Francis Jones Sloop, Designer: Francis Jones, Builder: Percy M. See, Year: 1963, Location N. Ireland, Length on deck: 31'6", Beam: 8'2", Draft: 6'2", £23,000, REF: 6009, Full Specification, Wooden Ships Comments, We often find boats that have been in long ownership, but it is rare that after 40 years the boats are as tidy, smart and well looked after as this one.
Francis Jones Sloop, Designer: Francis Jones, Builder: Percy M. See, Year: 1963, Location N. Ireland, Length on deck: 31'6", Beam: 8'2", Draft: 6'2", £23,000, REF: 6009, Full Specification, Wooden Ships Comments, We often find boats that have been in long ownership, but it is rare that after 40 years the boats are as tidy, smart and well looked after as this one. Everywhere you look there is evidence of the present owners continual desire to improve and update the boat with ingenious pieces of design which can only come out of owning and sailing a boat consistently for many years. The boat has been impeccably maintained every year throughout this ownership and appears to be in super condition. There is an enormous amount of space below for a small yacht and her lines give her great performance both on and off the wind. With the benefit of continual maintenance and updating including a brand new engine, this is a super boat for the cruising couple or young family. Priced very sensibly due to advancing years of the present owner, he would rather see her go to a good home and get back on the water rather than sitting in a shed. Construction, Hull, Planked in Larch below the waterline, mahogany above, all copper rivet fastened to Canadian Rock Elm timbers at 6” centres. All seams are caulked and splined. 2 ton lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts. Galvanised steel strap floors with galvanised bolts all replaced Decks and cockpit, ½” marine plywood deck screw fastened to larch deck beams. Deck is sheathed in canvas and painted with non-slip deck paint. Bronze deck fittings including cleats and fairleads. Self draining cockpit is large for a boat of this size with a mainsheet track splitting the helmsman from the crew. Wheel steering with a Whitlock Cobra solid link system fitted in 1992. Varnished teak duckboards on the cockpit sole and the thwarts. Steep angled drains on all locker lids to stop any ingress of water which is very rarely seen. Superstructure, Solid mahogany coachroof coamings, varnished inside but finished with gloss paint outside. Low coachroof forward coming aft of the mast with a raised doghouse aft to give a massive amount of headroom below. Aluminium framed windows in the doghouse. Aluminium forehatch on the forward end with varnished teak handrails and sliding companion hatch. Rig, Bermudan sloop on a deck stepped hollow Douglas Fir mast. Solid varnished spruce boom with Gibb worm roller reefing system. Solid varnished spruce spinnaker pole. Standing rigging all 1 x 19 stainless steel. Twin spreader set up. Twin lowers, single intermediate and single cap shroud. Twin backstays. Furlex 200S roller reefing system on the forestay fitted in 2000. Removable inner forestay. Lewmar captive wire halyard winches for mainsail and genoa, Winches, Primaries are Lewmar 40 two speed, Secondary’s are Lewmar 20 two speed, Single Lewmar 8 single speed halyard winch on the mast. Sails, All sails by Gowan, Mainsail Fair condition, Genoa excellent condition, Lightweight Genoa Fair condition, No.1 hanked jib Good condition, No.2 hanked jib Good condition, Spinnaker in spee squeezer Good condition, Reaching spinnaker in spee squeezer good condition, Trysail excellent condition, Storm jib excellent condition, Machinery, Engine, Beta Marine BD1005 3cyl 28hp diesel, installed new in 2007 with new engine beds, shaft stern gear and prop. Only 120 hours from new. Hurth gearbox and vetus Bullflex coupling to stainless steel shaft with a Gori folding 15” x 10” prop. Cruising speed 6 kts, max of 7 kts. 24 hours steaming at cruising speed. Batteries, Pair of 100ah batteries charged from the 70amp alternator with separate isolator switches to control which battery gets charged. Tanks, Pair of stainless steel fuel tanks, one each side beneath the cockpit have 4.5 gallons each. Supply can be set from either or both tanks. Single 18 gallon steel water tank with electric pressure pump feed. Accommodation, Berths, 5 berths including a fold out double on starboard side of saloon. Twin V-berths in the fore cabin, single settee berth to port in saloon. Starboard is usually a single but can be folded into a double very easily. Saloon, Enormous headroom of over 7’ in the saloon. Chart desk is in aft port corner with a seat facing aft. Ample space for navigation in this day and age. Main saloon is spacious with high backed settee berths and plenty of storage lockers. Saloon table stows on the aft side of the door to the forepeak and can easily be removed and dropped into place when required. Yet another ingenious feature thought up by the present owner after years of sailing her. Passageway going forward with heads compartment and hanging locker. Forepeak has V-berths with good length and anchor locker beyond, forehatch over. Heads, Heads compartment located in the passageway going forward to starboard. Baby Blake sea toilet pumps directly overboard. Pull out s/s hand basin above drains into the bowl. Galley, Galley is at the aft end of the saloon. Neptune 2 burner hob and grill to starboard with a single stainless steel sink aft of this. Separate gas oven installed to port. Many clever features introduced in the present long ownership including extra fold out work surface space and a rack system for all the crockery that drains to the sink outlet so there is no need to do the drying after washing up. Equipment, Sestrel steering compass, Nad hand bearing compass, NASA Stingray depth sounder with twin transducers and pendulum change over, Dancom RT408 VHF, Navtex, Furuno GP35 GPS, Autohelm 3000 with remote control, Bulkhead tidal clock, Large array of charts, tidal atlas’s and pilot books. 4 man Liferaft, Flare pack, Life ring with strobe light, Safety harness, 2 x lifejackets, Auto riding light, Torches and search light, Radar reflector, Bolt cutters, 2 x powder fire extinguishers, Fire blanket, Gas alarm, Carbon monoxide alarm, Danforth 35lb with 150’ chain, CQR 20lb with 130’ 19mm warp + 20’ 8mm chain, Simpson Lawrence double action manual windlass, Various mooring warps up to 75’ in length, Fenders, Boom cover, Spray hood, Cockpit tent, Custom made 2 piece heavy winter storage all-over cover, Large quantity of spares and complete tool kit stored in dedicated lockers. Available by negotiation is a custom made trailer suitable as a yard trailer but has been used to tow her five miles from the yard to her winter storage shed every year. Cleverly designed with acro props and side legs so that during winter maintenance both the top sides and antifoul can be completed without leg supports getting in the way. This is a professionally built trailer in very tidy condition, extremely useful to a new owner with a similar situation to the present. Disclaimer: These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.
