Wooden Ships Comments on this 8 Ton Hillyard Sloop
28’6” 8 ton Hillyard, designed and built by Hillyards in 1967.
She was built for the present owners father but sadly he passed away the year after she was launched, so the current owner has had the boat since 1968. Sadly health issues mean a new custodian is being sought.
Hillyards were one of the most prolific yards in the UK and produced a vast number of yachts during the time they operated. The ‘8 ton’ refers to the Thames Tonnage of the yacht, a measure of useable interior volume.
Nicely maintained, this boat has 4 single berths and 6’ headroom with a separate heads compartment.
Length on deck 28’6”
Beam 8’7”
Draft 3’
Thames Tonnage 8TM
Construction
- A hard chine hull found in some of David hillayrds later boats, offering better internal volume for the length. She has small bilge keels allowing her to dry out with ease.
- Carvel planked in mahogany all copper rivet fastened to steam bent oak timbers.
- External cast iron ballast keel with new keel bolts in 2007. Internal lead trimming ballast.
- Steel plate bilge keels with new bolts in 2022.
- Sawn timber floors across the centreline.
- Original T&G pine decks sheathed in epoxy glass cloth and finished in non-slip deck paint.
- Mahogany toe rails all round.
- Varnished mahogany coachroof coamings with a T&G coachroof deck, now sheathed in Cascover. Varnished mahogany grab rails.
- Large non-self draining cockpit with varnished mahogany thwarts and coamings.
- New stainless steel rudder hangings in 2021.
Rig
- Bermudan sloop rig on a deck stepped varnished wooden mast set in a tabernacle on the coachroof.
- Varnished wooden slab reefing boom.
- 7×7 galvanised wire standing rigging to internal galvanised chain plates. Standing rigging replaced as necessary.
- Mainsail and Headsail from Batt Sails. Hardly used and in good condition. All new in 2018.
- Hanked on headsail.
Machinery
- BMC 4cyl diesel fresh water cooled diesel. Full overhaul in 2007.
- Shaft drive to a centreline fixed 3 blade bronze propeller, gives 5 knots cruising speed. New propeller shaft in 2021.
- Steel fuel tank in the cockpit locker.
- 2 x 12 volt 120ah batteries charged from the engine alternator.
- Galvanised water tank.
Accommodation
- 4 berths with 6’ headroom in the main cabin.
- Port side companion steps down into the main cabin. Chart area to port, central engine box and starboard side quarter berth.
- Single settee berth to port.
- Galley in forward port corner of the saloon. Flavel Wayfarer 2 burner gas stove with oven and grill. Fold down work tops to the port hand side. Galley supplies storage to starboard under the deckhead. Sink with manually pumped water.
- Port side passageway moving forward, heads to starboard with a Jabsco manual sea toilet. Stainless steel hand basin to port with manually pumped fresh water.
- Forecabin has 2 single V-berths with forehatch over.
Equipment
- Steering compass
- Walker log
- Seafarer Depth sounder
- Barometer
- Nav lights
- Autohelm autopilot
- Whale auto electric bilge pump
- Manual bilge pump
- Radar reflector
- Flavel Wayfarer gas stove
- Jabsco sea toilet
- Stainless hand basin
- Bunk and berth cushions
- Mainsail by Batt Sails
- Headsail by Batt Sails
- Mainsail cover
- Pair of Tufnel cockpit sheet winches
- 2 x 12 volt batteries
- BMC inboard engine
- 2 x CQR anchors with chain and warp
- Warps
- 5 fenders
- Sprayhood
- Cockpit cover
- Full winter cover
