Please see Gallery for more photos
Background
Built to a design by J Francis Jones, SLIP is one of series of custom, made-to-order Sole Bay 35 wooden ketch motorsailers, based on a Guernsey pilot boat prototype (hull number 9, official number 340520 - all original paperwork, including the original British Ship Registry Certificate has been retained).
SLIP was built in 1971 by Porter & Haylett Boat Yard in Wroxham (traditional builders of hugely popular motor cruisers and motorsailers, including the Connoisseur class and the Otter class of motor yachts). She was delivered to her original owner in Jersey, where she spent two years, before being sold to an airline pilot, who looked after her for the following 35 years.
Her current owner, a professional marine engineer (her only third owner from new), purchased her in 2014 and has re-modeled and renovated her extensively to create a comfortable liveaboard vessel, while taking occasional short trips around the Solent. She has a fully working engine and a full set of barely used sails in traditional tan colour. Her original wooden spars and standing rigging were replaced in 2010 and have only seen very moderate use since then.
The current owner has collected, restored and partially installed traditional vintage navigation instruments and deck fittings in keeping with the vessel’s character, with only some additional wiring work required to make these systems fully operational.
She is surprisingly spacious for her length, with well planned, comfortable accommodation for up to 5 guests and lots of storage space throughout. Plenty of mod cons and a well equipped galley make her an ideal liveaboard vessel.
Specifications
Length - 34.9 ft / 10.6 m, beam - 10.1 ft / 3 m, draught - 5.6 ft / 1.7 m, gross tonnage - 11.77, registered tonnage - 9.71.
Wooden ketch rigged yacht with traditional long keel (external cast iron ballast) and full keel rudder (rudder tube re-sealed and fitted with a greasing point and rudder pintle bush replaced in 2018).
Helming position - wheelhouse, steering wheel - Simpson Lawrence mahogany & brass classic ship steering wheel. Cable & chain steering.
Fuel tank capacity - 400l, water tank capacity - 150l (ready to be extended to 250l).
Max headroom - 6.2ft (saloon), 6.4ft (wheelhouse).
Construction
Carvel planked in 1" Iroko above and below the waterline, copper fastened to closely spaced steam bent oak timbers. Galvanised steel strap floors aft of the centre bulkhead, galvanised floor bolts - all replaced in 2015.
Deck - marine plywood sheathed in epoxy glass and finished in grey deck paint (re-sheathed in 2015). Painted high toerail with a varnished Iroko capping rail. Solid oak coamings (varnished inside, painted outside), marine ply epoxy sheathed coachroof. Aluminium frame portholes in the coamings. Wheelhouse - solid oak construction with aluminium frame windows.
Engine & Batteries
Perkins 4236 72HP (original) – Borg Warner reduction gearbox, 3 blade bronze propeller (shaft and propeller professionally re-balanced in 2018). Cruising speed - 7kn. Engine is in fully working condition with periodic professional servicing done during the last ownership. Cutlass bearing and stuffing box hose were replaced in 2018.
Three 115Ah Exide batteries (new in 2019). New distribution panel and a new engine isolator installed in 2018. 20Ah shore power charger.
Accommodation and Galley
One double berth in the aft cabin, two singles in the main saloon, and a small berth in the forepeak - ideal for a family of three and two guests. All cabin soles were replaced with new hatches in engineered oak and were slightly raised to increase floor space in 2015. Forward cabin and the galley were completely rebuilt in solid oak and marine ply and the aft cabin was modified to create a double berth with storage (2015),
Eberspacher Hydronic water heater heats the cabins via three matrix heaters and 4 heater outlets - installed in 2014. Pressurised hot and cold water taps in the galley and the heads. 40l Isotherm DC fridge (front opening), Taylors 041 gas cooker with oven, grill, hotplate and 2 stove burners. Extractor fan above the hobs. Regulation-compliant gas delivery hose with properly drained gas locker holding two 7kg bottles. Traditional standard-size Blakes marine toilet - discharges overboard via a Vetus gravity holding tank (capacity - 25l). Manual and electric flush options (via an electric Whale diaphragm pump).
Navigation Instruments and Electrical Systems
Depth sounder (Seafarer 701), navigation deck lights (installed - wiring not yet connected), anchor, steaming and deck mast lights. Simpson Lawrence search light on the roof of the wheelhouse (installed - wiring not yet connected).
Two VHF units - vintage Sailor RT 144 (excellent condition and fully working order) and Icom IC-N411. Full set of vintage Brooks & Gatehouse wind instruments (all tested and in fully working order, but have not been installed).
Vintage Neco autopilot (rarely found in fully working condition) with a chain drive, rudder reference unit and compass unit - completely refurbished 3 years ago, installed and fully functioning.
Rig and Sails and Deck Gear
Ketch rig converted from a gaff to a Bermudian mainsail by the previous owner with all spars (aluminium) and standing rigging (stainless steel) new in 2010. Twin forestays with hank-on sails allowing for an easy downwind sailing configuration or a quick change to a storm sail. Main mast can be lowered by a galvanised steel tabernacle, mizzen is small enough to be lowered by hand - ideal if wanting to cruise inland waterways. Main backstay incorporates isolators for use with a SSB radio.
Barely used, full set of tan sails (Arun Sails) - main and mizzen mainsails, two headsails and a storm jib (all hank-on). Simpson Lawrence manual windlass (fully working) with a 45lb CQR anchor and 30m chain. Pushpit, pullpit, stanchions, cleats and fairleads - all original galvanised steel.
Safety Equipment
Bilge pump (Atwood S750), saloon powder fire extinguisher, automatic engine room fire extinguisher, fire blanket.