Wooden Ships Comments on this David Cheverton Danegeld
Designed and built by David Cheverton in 1958. This is the first of the Danegeld class.
The commissioning owner was Bobby Lowein, a champion helmsman of the time. His brief to Cheverton was ‘design me a yacht which will look well, sail well and be easily handled by two men, yet able to sleep five.’ The resulting design was Danegeld, and as proclaimed by the yachting press of the time, she proved to be something of a ‘wonder boat’because of her performance. Out of 20 starts in the 1959 season she gained 14 1sts, a 2nd and 4 thirds. She also won the Golden Roman Bowl in the Round the Island Race and her class in the Fastnet of that year. In 1960 she was shipped to Bermuda to take part in the Bermuda Race and then on a TransAtlantic race to Sweden.
She was voted Yacht of the Year in 1959 and Cheverton launched the Danegeld Class off the back of the success of this yacht.
The yacht has been in the same family ownership since 1979, and has been used for local cruising and racing in the Solent, being a frequent participant in British Classic Yacht Club regattas.
In 2016, the rig was replaced entirely with new mast, boom and rigging. The hull was strengthened in way of the mast with some expertly engineered bronze floors under the mast step to strengthen the hull.
In 2023 a new Yanmar 29hp engine was installed.
This incredibly elegant yacht oozes pedigree and provenance, her racing record speaking for itself. She has been well maintained in the present ownership, upgraded as necessary and kept in fine seagoing condition
Excellent 2024 survey available.
Length on deck 35’5”
Length Waterline 24’
Beam 9’7”
Draft 5’6”
Thames Tonnage 10TM
Construction
- Carvel planked in African mahogany of 1”.
- Copper rivet fastened to steam bent oak timbers of 2” x 2” at 8” centres. Several larger section sawn oak frames for strength.
- External lead ballast keel of 2.5 tons fastened with bronze bolts. Keel bolts new in 2016.
- Mix of sawn oak and bronze strap floors across the centreline. The bronze straps are in way of the mast step and were all new in 2016. Bronze throat bolts through the floors.
- Yacht laid solid teak deck screw fastened to the deck beams and joggled to a king plank. Varnished teak covering board and toe rail.
- Varnished teak cochroof coamings with chromed bronze portlights. Sheathed T&G coachroof deck.
- Self draining cockpit with varnished teak coamings and scrubbed teak thwarts. Scrubbed teak cockpit sole grating.
Rig
- The whole rig was completely new in 2016. This is a higher aspect rig design compared to her original rig.
- Masthead Bermudan sloop rig on a keel stepped alloy AllSpars mast.
- Slab reefing Selden alloy boom.
- Stainless steel standing rigging, new in 2016, to internal bronze chain plates.
- Furlex 200S roller furling headsail system.
- Halyards and control lines are led aft to the cockpit with jammers and winches.
- Pair of Lewmar 44ST Primary cockpit sheet winches
- Pair of Lewmar 40ST secondary cockpit sheet winches.
- Pair of Anderson 12ST halyard winches on the coachroof with jamming cleats.
- Mainsail, 2 x genoas, cruising genoa and spinnaker all new from Kemp Sails in 2012. Various older sails. All in excellent condition.
- Carbon fibre spinnaker pole.
Machinery
- Yanmar 3YM30AE 29hp diesel engine installed new in 2023.
- AquaDrive coupling to a centreline 3 blade feathering propeller.
- Stainless steel fuel tank under the saloon settee berth.
- 3 x 12 volt batteries including 2 x 50ah gel batteries for domestic supply and separate engine start battery.
- Shore power system with a Merlin 30amp installed battery charger
- 2 x manual bilge pumps and 1 x auto electric bilge pump.
Accommodation
- 6 x single berths with headroom of 6’3” in the saloon.
- Steps down over the engine box with galley to port and chart desk to starboard.
- Galley has a Plastimo Neptune 2500 gas stove. Gas system recently replaced. Single stainless steel sink.
- Main cabin with a single settee berth either side and a pull out pilot berth each side above the settee.
- Starboard side passage going forward with heads compartment to port. Heads has a manual Jabsco sea toilet which discharges directly overboard. Hanging locker to starboard opposite the heads.
- Forecabin with 2 single V berths and forehatch over.
Equipment
- Silva steering compass
- 2 x Airmar triducers with auto switch over.
- B&G log and sounder
- Standard Horizon GX220E DSC VHF with AIS
- B&G Vulcan 9 chart plotter
- Avon 4 person liferaft
- 6 x lifejackets
- 2 x lifebuoys
- Coastal flare pack
- 2 x manual bilge pumps
- 1 x auto electric bilge pump
- 2 x 12.5kg CQR anchor with 10 fathoms of 9mm chain
- Fenders
- Warps
- Pair of Lewmar 44ST Primary cockpit sheet winches
- Pair of Lewmar 40ST secondary cockpit sheet winches
- Pair of Anderson 12ST halyard winches on the coachroof with jamming cleats
- Furlex 200S roller furling headsail
- Carbon fibre spinnaker pole
- Mainsail 1 Kemp Sails 240sqft 2012 Excellent condition
- Mainsail 2 Ratsey 230sqft 2000 Excellent condition
- No.1 Genoa Kemp 307sqft 2012 Excellent condition
- No.2 Genoa Kemp 210sqft 2012 Excellent condition
- No.3 Genoa Sanders 180sqft 2016 Excellent condition
- Cruising Genoa Kemp 280sqft 2012 Excellent condition
- Spinnaker 1 Sanders 846sqft 2000 Excellent condition
- Spinnaker Kemp 750sqft 2012 Excellent condition
- 2 x 50ah batteries
- 1 engine start battery
- Merlin 30amp 240 volt battery charger
