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Ay Caramba: motor yacht back in the Med after a 15-month restoration

Following an extensive and intensive 15-month restoration, the result of which is simply stunning, the motor yacht Caramba is back in the Mediterranean where she has previously spent at least half of her life.

Designed by Fred Parker and built by J Samuel White on the Isle of Wight – with a steel hull, aluminium superstructure and twin Gardner 6LXB diesel engines – Caramba was originally launched in May 1962. Parker was described in Yachting Monthly the following month as “in the top three of industrious designers in Great Britain today” having “produced a large number of designs for new yachts which are now building, ranging as they do from a 30-footer to motor yachts of considerable tonnage.” JS White was well known for producing naval vessels and lifeboats as well as private motor yachts and, going back a couple of centuries to when the company was still located in Kent, had also built the whaler in which Captain Bligh was cast adrift.

Caramba was “robustly constructed” according to Motor Boat & Yachting , and “all fittings, including the top of the funnel, which project above the wheelhouse top, are readily portable as it is the owner’s intention to cruise through the French canals to the South of France.” That first owner was Frederick M Brown. Whether he did take her through the canals isn’t known, but she was certainly based in the Mediterranean from about 1970 until 2000 when she came back to the UK through those canals.

During those Mediterranean years, Caramba cruised extensively under various ownerships between the Greek Islands, Croatia, Turkey, Corsica, Sardinia and the French Riviera. John Glover remembers seeing her and occasionally working on her in Malta in 1972. At that time, she was owned by  Lt Cdr Paul Murray-Jones RN – who was trying to sell her, having bought Claudia Quinta , an 86ft motor yacht built by de Vries in 1954 – and her captain was Paul Ellis, a former sailing instructor. John had a full-time job as the engineer on a 20-metre ketch but went aboard Caramba to help out on “several sea trials” with prospective buyers, one of whom he particularly remembers. “He was a property developer, a self-made millionaire from near Brighton,” John told me. “He didn’t buy the boat  but he entertained us all at the five-star Phoenicia Hotel that weekend.”

Eventually, Caramba was sold to PS Dixon who kept her in Antibes and then Marbella, and then for a couple of years she was owned by the yacht dealer David Skellern who, it is thought,  stored her in Antibes without really using her. In 1979 she was purchased by Leighton Mitchell who had her for about twelve years, from which time classic yacht broker Barney Sandeman has some poignant memories of her. In the early ‘80s when Barney was a young teenager, his mother ran a guest house in Poole, and often accommodated the crew of racing boats taking part in local events. One of these was John White who – along with his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Jo –  was subsequently employed by Leighton Mitchell to run Caramba . “At the time she was based at Nisssaki Beach in Corfu,” recalls Barney, “and we were lucky enough to be invited on board for holidays a couple of times.  It had a massive effect on me because it was the first classic boat that I had real contact with. And I was also then exposed to other classic boats such as the Fife ketch Sumurun which made a big impression on me seeing her sailing towards us out of the blue. But it was Caramba which really did it for me. She had a presence and a personality.”

Caramba then had a succession of French owners – Monsieur Bolloret, Monsieur Signeol and Jap de Bruin – before Philip Hardstaff bought her in 2000 after seeing a photo of her and thinking she was “the epitome of elegance”. It was Philip who brought her back to the UK through the French canals but that voyage didn’t go at all according to plan. He expected it to take about three weeks but it took a month just to get to Paris – “partly because the boat was in such a state and missing lots of the gear she was supposed to have, and partly because of some unreliable crew members,” he told me – and from there he got someone else to bring her the rest of the way.

During Philip’s ownership, he took Caramba to three different yards for refits. First, she went to Voyager Yachts in Millbrook where various rust problems were dealt with, including replacement of the bulwarks with stainless steel, and the forward cabin was rebuilt to accommodate a heads, a large galley and a family breakfast area; next she went to Pendennis Shipyard where a new teak deck was laid; and then Cockwells addressed some leak issues, straightened and strengthened the aluminium sides of the superstructure, and grit-blasted the whole boat back to bare metal and then faired and painted everything to a standard that was, according to Phil, “second to none”.

From her base at Port Pendennis Marina, Falmouth, Phil cruised Caramba along the UK’s south coast, to the Channel Islands and to the Isles of Scilly, but he often just took her out for local day trips, sometimes singlehanded. In 2008 when he felt as if she wasn’t getting much use, he put her on the market but “after a number of disappointments I backed out of an unsatisfactory sale with relief” and decided to keep her. But in 2020 he asked Barney Sandeman to sell her for him, and that was when she was purchased by her current owners.

Before doing so, they contacted Will Stirling of Stirling & Son and asked him to have a look at Caramba while she was still lying afloat in Falmouth, and provide estimates for some refit work. After he did so, she was lifted out of the water at Pendennis Shipyard and surveyed by Plymouth company NDT Services. The survey report essentially said that the boat looked fine but that there were a number of doubler plates in the hull which might be hiding significant issues. Nonetheless the purchase went ahead, and Phil then took Caramba to Stirling & Son in Plymouth where she was brought ashore on the world’s oldest covered slipway. Not long afterwards a conversation took place between Will and the owners which would define the philosophy of all of the work that would be done. “It was like standing at a crossroads,” said Will. “We said that we could patch the boat together, install a nice interior and so on, but it would still be a 60-year-old hull with a finite life; or we could really get into it and do it thoroughly. Without hesitation, they said ‘do it thoroughly, make her as good as new’ and we went for it.” Work started in earnest in May 2021.

In the hull a substantial amount of steelwork was renewed including almost all of the underwater framework and plating, all of the centreline and about 30% of the topsides plating. The steel deck was totally renewed as were about 20% of the deck beams. About 20% of the aluminium superstructure was also renewed and the whole superstructure raised by 150mm to increase internal headroom; and, whereas it was previously rivetted to a steel upstand around the deck, the two dissimilar metals are now connected by a Tribond transition joint which is significantly less likely to lead to corrosion. All the welding work was carried out by a team from European Active Project Ltd, overseen by the surveyor Richard Linford of Blue Peninsula Marine Surveys; and the fairing and painting was by Mark Palmer and his team at Reflexion Yacht Coatings.

The Gardner engines had never been out of the boat and it had previously been necessary to cut an access hatch in the hull plating to remove and replace a generator. But now soft patches were cut in the main deck (in the saloon sole) and the top of the superstructure above to allow the engines to be removed. They were then sent to Mike Harrison at Gardner Marine Diesels to be thoroughly overhauled and zero-houred. In fact absolutely everything was removed from the engine room and either refurbished or replaced. Amongst the new equipment is a Kohler generator supplied by Atlantis Marine Power in Plymouth, a Tecnicomar watermaker and a pair of Seakeeper gyro stabilisers. Many other items were refurbished by Deep Blue Engineering in Millbrook. All of the engine room piping is now either stainless-steel or galvanised steel with welded elbows and flanges. “It is all very robust and carried out to shipbuilding standard rather than yacht building, just as it was when she was built,” said Will.

The straight laid teak deck did, of course, have to be removed to allow fabrication of the new steel deck, but by careful use of a Fein saw, it was possible to save and reuse about 60% of it. A new subdeck comprising two layers of 20mm Robbins Super Elite plywood was fitted onto the steel, and then the salvaged teak – along with the balance in new teak which Will somehow, but with some difficulty, managed to acquire – was laid in a semi-swept style and with margins around the superstructure and hatches, and with squared (rather than routered) snapes. TDS caulking was used in the seams.

About 60% of the teak bulwark capping rail and the handrail above it have been renewed. Whereas previously the capping rail had butt joints, these have now been scarphed; and the end grain in way of the four gates in the hand rail, previously capped with simple flat plates, now have proper chromed bronze caps which were cast by Bridport Foundry who used an old one as a pattern. Similarly one of the two existing mooring bollards was used to cast six more so there are now four forward and four aft.

All of the hatches have been overhauled or replaced. For instance, the aft deck skylight now consists of the original base and new leaves; and a square hatch giving access to the lazarette has now been replaced by a round one. The aft deck table and various deck boxes were all made from solid teak.

All the superstructure windows have been replaced and this involved “quite an epic tale,” which perhaps reflects the attention to detail which was applied to the whole project. First, having studied photographs of boats of the same period, Will produced a drawing of an appropriate cross section for the frames; Filto Profiles in Spain was then contracted to extrude the frames using “the right kind of brass”, CW508L; the extrusions were then sent to Birmingham where Bendtech bent the corner pieces; back in Plymouth, Stirling & Son welded the bent pieces to the straight pieces to form each uniquely-shaped complete frame, and then polished out the welds; the frames were then chromed by local company SMB Plating; and finally they were glazed with 12mm toughened glass.

The original manual davits – which are “solid and enormously heavy” – have now been electrified with the electric motors fitted discreetly below deck. This conversion work was carried out by Deep Blue Engineering, including “gun-boring” the hole for the lifting cable through a 1.5 metre length of each davit.

The aft saloon bulkhead was renewed in teak-clad plywood, and with the previous central door moved across to the starboard side to allow a better deck seating area. All of the interior joinery was removed to allow access for the hull and deck repairs, and all of it was then renewed. The layout aft is very similar to the original, except the port side passageway is now 50mm nearer the centreline, and the heads compartment which was an ensuite for the aft cabin is now a day head with a door into the passageway. The open-plan forward end has now been altered to include a smaller galley and crew quarters. All of the new joinery is in cherry which has been stained with van Dyke crystals of crushed walnut, sealed with varnish and then two coats of a hard wax oil. This gives a nice satin finish which is relatively easy to repair when damaged. All of the upholstery was made by the Canvas Shop.

After long working days (and nights) and massive efforts from the team at Stirling & Son and their various subcontractors, Caramba set off from Plymouth in late August 2022 under the command of Nikos Vagher the captain and Theodore Tsavdaris Vallianos the mate, bound for Greece where the owners were then able to enjoy some late summer cruising on her. When such an extraordinary amount of work is carried out on a custom-built and custom-restored boat in such a short time (and some of it in a particularly short time towards the end) it is inevitable that there will then be some teething problems. But such was the thoroughness and attention to detail of the work carried out on Caramba , the snags were few and minor. “Boats like this are never quite ready, not even after several seasons,” said Barney. “But the owners are going to be refining Caramba and tweaking her, because they are of that mindset.” Will agrees that “she should just get nicer and nicer over time. Fresh out of the yard she is really fresh and beautiful but as she gets a bit of use she will feel lived in, warm and alive.”

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BERTHON & SANDEMAN YACHTS – Our business is all about people… / Yacht Sales

July 7th, 2017

Berthon work closely with Barney Sandeman at the Sandeman Yacht Company , whom we regard as extended family.

Barney specialises in the sales of classic yachts and like us understands the importance of finding the right yacht for the right client. As yachtsmen’s requirements change through their yachting career, by working with Barney we are able to help whether she’s a classic, explorer yachts, ARC veteran or fast motor yacht.

We chat about the overlap –

For more information contact:  [email protected]

Search BerthonInternational.com

Gentlemen's Yacht : "Mingary" - Grace, Pace and Space

Lasse Johannsen

 ·  04.12.2022

Only a rickety plank of rough, untreated wood has to be crossed to get from Maasholm to Victorian England. If you want to travel back in time, you have to go to the Modersitzky boatyard. There they will discover a monumental rig consisting of two shiny honey-coloured masts at the water's edge and, as they approach the scenario, they will find themselves standing in front of "Mingary", a 20-metre gentlemen's yacht built in 1929.

Owner Christian Scheidtmann welcomes you on board. The passionate woodworker took the ship into his care in 2012 and gave it a new lease of life. It took the enthusiast just three years to comprehensively restore the mighty ship. Since 2015, "Mingary" has graced the waters of northern Germany in new splendour. Scheidtmann received the restoration prize for his work at the German Classics 2016 in Laboe. No other classic in the North German fleet represents the era of its Scottish designer Alfred Mylne and his contemporaries like "Mingary".

"Mingary" is an impressive appearance

"The yachts from the 1920s and 1930s have always fascinated me," says Scheidtmann. He has taken a seat in the deckhouse and talks enthusiastically about the picturesque Schleil landscape behind the large windows.

Her size alone - the hull measures more than 18 metres above deck - is awe-inspiring. Her lines are elegant and strong, as if she had just been completed. The deck is completely free except for the skylights and the man-high deckhouse, by which she is recognisable as a child of her time. Ships like this, says the owner, have been around for a hundred years and have always been admired for their appearance. "That's what fascinates me so much: that something was created with these yachts that has never lost its value." Unlike pieces of furniture, which are subject to fashion and only experience a renaissance with luck, the classics of the pre-war period have always found owners who have succumbed to their charm and have preserved the timeless work at great expense.

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From the windows, the view sweeps over the immaculate Burmese teak stave deck and the glossy lacquered surfaces of the gunwale and gunwale. "The 'Mingary' has always been cherished and cared for," says Scheidtmann, who takes obvious pleasure in continuing this task.

"Grace, Pace and Space" - Grace, speed and space

The 20 metre long cruiser yacht was built in 1929 for John and Alan McKean at Bute Slip Dock on the River Clyde in Scotland. Alfred Mylne's brother Charles had been running the joint shipyard on the island of Bute since 1911. From then on, it was the most important building site for the internationally operating designer. Located not far from his Glasgow office, he was able to see how his ideas were realised, develop new ones and influence the construction process.

His construction number 319 embodies Alfred Mylne's philosophy to perfection. "Grace, Pace and Space" - the designer believes that this triad contains everything that makes a cruising yacht for a gentleman. Their charisma should inspire you to treat them well. Effortlessly achievable speed should motivate people to sail her on voyages and regattas. A comfortable interior should ensure a sense of well-being on board.

Owner Christian Scheidtmann particularly appreciates another of his thoughts. "I've done a lot of research into Mylne and its philosophy," he says. Scheidtmann radiates calm as he talks in a gentle voice. Anyone sitting opposite the bearded guy on board can hardly imagine that someone like him would go to Mylne's office and commission a large cruiser yacht. An unpretentious guy who appears on board in carpenter's trousers rather than a white cap. And yet he is very much at home in Mylne's world of thought.

When the metre formula was developed in 1906, according to which it should finally be possible to race internationally, Mylne sat at the table - and observed in the following years how short-lived boat building became. The metre yachts that he elaborately constructs are sold again after just one season. This is a horror for the meticulous engineer.

"Mylne didn't want sailing to become so elitist," says Scheidtmann. "He wanted to create sustainable boats. And that's when he started designing the large cruiser yachts like 'Mingary'."

The designer was an unrecognised genius

The name Alfred Mylne stands for these ships like no other. However, the rest of his work was overshadowed during his lifetime by his rivals William Fife III and Charles Nicholson. In retrospect, however, Mylne is regarded by some as an unrecognised genius.

Alfred Mylne was born in 1872 and grew up in middle-class circumstances. He studied at the Technical University in Glasgow and joined the firm of designer George Lennox Watson in 1892. The boat builder founded the first yacht design office in the whole of Great Britain in 1873 and quickly gained an international reputation. His designs for the America's Cup ended up influencing the competition for decades. When Mylne approached him, Watson was busy designing the "HMY Britannia" for the future King Edward VII. Mylne nevertheless set up his own office, also in Glasgow, just four years later.

There are plenty of customers. Sailing is booming on the Clyde as a leisure activity for the burgeoning industrialised society. A wide variety of boats and yachts are being sailed, with local standardised classes, construction classes that demand a lot from the designer's skills, being extremely popular. William Fife III is already an established competitor on site, but chroniclers describe the co-operation as friendly.

While Fife designs his yachts intuitively in the old school, Mylne, who studied engineering, favours a scientific approach. His designs follow elaborate calculations, just as his role model Watson taught him. Despite the elegance of their lines, Mylne's cracks are fuller than those of his competitor Fife. And yet they are considered hard to beat.

Owner Christian Scheidtmann has a soft spot for classic yachts

Christian Scheidtmann still likes to demonstrate this almost one hundred years after the launch of his "Mingary" when he and his crew compete in classic regattas. They often sail to the top places in their group.

Sporty sailing is in Scheidtmann's blood. He discovered his passion for water sports as a teenager while windsurfing, to which he devoted everything for many years. After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, however, he set up his own business and from then on devoted himself entirely to working with wood. When a friend took him sailing for the first time, it was a wooden classic on which the craftsman immediately felt at home.

The first boat he owned was also a classic yacht. Scheidtmann discovers it here, at Modersitzky, when he visits friends and immediately falls in love with the picturesque place and the landscape of the Schleil. Another friend's project led Scheidtmann to Barney Sandeman shortly afterwards. The classic yacht broker from Poole in the south of England has a ship on offer that he is to help buy and transfer. "I stayed in touch with Barney," says Scheidtmann, who has been dreaming of carrying out a restoration project himself ever since.

"Mingary's" exciting life: Mallorca, the Caribbean, Sweden

One day, he learnt from Sandeman that "Mingary" was available. Until the mid-1960s, she was based in Greenock, a town on the Clyde estuary not far from where she was built, under various owners. At the beginning of the seventies, she was moored in Palma de Mallorca under the Panamanian flag. In the mid-1980s, she underwent a comprehensive refit including a new main mast and was transferred to the Caribbean, where she ran aground in Hurricane Emily, but was shipped back to her owner's home in the south of England and repaired.

The second maiden voyage to the Mediterranean took place in 1990, later "Mingary" sailed several summers in the western Swedish archipelago. Until Scheidtmann's previous owner commissioned a comprehensive restoration from Fairly Yachts in Southampton. However, the global economic crisis left him in a tailspin and he had to abandon the refit project.

The best that is possible from a boatbuilding point of view

Barney Sandeman advises Scheidtmann to take over the ship. This yacht was the best that was possible from a boatbuilding point of view. The hull is made of teak planks on mature oak frames, the metal fittings are all made of bronze, and everything is in absolutely original condition.

Scheidtmann takes a look at the ship, which has been gutted on land for two years, and has a great deal of respect. "I really didn't want to have such a big cruiser yacht. It could easily have overwhelmed me." He spent several months carefully calculating his own work, external labour, materials and time and finally contacted Will Stirling, an English wooden boat builder who had already inspected the ship. He looks at Scheidtmann's calculations and agrees. "He assessed the cost exactly as I did." Scheidtmann is convinced of his plan, buys the boat and has it shipped to the Schlei in May 2013.

The restoration succeeds faster than planned

The fact that he managed to beat the already ambitious plan in the first summer is thanks to the spirit and creativity of his colleagues: "I found people who were very keen on the project," says Scheidtmann, who hired employees from Modersitzky and from his own joinery, as well as the British Will Stirling, who brought another colleague with him.

"I planned every working day meticulously. If it's well prepared and logistically well thought out and the discipline is right and then you have people who are consistently enthusiastic about it, then you can achieve much, much more than you think. And that's what this summer was like." This spirit can still be felt today, Scheidtmann has captured it. In his Building diary shows in elaborate film sequences how the project gained momentum back then and how the launch finally took place in autumn 2013.

"My aim is to show what a fascination these boats have for people. Everyone saw it as their boat - and didn't work for me, but for the boat. And that's how incredible performance came about."

Hardly any other boat is as well preserved as the "Mingary"

Scheidtmann is able to acquire the original plans from the Mylne archive before work begins. He realises that the dismantled interior does not correspond to the original. The hull is different; even Will Stirling, who has been working on projects like this for years, said with fascination that he knew of no other boat that had been preserved in such an original state. "Not a single plank has ever been replaced. And everything was still in order, nothing was rotten anywhere."

Not a single plank was ever replaced. And everything was still in order."

Nevertheless, the work is quite a challenge. All 42 iron floor frames are removed, levelled to their original shape, recast in silicon bronze and reinstalled. The main frames in the area of the main mast and around half of all the bent-in secondary frames have fatigue fractures and are being replaced. "Mingary" gets new keel bolts made of bronze and a new mast track made of oak. Scheidtmann is sticking to Mylne's concept when choosing the materials, as it has meant that the wooden structure has not been damaged anywhere.

Outside, the hull is completely stripped, stripped above water, caulked under water and freshly painted. On deck, the gunwales and gunwales are largely replaced, the deck itself is refitted and the deckhouse removed for transport is refitted. All painted surfaces are stripped and rebuilt. Finally, a new engine foundation and the drive are put back into the ship, then it can go into the water. In the autumn, Scheidtmann transfers the restored hull to its former home in the Ruhr area and completely refits it in just one year, including modern technology.

In summer 2014, they return to Maasholm, where the rig is overhauled and "Mingary" is rigged up again. When he and his team set sail for the first time in October 2014, Scheidtmann says, everything worked perfectly. And nothing has changed since then.

"Mingary" finds her way alone

Meanwhile, the deck is a hive of activity. The crew has arrived, it's time to sail, a trim for another classic regatta. As tarpaulins are removed and stowed away, there is laughter and a cheerful atmosphere. "I never have problems finding a crew because everyone is always up for it. And it's extremely harmonious. I always say I don't do it, the boat does it. But some people say it's also you. It's both, probably. And there are always people who like each other."

He didn't have to say it. After leaving the Schlei, the large cruiser yacht is brought under sail and on course hand in hand. The short Baltic Sea wave is barely noticeable on deck; under the press of a fresh north-westerly wind, the old lady sets off with grandeur; and only a glance at the log reveals how fast she is going. The helmsman, however, only has a supporting role. "Mingary" finds her way effortlessly on her own and can be trimmed very evenly with the sails.

It could go on like this for days. However, Scheidtmann has not yet been able to go on any big trips. The odd week's holiday trip to the waters around Funen and Zealand - but a visit to Scotland, on the River Clyde, where his ship was built and has been at home for half of its life, will have to wait a little longer.

But he will definitely come one day, with Grace, Pace and Space.

Technical data "Mingary"

• Design engineer: Alfred Mylne
• Building yard: Bute Slip Dock
• Material: Teak on oak
• Total length: 20,7 m
• Length above deck: 18,3 m
• Waterline length: 12,5 m
• Width: 4,0 m
• Depth: 2,4 m
• Displacement: 21,8 t
• sail area: 142 square metres
• Motor: Mercedes OM 603
• Performance: 5 cylinders, 98 hp
• Further information: mingaryrestoring.wordpress.com

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Richard Donkin

In the week before next year’s America’s Cup in Bermuda , the biggest fleet of J-Class yachts assembled since the 1930s will gather and race off the islands in a reminder to modern crews that the world’s oldest sporting trophy was once contested by these ocean-going icons of sail.

Owning and running a J-Class yacht is beyond the pockets of most, but possession of a much-loved wooden boat can be achieved with more modest budgets. Indeed, only 30 or 40 years ago it was possible to find once-famous classics rotting in small creeks or converted into houseboats.

Many of the big classic yachts that survived the breakers yards have been restored in the intervening years. In the case of a wooden boat, this usually involves a complete rebuild. Some original features may be retained, but to make a boat seaworthy again generally means new wood.

“It’s the man hours that need to go in to them that soaks up much of the cost,” says Barney Sandeman, a broker who specialises in classic yachts. “A complete rebuild of a 60ft yacht with, say, eight shipwrights paid £30 an hour — that’s £30,000 a month just to keep the project moving forward and the rebuild could take two years.

“But once a classic yacht is fully restored, depending on size, it need not cost too much to run. The key is to make sure the yacht is properly surveyed.

“People who buy these boats, there’s something in their DNA. They’re going to have one, no matter what. It’s a passion, a love affair, almost a sickness for some. It’s not about the money but something far deeper than that.”

Julian Reid, an investment specialist, who bought and restored Dawn, a 1907 canoe-yawl, says that part of the passion is simply being on his boat. “I love to be working on the boat. Working on her is as satisfying as sailing her,” he says.

Restoring his yacht involved hours of archival research, going back to the earliest days of yacht racing in the UK. Canoe-profiled yachts — sometimes called “double-enders” were popular in 19th century racing. Gilbert Umfreville Laws, Dawn’s designer, won Olympic gold in yacht racing in 1908.

For some owners, it is not enough to own and cruise a classic yacht. They want to race them as well. One of the finest sights to grace the Mediterranean in recent years has been that of the 15m yachts contesting the Panerai series of classic yacht regattas.

The racing heyday of these yachts was at the beginning of the 20th century, just before the first world war. Unlike modern racers, they were built with finely-furnished living quarters to allow their owners, European royalty and business tycoons, to enjoy their yachts during the summer season.

Many of these classic racing pedigrees were built on the River Clyde from designs by William Fife & Sons. Today Fife yachts, with their distinctive serpent emblems — no motif is the same — are among the most highly prized of all classic yachts.

Fife faced stiff competition in the bigger boat market from Nathanael Herreshoff in the US and from another Glasgow business, GL Watson, a company responsible for some of the finest motor and sailing yachts in the prewar era. The company is still in business, relocated to Liverpool and run by William Collier, one of the world’s most respected yachting archivists.

Mr Collier spent time in his youth touring the old houseboats in East Anglia. Later, when working for Camper & Nicholsons, he was responsible for identifying and rescuing a number of historic yachts.

Today he is using the GL Watson archive to develop the business as a leading restorer of classic yachts. The company also offers management of new builds to original designs or designs based on modified originals.

They’re going to have one, no matter what. It’s a passion — a love affair Barney Sandeman

The pursuit of authenticity seems strongest in the US where some owners will even ask a restorer to recreate components that subsequently proved defective on the original boat.

“I saw a boat in New England recently built with its original defects in order to ensure maximum authenticity. It included a 1910 bilge pump and life-jackets made to their original designs,” says Rob Peake, editor of Classic Boat magazine. “The owner wants to sit on his boat and experience exactly what it felt like for its original owners all those years ago.”

Among the classic yachts for sale now is Manitou, a Sparkman & Stephens 62ft yawl, once owned by President John F Kennedy. Today the yacht is owned and raced by a syndicate that took her on as a five-year project.

“We find in this market that owners want a yacht with history,” says Mr Sandeman. “I’m not sniffy about the new yachts made to classic lines and held together with epoxy. They don’t have the same maintenance issues, but they don’t have the ghosts either.”

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Welcome to Sandeman’s Yachting Chronicles

A set of details, a description and some accompanying pictures may describe a yacht, her dimensions and her appearance, but somehow these always fail to capture the whole picture – the magic is missing.

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Second hand boats: buying a classic yacht

• Nigel Sharp
• January 10, 2022

Nigel Sharp on everything you need to consider when it comes to buying a classic second hand boat built from wood

Over the last three decades there has been a spectacular classic boat revival, resulting in – and further encouraged by – numerous classic boat regattas and rallies all over the world. Countless dayboats and yachts have been beautifully restored, which inevitably means there are now fewer ‘project boats’ on the market. Nonetheless, second-hand boats built from wood in a wide variety of conditions are still available. So if you’re tempted to buy a fixer-upper, or an already restored beauty, what should you bear in mind?

When contemplating buying a classic wooden yacht the initial considerations are no different to buying any other type of boat: be realistic and honest with yourself about how (and how often) you’ll use it, and with how many crew (experienced or otherwise).

Don’t buy a boat that’s too big or too small, thoroughly research the options for mooring and laying up wherever you hope to keep it and, perhaps most importantly in the case of a classic yacht, make sure you have access to skilled tradespeople to help you look after it.

The Voiles de Saint-Tropez is a popular event for owners and crews of classic yachts. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

The condition of second-hand wooden boats can vary massively, from those described as ‘fully restored’ to ‘in need of restoration’ as the extremes. Richard Gregson of brokers Wooden Ships comments that: “Most people should buy the best boat they can afford in the first place,” adding that they are “much better off buying a boat into which someone else has put all the money. Although she might look quite expensive, it will work out cheaper.”

But for some people – who have the relevant combination of time, money, aptitude and skills – it is the challenge of a project that draws them to a classic or wooden design.

Fully restored second hand boat?

Buyers should always be cautious of a yacht described as ‘fully restored’. “So many times I have seen boats advertised as such,” said Duncan Walker, formerly of Fairlie Restorations and now building the Fairlie range of modern classic yachts, “but in reality it can often mean the boat has been cosmetically refitted, perhaps with a new deck but otherwise just new electronics, furnishings and a coat of varnish. Nobody looked at the structure because they were afraid of it.”

This emphasises the vital importance of a survey. “We try very hard to provide buyers with a boat’s refit history,” said Barney Sandeman of brokers Sandeman Yacht Company, “but it is up to them to get to the bottom of the actual condition and what might need doing. We can recommend some very good surveyors with particular expertise in wood, but it’s the buyers’ call who to use.”

One of the surveyors on Sandeman’s list is Will Stirling, who also runs his own boatyard in Plymouth. “People often ask for a ‘cheap walkthrough’,” he told me. “But I always say that there’s only one grade of survey, which is a full condition survey. It wouldn’t benefit either of us not to do it thoroughly.”

The cosy and beautifully crafted interior of the fully restored Bermudan cutter Farida.

A surveyor will essentially be looking out for structural issues, areas of decay and the condition of systems. Generally, structural defects are more likely to be found where repairs have been made rather than in the original build.

One common example of this, Stirling finds, is with the spacing of butt joints in hull planking. Most builders of wooden boats would have followed Lloyds rules with regard to this, but if repairs have been carried out good boatbuilding practices may well have been ignored.

Decay is most likely to result from poor ventilation and fresh water ingress. Typical areas where rainwater might get in include chainplates, bulwark stanchions, mast gates and deck seams, from which any amount of hull and deck damage might result.

Article continues below…

Second hand boats: is a 10-year-old yacht the best age?

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Hidden talents: Inside the traditional boatbuilding yards of British Columbia

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Poorly sealed shower compartments are another area that often leads to problems. In the case of a boat with a laid deck over a plywood subdeck, water penetration through the seams can easily lead to rot in the plywood which might remain unnoticed for a significant length of time.

Problems can also arise where metal and wood are in contact with each other. The extent of this will vary according to timber species and metal type, but a particularly common issue is caused when the galvanising on a steel or iron bolt has slowly worn away, resulting in rust reacting badly with the tannic acid in oak frames.

These issues can be exaggerated when larger pieces of metal, such as frames in the case of composite construction, come into contact with timber.

The epoxy fix?

The use of epoxy on a wooden second hand boat can be contentious. “There is a place for epoxy and it’s often used in a way that is helpful to owners and boatbuilders,” said Sandeman, “but it can be the kiss of death if all you are doing is encapsulating a rotten old boat.”

Stirling believes problems often stem from the fact that modern owners expect an immaculate paint finish, which is usually achieved with epoxies and two pack paints. “But if you mix an organic material like timber with an inorganic material like epoxy, it’s going to cause you grief,” he said. “And it makes surveying really difficult because you cannot find out what’s going on underneath it.”

Informal Saturday Hamble Classics races take place on Southampton Water. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Gregson agrees that “it’s generally a big alarm bell” when a boat has been sheathed in epoxy, but he does recall a rotten boat whose hull and deck were completely encased in epoxy 30 years ago when the only alternative was to break her up.

“We have sold her half a dozen times since,” he said. “Everyone knows she’s festering away inside under the epoxy but she’s had another 30 years of sailing which she wouldn’t have otherwise had.”

In more recent years, epoxy has often been used to great effect with new builds, whether the hull construction is strip planked, cold moulded or a combination of the two. Strip planked construction is often billed as being suitable for amateur builders, but Walker advises that “the process of building a strip planked boat should be carried out to the same level of skill as any other wooden boat.”

He is not alone in thinking that some hulls built this way are to a poor standard, in particular that they sometimes lack adequate framework on the inside or glass and/or veneers on the outside.

The 1939 35ft Laurent Giles Bermudan cutter Farida has undergone a full five-year rebuild and is currently on the market for £250,000.

But despite what might seem like a lot of negatives, it should be borne in mind that on a wooden boat, in particular a traditionally built plank-on-frame boat, everything can be repaired. And there are plenty of skilled craftsmen available to do the work.

“That’s the wonderful thing about wooden boats,” said Stirling. “It’s just a question of how deep you want to put your hand in your pocket. The important thing is for a potential buyer to have an idea what needs doing and what it might cost.”

In very broad terms when considering a hull, planking is relatively easy to repair and replace, frames less so (especially steel frames, in the case of composite construction), while centreline components cause the most difficulty because of the need to support the boat without distorting it in the process.

But perhaps the most important thing in the boat buying process, thinks Walker, “is that buyers should use their heads and not their hearts. So many people fall in love with a boat and then buy something entirely unsuitable for their pocket or their experience.”

Attitudes towards wooden boat ownership have changed over the years. “When my father started selling them 50 years ago the perception was: ‘Oh dear, those poor people have got a horrible wooden boat as they obviously can’t afford GRP’,” recalls Gregson. “But now it is more like: ‘They must be doing all right for themselves, they have a lovely wooden boat!’”

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Vintage 41m Fife gaff-rigged schooner Altair on the market

The vintage 40.8-metre gaff-rigged schooner Altair has been listed for sale with Barney Sandeman of Sandeman Yacht Company, who describes her as, "arguably the boat that started the classic yacht revival of the past 30 years with her restoration in 1987 by Southampton Yacht Services ".

Designed by William Fife Junior ("III") and built on the Clyde by William Fife & Son, Fairlie , the teak-on-oak schooner was launched in May 1931. She underwent another restoration at Fairlie Restorations in the UK from 2007 to 2008, under Lloyd's supervision, and a further refit in New Zealand from 2020 to 2022.

Sandeman pointed out that "her dimensions have allowed for the modern comforts that a smaller classic will not, all discreetly concealed and allowing her to cruise anywhere". The air-conditioned original French polished walnut interior has authentic, original panelling, door furniture and bathroom fittings from 1931. Accommodation includes an owner's suite, guest VIP suite, small double cabin, two guest single cabins, a skipper's cabin and crew quarters for seven.

From the spacious deckhouse, situated above the engine room, companionway steps descend to a corridor from which the principal accommodation is accessed. A doorway forward opens to the main saloon that is panelled and magnificently furnished with seating both sides, cabinets and a dining table to starboard. On deck, a varnished teak table can seat up to 10 for a formal meal.

Displacing 155 tonnes, the yacht for sale boasts a 275hp Gardner turbo diesel, fitted in 1987, giving her a maximum speed of 9 knots under power. She is one of the few classic yachts afloat with unbroken Lloyd's classification, having passed her survey in 2021.

Her tenders include an original 6.4-metre, Fife clinker teak launch from 1931, with a 12hp inboard engine, as well as a 1987 J Perry copy of her original 4.3-metre clinker wooden tender. A 4.8-metre Ribtech with 150hp outboard, from 2018, completes the inventory.

Lying in Spain, Altair is asking €6,500,000.

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Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors

Table of contents

Click on page to stop it.

 Exploring the world’s mysteries of from the deck of a small sailboat propelled by the wind under the influence of your own wits and skills, is the most magnificent of personal accomplishments. Amateur ocean sailing developed during the first half of the 20th century and reached its peak during the two decades after WWII. Then, mass-marketed boats subtly undercut the bond between the sailor and his boat. The sport lost its meaning. 

Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors explores the quiet counter-revolution to mass-production boats--enabled by cold-molding and the epoxy bonding of wood--which has presented an opportunity for sailors to re-bond with their craft.

Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors begins with a history of ocean sailing. Then it delves into the sciences of material and structure to demonstrate the advantages of wood as a boat building material. It climaxes with the description of a new way for building wood boats that are beautiful, performing and long lasting. An afterword describes use of the new technique to restore traditionally built wood boats that are failing, yet too precious to abandon. 

For sailors, Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors is a celebration of their quest. For builders, Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors offers new techniques for economically building ocean going boats. For designers, Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors offers inspiration to remember, reflect and refine their designs to meet requirements of the sea overlooked in the rush to modernity. 

For the craftsman, the short appendix concerning use of the tape measure, by itself, will earn for them the cost of the book.

Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors will delight and inform the sailor, the boat builder, the yacht designer; and bring joy to those who love beautiful sailboats.

WOOD  is  GOOD​

What the critics say: 

Dear Alfie: I received my copy of Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors and I have devoured it! Interesting stuff--and so much there for novice and expert alike. It was inspiring for me to learn about your thinking in regard to the build of wooden boats and how it came about through time spent sailing timber yachts across oceans…really sailing them that is! Your appreciation and understanding of wooden boats is music to my ears – your treatment for building and repair through cold-molding makes a lot of sense. I do totally see why taking a vintage yacht to bits piece by piece only to replace the old fabric with a new boat is ultimately just replication--and to spend time enjoying the ‘original’ article with her soul and patina intact is a different experience…

I do, of course, believe this book will make interesting reading for anybody considering the purchase of a wooden boat--or anyone who has spent time around them.

--Barney Sandeman, Classic yacht broker, Devon, England

 **********

Wooden Boats for Blue Water Sailors is a clear, well-illustrated text book on building a seaworthy boat of cold-molded wood. If I were not retired from the business of publishing good books on boatbuilding, I would be proud and happy to have published it. But this book is more than that, for Alfie Sanford, who brought us the famous Alerion Class Sloop , Captain Nat Herreshoff’s personal sailboat, also shares his lifetime experience at sea in sailing yachts. He’s been out there and knows what is needed in a boat. Reading about his cruises and his philosophy of seamanship is not only vitally educational, but also most enjoyable.

--Roger C. Taylor, former president of International Marine Publishing Co.

If your local bookstore does not have it,  ask them, "Why not?"

or order from :

The Sale of Gitana IV Sailing Yacht

• Sailing for Life

The Gitana IV has been sold to a buyer with the introduction done by Barney Sandeman representing the Sandeman Yacht Company. This classic sailing yacht of 27.58 meters was listed for sale by Horsley at the Edmiston and Company. The Gitana IV was structured by the well-known yard from Italy, Sangermani, famous for its in-house design of yachts. It was built entirely of planks made of mahogany on Iroko frames.

It was delivered for the first time like a classic yawl in the year 1962. This yacht is renowned because she was commissioned by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. She also won various regattas which include the Fastnet Race. She made a record at that race that was unbroken for more than 19 years.

She is one of the most comfortable yachts , in spite of her pedigree for races. It has three cabins that can accommodate six guests. The cabins consist of two suites for VIPs and a master suite. All of the cabins have twin beds and shower facilities inside. The dining table that is there at the yacht’s main saloon deck, six guests can sit comfortably on three sides of it in a half-circle. The couches are all covered with designer cloth. The table offers various storage spaces, an ice maker, a center for entertainment, and bookshelves.

The most important mast of the yacht was replaced in the year 2010 and the mizzen and the boom mast were painted and overhauled again at that time. All the supporting rods and their associated screws were changed in addition to the masts at the same time. The top speed that she has is 10.5 knots and offers a maximum cruise range of 600 nautical miles at 9.5 knots. Her power comes from a Lugger 340hp 6125A engine that is run on diesel.

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