40ft. CORNISH KETCH MOTOR-SAILER – St Ives – 1922 – Lying: Imperia
Built in 1922 in St Ives by P P Landers and launched in May of that year as a fishing vessel, BEN MY CHREE (Manx for Girl of My Heart) registered number SS139 for Richard Boase. Fished out of St Ives until the late 1930s then sold in to private ownership to Bernard Wilkinson of Keward House, Hampshire. Converted to a private, twin screw motor yacht and registered as SUNGEI. After Bernard’s death in 1955 the executors sold the vessel to Mr & Mrs Anthony Somers. At this time Parnhams Yacht Builders of Emsworth converted SUNGEI to a ketch motor sailer and fitted the present BMC diesel engine. SUNGEI was then moved up to London. In the early 1960s Mr & Mrs David Odell were living aboard at Richmond Bridge Moorings in Surrey. By 1966 Mr & Mrs John Edwards of Liverpool had bought SUNGEI keeping her for two decades in Worcester Yacht Basin. During one of their Summer cruises down channel in 1971 the boat was photographed for the front cover of Practical Boat Owner magazine. In new ownership SUNGEI was taken through the French Canals to the Cote de Azure and later down the coast to Imperia. The current owner bought the boat in 2014 and re-named her LITTLE BEN MY CHREE.
Inch pitch pine planked hull on oak frames. Teak superstructure and wheelhouse. Sheathed decks. Traditional teak and mahogany fitted interior with large saloon have settees to starboard converting to large double berth. Sideboard, lockers and glazed cabinet to port. Book shelving. Full Width Galley with four ring electric cooker, microwave, sink unit to port, fridge, pantry and crockery lockers. Pressurised fresh water system with two tanks, capacity 310 litres in total. Shower and heads compartment with electric wc. Fore Cabin with double and single berth to port and starboard, forward heads compartment and chain locker. Wheelhouse with central helm, side deck doors and aft seating/dinette.
90hp BMC DIESEL ENGINE, fully re-built with re-ground crankshaft, new pistons, new liners, new head, new water pump. New propeller shaft and new propeller. 360 litres fuel capacity in two tanks. Three 12 volt batteries. 240 volt shore power. 3.6 kw GENERATOR serviced 2021.
KETCH CUTTER RIG with deck stepped spruce masts, tan sails.
INVENTORY:
VHF Sailor 144C radio, Furono GPS, Neco Auto Pilot, Sestrel Compass, Raymarine Sounder, Raymarine Depth/Speed Log
Electric Windlass with CQR anchor and 50 metres of chain.
Passerelle, bathing ladder, four life jackets, fenders, warps, flares, two bilge pumps.
Zodiac four-person Tender
BROKERS NOTE:
A proper little ship, Cornish built and professionally converted in the 1940s/50s with traditional interior. Proven long distance cruising yacht with ample provision for living aboard as a floating ‘holiday villa’ in the Med or for coastal cruising adventures. An historic vessel and one of only a few former St Ives fishing vessels still remaining from close to a century ago.
GUIDE: £17,500
LYING: Imperia
VIEWING: Through CLASSIC YACHT BROKERAGE
Disclaimer DISCLAIMER: Classic Yacht Brokerage offer the details and photographs of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information or images or warrant the condition of the vessel, machinery or rig. Buyers should instruct their representative, agents or their surveyors to investigate such details as the buyer requires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
