Classic Kidby Oyster Smack CK348 for sale in Essex United Kingdom

Wooden Ships Comments on this Kidby Oyster Smack CK348

Kidby Oyster Smack built in Brightlingsea on 1907. One of only 2 remaining Kidby & Sons boats still sailing.

Fishing number CK348, which denotes her registration in Colchester Creek.

Complete professional rebuild in Maldon completed in 2003 with all new planking, frames and deck.

In current ownership since 2010, she has been thoroughly upgraded with new spars, sails and rigging, engine installation and a new interior. In the present ownership My Alice has been raced regularly and successfully with the east coast Smack fleet, known to be a fast boat and one to beat.

The engine installation comprises a main engine with hydraulic drives to a separate leg and propeller each side. This set up has minimal impact on her sailing performance but allows for excellent close quarter handling with 2 widely spaced propellers.

A very impressive smack in fine fettle, only offered for sale due to the owner's health.

2024 survey report available.

Registered with National Historic Ships.

Length on Deck: 46’

Length Overall: 68’

Beam: 11’7”

Draft: 6’

History

My Alice was built by Kidby & Sons in Brightlingsea to the order of Captain Fred Stokes of Tollesbury. Stokes was a local fisherman and one of the many sailors from this area of the country who were employed during the summer season to race the big J-class yachts on the south coast of England and beyond.

Stokes became a successful racing skipper in the big class yachts, earning himself a good deal of prize money on top of his wages. Between 1905 and 1908, he earned as much as £100 per season in prize money, plus wages of £3/week. This was the equivalent to the price of a good house which gave him enough money to commission his own smack to his own specification.

Stokes knew what he wanted, a racing smack that would be able to fish but could be pushed hard with excellent performance. Her lines are exquisite with a very elegant counter that is slightly narrower than many of her contemporaries. Her underwater sections have a smooth run aft, good hull form midships and fine fore sections with good bite for windward work.

My Alice was his pride and joy and as known from the beginning as a fast boat, but she was also a very successful fishing vessel. In 1930 she broke the record with 130 barrels of sprats caught in one tide with a single net. It is thought she still holds this record.

Between 1993 – 2001, My Alice was completely rebuilt by a yard in Maldon with 3 highly respected shipwrights, led by Brian Kennell, working on her. All the frames, planking and deck was renewed with little of the original structure left. This work was well documented.

Construction Hull

Carvel planked in larch all galvanised nail fastened to heavy sawn oak frames.

Frames are constructed from futtocks bolted together with galvanised coach bolts.

Opepe keel new in the rebuild.

12 tons of internal ballast in the form of concrete and lead pigs.

Decks and Cockpit

Complete new deck structure of oak deck beams on a hardwood beamshelf.

Deck is 2 layers of marine plywood, total thickness of 1.5”, epoxy bonded together and screw fastened to the deck beams. Sheathed externally in epoxy glass cloth and finished with non-slip deck paint.

Oak covering boards with the plywood rebated into them to keep a secure and water tight join.

Bulwarks all round on oak stanchions which are mounted through the oak covering board in the traditional manner. Approximately 20 stanchions replaced in 2023 with new bulwark planking and capping rails.

Superstructure

2 small deck structures in way of the old fish hold hatches.

Oak comings, painted inside and out with sheathed plywood decks.

Rig

Powerful gaff cutter rig on a keel stepped hollow spar from Noble Spars, new in 2016 and finished with Allwood.

All other spars in varnished douglas fir or spruce, boom, gaff and bowsprit. All new in last 7 years.

Spruce topmast from Noble Spars in 2019. Can be lowered to reduce overall air draught.

2 x alloy whisker poles.

Galvanised wire standing rigging with dead eyes and lanyards to external galvanised chain plates.

Sympathetic but extensive use of dyneema to aid rig handling.

All traditional wooden blocks.

Sails

All sails in very good condition. Mainsail, topsail, staysail, jib, jib topsail, watersail/storm jib, small ballon jib, large ballon jib, No.2 staysail and No.2 jib.

Most sails new in 2019 and used only occasionally.

Machinery Engine

Volvo Penta D3-55 55hp 4cyl engine installed new in 2011 by French Marine. Less than 900 hours use.

Engine is installed athwartships under the aft deck and is connected to a hydraulic pump powering twin propellers mounted on slim bronze legs on each quarter.

Legs are Parker Hannefin saildrives.

Brunton folding propellers.

This set up allows incredible manoeuvrability in close quarters and gives her a cruising speed of 7 knots.

Tanks

Vetus plastic diesel tank of 60 litres.

Flexible water tank of approximately 100 litres.

Batteries and Electrics

212 x volt 110ah batteries for engine starting and domestic use.

Charging through engine alternator or Sterling 240 volt battery charger when connected to shore power.

Small solar panel on deck.

Accommodation

The interior is all new from the last 10 years and was designed to allow a full race crew to stay aboard in comfort during regatta periods.

Berths and Headroom

933 berths including doubles and singles in the saloon.

General Description

Companion steps down into the interior. Engine behind the steps under the aft deck.

Large double berth either side.

Fold down chart desk on forward bulkhead to starboard. Hanging locker to port.

Port side passageway going forward into the main saloon.

Single settee berth port side, central saloon table and full length settee on the starboard side of the saloon giving 2 single berths.

Galley in forward port corner of the saloon.

Starboard side passageway going forward into the forepeak with heads compartment to starboard.

Forepeak has a large double berth to port. Anchor chain box on the cabin sole, storage space for warps etc on starboard side.

Galley

Nelson Spinflo 2 burner cooker with oven and grill. Single stainless sink with hot and cold pressurised water.

12 volt fridge in a pull out drawer under the worktop.

Heads

Jabsco manual sea toilet discharges directly overboard.

Equipment

• Steering compass
• TackTick Maxi display unit
• 3 x TackTick MN 100-2 display instruments
• TackTick Micronet remote
• Boat wide wireless network for NMEA data
• ICOM IC-M323 DSC VHF
• EPIRB
• Jackstays
• Fire blanket
• 2 x fire extinguishers
• 1 auto electric bilge pump
• Bilge/deck wash pump
• 1000w sinewave inverter
• Sterling 240 volt battery charger
• Galvanic isolator
• 2 x 12 volt batteries
• Bunk and berth cushions
• Jabsco sea toilet
• Nelson Spinflo galley cooker
• 6kg Gas bottle
• 12 volt fridge
• Mooring warps
• Fenders
• Manual barrel windlass
• Fishermans anchor
• 30m x ½” anchor chain
• Mainsail
• Topsail
• Staysail
• Working jib
• Jib topsail
• Small ballon jib
• Large masthead ballon jib
• No.2 jib
• No.2 staysail
• Watersail/storm jib
• Full winter cover, new 2023