Admiralty Pinnace Ketch Motorsailor - Available now

She is the ideal live aboard home for an adventurous couple who want to sample the pleasures of life away from the rat race. She is seeking a custodian with the same historical interests as her present owner - a lover of older wooden boats which provide so much pleasure and offer so much warmth and character.

This strong elegant vessel is steeped in history. Built in 1943 during the second world war by CH Fox & Co. for the British Admiralty as a steam picket boat, otherwise known as a pinnace, she started her career as a dinghy to a battleship. She would have been hoisted on deck for longer voyages which would have taken her around the world but she also covered submarine boom defence and the more mundane chores of victualling and transferring personnel. By 1943 Britain had lost Burma which historically supplied teak for the planking of these vessels so her double diagonal frame covering is mahogany on British grown and hewn oak frames.

                  The date the Admiralty sold her out of service is unknown but since they did she has only had three owners. It appears that her original new owners had designs on taking her through the French Inland Waterways. The headroom in the wheelhouse is less than that throughout the remainder of the ship. She was registered with Lloyds and is still on their Class 1 registry which guarantees proof of ownership and integrity. Her present owner's husband found her in 1968 and she was destined to proceed through the French Canals many years later when he and his wife, left UK in 1980.

Originally built as a power boat her  keel was not deep. She drew all her water aft. Owner  had ketch rigged her for sailing in 1975. In 1982, to improve her sailing abilities, she was fitted with a false keel 40 cm deep forward and 120 cm deep aft which enabled her to grip the water and sail much better. What fun she provided as we tacked into bays and sailed her every hour we could before hoisting the 'iron headsail'. Gone was the lee helm. Now she had weather helm.

                  Then came her chartering years - a totally new career! For 25 years she hosted many happy holidays starting in the Spanish Balearic Islands before progressing to Sardinia and from there on to Turkey. Guests included her ex-owner who visited for several years and the boat builder who rigged her back in the '70's.  

Being a live aboard boat maintenance has been ongoing and the vessel is in fine shape for her years. New diesel engine, skimmed shaft, new rigging, new sails, new dinghies, dinghy painters, life lines, horse shoe buoys, liferafts etc., etc. - anything and everything that needs attending to has been. In 2006 she received a face lift in the form of a third diagonal 8mm plywood skin fitted to the topsides which eased the ongoing maintenance dramatically. In 2012 she was sheathed beneath the waterline.

LOG - RAYMARINE ST60

DEPTH SOUNDER- RAYMARINE ST60 + SEAFARER

COMPASS + 2X SESTREL

SSB- YAESU 

VHF- SAILOR

AUTOPILOT - ST6000 +

GPS - GARMIN

CHART PLOTTER-RAYTHEON RC520

TV - PHILIPPS FLAT SCREEN

DVD PLAYER- PREMIER

STEREO - TOSHIBA

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