absolutely first class condition.

In all their years of cruising over many thousands of miles the yacht has given the family the most enormous pleasure. The owners now want a new guardian to take over, to enjoy her as they have and ensure she is still sailing in another 50 years.

The Gauntlet is a very distinctive and well-balanced design with a pointed canoe stern, balanced sheer and good freeboard.

Planked in teak fastened with copper nails and rooves to 3” x 2 ½” oak frames in grown futtocks at approx 20” centres with an intermediate steamed rock elm timber.

Iron strap floors on every frame and timber ensure a very strong construction.

Long external lead ballast keel secured with bronze keel bolts. There is a recollection of a keel bolt being drawn about 20 years ago.

Solid teak deck, yacht laid and joggled to the king plank.

Varnished teak king plank, cover-boards and toe rails.

Stainless steel stanchions and pull-pit, galvanised steel push-pit.

Heavy teak bar cleats take mooring warps forward and aft.

Varnished teak coach-roof from the cock-pit up to the mast with 3 bronze port holes each side and two forward.

Coach-roof coamings extend aft to form the cock-pit coamings.

Lead-lined self-draining cock-pit well with teak gratings, varnished seats each side with tanks under and varnished bridge deck across the cabin entrance.

Tiller steering.

Hatch to the lazarette aft of the cock-pit coamings.

Varnished teak fore hatch on the fore deck.

Cabin entrance hatch with finely moulded surrounds, sliding top and wash-board.

Sheathed pine boards to the cabin rook with grab rails each side.

Iron hanging knees to the deck beams and to the cabin coamings.

Bermudian cutter rig on the original varnished mast stepped through the main deck onto the keel.

The mast is exceptionally well rigged with two sets of spreaders and jumper struts on the upper spreaders.

Fixed 2’6” bowsprit and fixed 2’ bumpkin, both in varnished spruce.

All stainless steel rigging with bronze rigging screws to internal bronze chain plates.

Twin lowers, intermediates over the lower spreaders, diamonds over the upper spreaders and diamonds over the jumper struts.

Single standing back-stay to the 3’ bumpkin.

Running back-stays on Highfield levers with the tail of the span on a hook allowing it to be removed and triced back to the shrouds.

Inner fore stay from the upper spreaders to the bowsprit heel fitting on the fore deck.

Outer fore stay from masthead to the outer end of the bowsprit.

Sails

Mainsail by Goacher of Windermere, 2011, new and unused.

Jib by Hood Sails on Seafurl roller reefing gear to the end of the bowsprit.

Staysail and jib both about 20 years old and almost unused.

Smart blue canvas mainsail coat and fore hatch cover.

Cock-pit cover over the cock-pit and entrance hatch.

Winches.

2 original captive wire halyard winches on the mast take the mainsail and the roller headsail.

Modern top-action Gibb takes the staysail.

Pair of Lewmar top action 2-speed on the cock-pit coamings

Pair of modern Lewmar 40 self tailing on the cock-pit coamings.

Boom

Varnished spruce boom with original SL roller reefing gear on a mast slide with tackle tensioning downhaul.

Boom sheets to a bronze horse over the tiller.

Removeable steel tube arch boom crutch.

Engine.

Betamarine 42hp 4-cylinder diesel engine, fresh water cooled with heat exchanger, installed new in 2008.

Centre-line installation to conventional centre-line shaft drive with Morse single lever controls gives a cruising speed of 6 knts.

Shaft brake.

Good access to the front of the engine by removing the cabin steps, with salt water sea-cock, fuel change-over valves, fuel filter, fan belt and pumps all easily and immediately accessible.

Engine oil evacuating pump.

12v light in the engine bay.

Fuel.

2 x 16 gallon stainless steel tanks built and installed by ALlansons of Freckleton to RNLI spec about 30 years ago.

Tank fillers on the cock-pit seats.

Electrics.

2 banks of batteries, each with 2 x 12v batteries in lead-lined boxes easily accessible under the after end of the saloon cabin berths.

12v circuits.

Accommodation.        4 berths + a pipe-cot forward.

Fore peak with fore hatch over. This yacht dates from the time when it was customary to carry a paid hand so a fold-up pipe cot is fitted in the fore peak to stbd.

Seat lockers either side and across the forward end.

Centre-line bulkhead doorway with sliding door to the owner’s cabin. Large single berths each side. Beautifully mahogany-panelled bulkheads.

The forward end of the coach-roof covers about half of the owner’s cabin to give over 7’ head-room.

Mast in the middle of the cabin.

After bulkhead sliding door to the saloon cabin.

The saloon cabin is beautifully panelled in raised and fielded polished mahogany with white painted deck-head above and varnished teal cabin sole boards.

Port and stbd settee berths.

Fine, polished mahogany double drop-leaf saloon table.

Drawers and battery boxes under the settees. Back rest fold down to give access to stowage space behind.

A sideboard each side at the forward ends of the settees has a fold down locker lid to allow the berth to be extended by 14” and to stow bedding when not in use.

Similar sideboards at the after end provide stowage, the stbd sideboard cleverly fitted with bottle racks, sloping to ensure the bottles can’t fall out!

Centre-line bulkhead doorway to the after lobby with the companionway ladder to deck.

To stbd is the heads compartment, a slightly tight fit but secure once you are in there.

New Jabsco sea toilet.

Porcelain hand basin with chrome taps. Water supplied by a vertical action bronze hand pump delivering through one of the taps and draining into the WC.

The original manual gear bilge-pump is mounted on the bulkhead

Galley to port with modern stainless steel gimballed gas cooker with 3 burners, grill and oven.

Gas bottle adjacent under the sink and reached immediately to turn off after use.

Stainless steel sink drainer, stowage under and behind.

Fresh water supply to the sink by vertical action hand pump, drains overboard.

Engine control board in the corner above the galley, easily reached from the cock-pit.

Equipment.

Compass

Seafarer sounder

Sumlog thru’ hull log

Sailor VHF radio

Hand-held VHF radio

Raymarine auto-pilot on the tiller

AP Navigator GPS

Life-raft

2 x horse-shoe life-buoys

Flares

35lb CQR anchor

25lb CQR anchor

Manual windlass, operated standing up with a long lever

30ftms chain

GRP dinghy stows on the coach-roof

Spray-hood on stainless steel frame.

Fitted cock-pit cover.

Warps and fenders.

Massive, bus chassis yard trailer.

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.

Wooden ships comments on this 32’6″ Gaff cutter 

Believed built by Kittow of Portthleven, Cornwall in 1897.

In a letter dated June 1966, G. Sartoris from Ingatstone, Essex, writes that he bought Peggy in 1936 and that he believed she was built by Kittow in Porthleven, Cornwall in the 1890’s.

The yacht has all the signs of a typical Cornish sailing fishing boat of the period known as the Plymouth Hooker because they fished with long lines of baited hooks – a straight stem, slightly raked transom stern, transom-hung rudder and a long keel with a small amount of drag.

Sartoris describes her as ” hull only, fitted with a cabin and 2 single cylinder 7hp Kelvin diesels”.

In his words, “I thought she had possibilities and spent a good deal of time and money on her conversion”.

The conversion was done by Priors at Burnham on Crouch. He describes how he had all the floors doubled, built the coach-roof and designed and built the interior. He rigged her as a gaff sloop with new spars and sails and he kept the twin engines.

Interestingly he says she was never very close winded and that a bowsprit might have helped but he liked the handiness of the sloop rig and finished by saying he liked her the best of all the boats he owned!

The Part 1 register shows various owners in the Essex and Kent areas.

A further long letter from Ron Crick describes how he and his wife Margie found Peggy in Christchurch in 1963 and refitted her over a few years, living on board for much of their ownership until they sold her in 1884 – 21 years ownership.

Based in the Solent and later at Burnham on Crouch until sold to present Cornish ownership by Wooden Ships in 2001, then lying in Essex and returned to Fowey, Cornwall where she is now berthed.

In present ownership she has visited Britanny for the Paimpol Festivals in 2003, again in 2005 and  in 2009.

In 2007 she sailed via Ireland to the West Coast of Scotland, cruised the Inner Hebrides as far north as Canna, wintered at Ardfern, cruised around Arran and returned to Cornwall in 2008.

She sailed again to Scotland in 2010, round Arran and the Kyles of Bute and returned to Cornwall at the end of the 2010 season.

In all her cruising, the owners have found her very comfortable for longer periods on board, very sea-kindly and she coped well with some quite testing conditions.

She is remarkably fast off the wind showing  9knts on the log on occasions, (probably  more accurately 7– 8knts!) and passage planning is done on 5-6knts.

Under power she cruises comfortably at 6knts. The off-set prop makes handling under power an interesting exercise but when used to advantage the deflection can be very handy.

Regular maintenance has been done by the owners with expert back-up by Fowey specialist wooden boat builders and the current very nice presentation of the yacht reflects this continued care.

In the 1936 conversion it appears that the topsides were raised by one plank to the level of the original toe rail capping, a new higher level beam shelf fitted and a new deck.

The present coach-roof coamings were fitted with the present deep safe cock-pit to produce a well-balanced little ship which gives her crew a great sense of security in the cock-pit and on deck.

Construction.

Planked in 1 ¼” pitch-pine all seams traditionally caulked and payed and fastened with traditional galvanised boat nails to oak frames in sawn futtocks of approx 3 ½” x 2”.

Oak back-bone.

All internal ballast in iron pigs.

A 1991 survey report mentions extensive refastening and some planking replacement.

Wonderfully formed, slightly raked transom with gentle tumble-home.

Heavy rubbing strake all round.

The deck is straight laid in solid iroko, caulked and payed, with 9” bulwarks all round carried on through deck oak stanchions.

Most replaced new in present ownership.

Lots of clear deck space on the side decks and in way of the mast.

Heavy Sampson post on the fore deck takes the heel of the bowsprit.

Heavy Sampson each side of the after end of the cock-pit takes stern mooring lines.

Coach-roof and cock-pit coamings in varnished pitch-pine.          All fitted new in 1936  conversion.

Grab rails each side of the coach-roof deck, opening lights each side with brass bars.

Traditional varnished mahogany sky-light

Bronze port holes each side and forward.

The cock-pit is deep and safe with a wide bridge deck, laid in iroko over the engine space below. Removal of this bridge deck cover gives excellent all round access to the engine under.

Fuel tank and 2 batteries to port of the engine, 3rd windlass battery to stbd.

Large stowage space to stbd of the engine.

Seating each side of the cock-pit with lockers under.

Access in the cock-pit well aft to the lazarette.

Loose laid boards in the cock-pit well, non-self draining.

Sliding hatch to the cabin entrance with small drop-down, glazed wash-board.

Rig

Gaff cutter rig on varnished keel-stepped spruce pole mast, fitted new in 1977 (see Ron Crick’s letter for a detailed description of how he located and made the mast).

Varnished spruce boom fitted with 1930’s roller reefing gear, operated by a crank handle at the fwd end

Boom sheets with 4-part tackle to a horse over the transom, double tailed, the tails made off to the Sampson posts. Traditional varnished blocks..

Varnished spruce gaff with leathered gaff saddle and parrel balls.

Running bowsprit set to port of the stem. Bob-stay on tackle

Stainless steel standing rigging with spliced ends to galvanised rigging screws on external iron chain plates. Sheer poles with belay pins. 2 shrouds per side, stemhead fore stay and outer fore stay to the end of the bowsprit.

Runners on levers.

Sails

Mainsail in tan terylene, marked FY on stbd side. 3 slab reefs

Jib in tan terylene by SKB Sails, Falmouth 2003 hanked on Dyarchy-type fore-stay.

Staysail in tan terylene by SKB Sails, Falmouth 2007 with one reef, hanked to fore stay

Storm jib in white terylene on Dyarchy type fore-stay.

Reaching ghoster in white terylene set flying, tack on the bowsprit traveller, old but serviceable.

Light-weight staysail – old but serviceable.

Topsail in tan terylene – needs repair.

Jib in tan terylene – old but serviceable, set flying.

Staysail – old but serviceable.

Topsail yard.

Reaching pole

Winches.

Pair of bronze bottom action mounted on the outside of the cock-pit coamings with twin adjacent cleats.

Halyards on straight pull, made off to a galvanised ring of belay pins round the mast.

Machinery

Yanmar 3YM30 installed new in September 2006.

New engines beds 1992.

Centre-line installation with excellent access under the bridge deck.

Shaft exists just to port of the stern post to give a port off-set 3-blade prop gives 6 knts

Electrics.

3 x 12v batteries on 12v circuits. One battery is dedicated to the electric windlass.

Modern port and stbd nav lightsd on light boards in the rigging.

Steaming and stern lights.

2 lights in the cabin + one fluorescent light.

Accommodation.   4 berths                                      5’10” head-room in the saloon cabin

Spacious fore peak with stooping head-room under the fore deck, fine Blake Victory sea toilet against the varnished oak Sampson post, rebuilt 2012 and fitted with a varnished seat, fore hatch above, lockers either side, chain locker forward of the Sampson post.

Very traditional, white painted T&G bulkhead with centreline door to the owner’s cabin.

Good sized double berth to port, huge stowage under, lockers to stbd.

Faversham cast iron solid fuel cabin stove to stbd with removeable deck chimney..

Saloon cabin with port and stbd settee berths, separate from the double berth by a part height bulkhead.

Large varnished mahogany table to port with double drop leaf. Separate folding bench.

Chart stowage in locker behind the seat back against the fwd bulkhead.

Galley in the after stbd corner with Taylor’s 2-bruner and oven paraffin cooker and stainless steel sink/drainer.

Antique brass hand pump on the bulkhead provides fresh water from 25 gallon galvanised water tank.

Lockers and shelves in the after port corner.

Equipment

Navigation.

Compass

Sounder

Log

VHF radio, new 2007

Ground tackle

Lofrans Tigres Horizontal 12v windlass fitted 2007

80 meters calibrated chain

35lb CQR anchor

Large Fisherman anchor with chain and warp.

Legs (timber) with through hull bolts and securing lines.

Safety gear.

Life buoy

4 fire extinguishers

Fire blanket

12v bilge pump on flat switch

Manual bilge pump

Deck gear.

Reaching/spinnaker pole

Boarding ladder

Warps and fenders

¾ length winter cover.

An exceptionally well-found little ship in excellent, experienced ownership and past owners all speak very fondly of her.

She has done more miles than most with the present owners and given them some very good sailing, her sea-kindliness much appreciated by the two family dogs.

This is one of those boats with a good, tight, dry feel to her, everything in its place and a place for everything.

The cabin accommodation is ideal for two, she has been a comfortable live aboard for two in the past ownership and is easily sailed by two.

She is presented in smart, tidy and clean condition and while it is too easy to criticise the other chap’s boat and always possible to find something to do on any boat, this is a terribly attractive, traditional gaff cutter of a very handy size, ready for sea, well-proven in present and previous ownership and with some documented history which is always interesting.

She has the feel of a bigger boat than her dimensions indicate, the cock-pit gives a tremendous sense of security and the cabin is absolutely delightful.

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.