Steel Ketch Motor Sailor Steel Ketch One-off Steel Auxiliary Ketch Motorsailer
Extensive refit
- Boat REF# · 341566
- LOA · 12.00m
- Year · 1971
- Construction · Steel
- Underwater profile · Long keel
- Berths · 6
- Engine · 1 x Diesel 65hp, Gardner 4LW 4 cylinder (1971)
- Lying · Essex
Extra Details
| Designer | Van Der Vlis, Harlingen, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Builder | Van Der Vlis, Harlingen, Netherlands |
| Lying | Essex |
| Fuel capacity | 1,000.0 ltr Total - 2 Tanks |
| Water capacity | 1,000.0 ltr Total - 1 Tanks |
Mechanical
| Engine | 1 x Diesel 65hp |
|---|---|
| Engine make and model | Gardner 4LW 4 cylinder (1971) |
| Engine Hours | Not Recorded |
| Engine Cooled | Indirect |
| Steering | Wheel |
| Drive | Shaft |
| Prop(s) | 3 bladed fixed |
| Fuel consumption (approx) | 3.0 ltr /hour At Cruising Speed |
| Cruising speed (approx) | 7 knots |
| Max speed (approx) | 8 knots |
Gardner Engine Overhaul (by Gardner Engineering) 2025:
Full main service, including:
•Engine & gearbox lubricant change.
•Tappets, timing chain, tick-over, and oil pressure adjusted.
•Main fuel pump & governor unit removed, overhauled, and refitted (April, 2025).
•New Gardner oil temperature & pressure gauges with servos (Installed March, 2025).
•Engine & bilges degreased, cleaned & repainted.
•New engine room lighting installed.
•New tachometer
To be installed, April 2025:
•Victron Cerbo GX with Touch 50 Monitoring Kit
•24/280 7.5kwh custom-made lithium battery box
•All new battery, generator, engine, and inverter loom.
•Victron Energy Quattro 24/3000 inverter/charger.
•Victron Orion-Tr 24/24-12 (280W) Isolated DC-DC converter.
•Optimal alternator charging system – custom build-install.
•2 x 360w Victron solar panels. Mounted atop of wheelhouse.
•Victron SmartSolar 60A MPPT Charge Controller 150/60.
•Victron BMV712 Smart Battery Monitor Kit
•Custom-built Traffolyte switch panels, with bespoke wiring looms, and good level of
redundancy, for future additions.
•New custom Traffolyte engine instrument panel, featuring all-new gauges.
•New LED lighting installed in wheel house, galley-saloon, aft cabin and head.
•Saloon USB socket added for convenience.
Mastervolt Whisper 3.5 diesel Generator (3KW), inspected and serviced with new control unit in the wheelhouse, (rebuilt in 2015).
2 x starter 112AH batteries (2018).
Dimensions
| LOA | 12.00m |
|---|---|
| LWL | 11.75m |
| Beam | 3.75m |
| Draft Min | 1.65m |
| Draft Max | 1.65m |
| Displacement | 17,000kg |
| Headroom | 1.90m |
| Storage | Ashore |
Rig
Ketch rigged Wood spars () with stainless steel standing rigging (2025)
Sails
| Mainsail | - Slab (2008) |
|---|---|
| Headsail | - Furling (2000) |
In 2025:
•Masts un-stepped & refinished, along with main and mizzen booms and jib pole.
•All new standing rigging in stainless steel; triatic and davit backstays upgraded to Dyneema.
•New Hella tri/anchor light & steaming/flood light, with all new wiring and a waterproof deck switch.
•All sails & boom covers washed & serviced, to be returned with new bags, in April 2025.
•New Code Zero sail (April 2025), Lonton & Gray, Essex.
•Storm jib (2009), Doyle Sails, Canada.
•2 x lightweight cruising sails.
•Sail handling sheets rigged for operation from the wheelhouse doors.
Electrical Systems
12 / 24 volt battery, 240 volt generator, 240 shore power voltage, 6 batteries charged by: engine, solar panels, shore power, generator
Construction
| Construction | Steel |
|---|---|
| Underwater profile | Long keel |
| Finish | 2 pack finish |
Refit in 2025:
Deck & Superstructure:
•Teak deck removed, deck blasted and selectively re-plated where necessary.
•Deck coated with Jotamastic 80 aluminium winter-grade, then floated in epoxy and sanded
flat.
•Final coatings: One additional coat of Jotamastic 80, followed by two coats of Hempel Hempadur Epoxy paint.
•Gunwale & raised deck areas painted in International Toplac Ivory.
•Keel base & rudder stem coated in Jotamastic 80 aluminium winter-grade.
•Hull antifouled using Jotun Marenostrum (2025).
•Topsides repainted (Royal Blue, SML Paints, silicone alkyd topcoat), applied indoors in November, 2024.
Built for 'strength and endurance', the hull is constructed from 5mm overlapped broad galvanized steel plating, with 1 1⁄4” keel sections, a 5mm superstructure, and a 5mm deck. A hull thickness survey, conducted on March 16, 2022, at Silvers Marine, Roseneath, using a Cygnus gauge, revealed minimal deterioration. The full report is available upon request.
•New zinc anodes, in April 2025.
•Seacocks serviced.
•Fuel tank cleaned and pressure tested and inspection ports cut into the top of both tanks.
•Water tank replaced, in 2001
Accommodation
| Total # of berths | 6 |
|---|---|
| No. of double berths | 2 |
| No. of single berths | 2 |
| Cabin(s) | 2 |
| Handbasin | 1 |
| Shower | 1 |
| Heads | 1 heads (Manual) |
Interior fully refinished (Sep 2024-April 2025)
•Painted, varnished, with wheelhouse & aft cabin soles sanded & varnished.
•New custom mattresses (fore & aft) with waterproof velour covers, along with:
•New wheelhouse bench cushions.
•New saloon cushions.
•New navy sunbathing deck pads (All by Shipshape Bedding, Norfolk).
•Galley sink & tap replaced, with a new seacock installed below.
•Galley cabinets refinished.
•Saloon table re-veneered.
•Bilge beneath galley and saloon, degreased and repainted.
•House drainage reviewed and reconfigured, with new hoses and components.
•New spare Jabsco 24v house water pump.
•Propex 800W 10litre FJE-10 water heater, new in 2022.
•D4 Eberspacher diesel heater, serviced, hoses replaced and outlet pipe rerouted.
•New Euronova 1000 washing machine, to be installed (April 2025).
•New fridge, in 2022.
•New Seatoilet, in 2022.
•Top-opening Custom Danfoss 24/240 AC Engel Domestic Freezer.
•Isotherm CR49EL Cruise Elegance 49L fridge (new in 2022).
•Voyager 4500 Marine Gas Cooker (two-ring, grill, and oven, gimbal-mounted, (new in
2022).
•Electric ceiling-mounted air circulating fans, in the galley/saloon and wheelhouse
2 burner gas cooker/stove
Accommodation
| Cooker/stove | |
|---|---|
| Grill | |
| Oven | |
| Sink | |
| Refrigerator | |
| Freezer | |
| Cabin heating | |
| Pressurised water system | |
| Hot water system | |
| Non-Smokers |
Interior fully refinished (Sep 2024-April 2025)
•Painted, varnished, with wheelhouse & aft cabin soles sanded & varnished.
•New custom mattresses (fore & aft) with waterproof velour covers, along with:
•New wheelhouse bench cushions.
•New saloon cushions.
•New navy sunbathing deck pads (All by Shipshape Bedding, Norfolk).
•Galley sink & tap replaced, with a new seacock installed below.
•Galley cabinets refinished.
•Saloon table re-veneered.
•Bilge beneath galley and saloon, degreased and repainted.
•House drainage reviewed and reconfigured, with new hoses and components.
•New spare Jabsco 24v house water pump.
•Propex 800W 10litre FJE-10 water heater, new in 2022.
•D4 Eberspacher diesel heater, serviced, hoses replaced and outlet pipe rerouted.
•New Euronova 1000 washing machine, to be installed (April 2025).
•New fridge, in 2022.
•New Seatoilet, in 2022.
•Top-opening Custom Danfoss 24/240 AC Engel Domestic Freezer.
•Isotherm CR49EL Cruise Elegance 49L fridge (new in 2022).
•Voyager 4500 Marine Gas Cooker (two-ring, grill, and oven, gimbal-mounted, (new in
2022).
•Electric ceiling-mounted air circulating fans, in the galley/saloon and wheelhouse
2 burner gas cooker/stove
Deck Gear
| Warps | |
|---|---|
| Fenders | |
| Boathook | |
| Davits | |
| Instrument Covers | |
| Passerelle |
2 halyard winches
2 sheet winches
Electric Lofrans Tigress windlass (with remote control)
2025;
•Anchor locker refurbished, storage system upgraded, chain cleaned & dry stored.
Anchors:
•Primary: 40kg Danforth, on 60m, of 10mm chain.
•Secondary: 50kg Fisherman and light grapnel.
•Kedge: 20kg Danforth, on 60m of webbing reel (stern-mounted).
•4 large teak deck boxes, hatches, handrails & stern bench removed, refinished & reinstated.
•New Lofrans anchor control box installed.
•Lofrans Tigres 24V 1200W windlass with gypsy and warping drum (handheld remote at bow).
•Boom covers for protection, when stowed.
•New sunbathing cushions, for the coach-house roof (2025).
•Removable heavy duty Sampson posts, fore and aft.
•New mooring ropes and 8 new fenders (2025).
•Electric windscreen wipers.
Nav Equipment
| Compass | |
|---|---|
| Speed | |
| Wind | |
| Radar | |
| VHF | |
| VHF DSC radio | |
| GPS | |
| Chart plotter | |
| Autopilot | |
| Navtex | |
| Stereo | |
| Clock | |
| Navigation lights | |
| AIS Receiver | |
| Echo sounder |
In 2025:
•New Sestrel compass (1960s, unused stock) mounted in binnacle, stamped Henry Browne & Son, Essex.
•New (old stock) solid brass capstan clock & hygrometer installed in the wheelhouse.
•Simrad RS40B AIS transponder/receiver VHF, with new wiring and antenna.
•Navtex, with mount, wiring and antenna.
•Micronet MN30 Tacktick Wind instrument.
•Simrad 3G Radar (2012).
•Simrad NSS12 Blueprint GPS Chartplotter (2012)
•Rudder indicator.
•iCom IC-M35 Handheld VHF (2015).
•Simrad RS40B AIS VHF (2024).
•Autopilot System (2012): Simrad AP24
•Autopilot Computer: Simrad AC12
•Rate Compass: Simrad RC42
•Rudder Feedback Sensor: Simrad RF300
Functionality & Connectivity:
•The system is linked to the Simrad NSS12 Chartplotter through SimNet.
•The RC42 rate compass enhances the steering response and stability.
•The RF300 rudder feedback sensor ensures precise rudder position detection.
Safety Equipment
| Liferaft | |
|---|---|
| Searchlight | |
| Horn | |
| EPIRB 406MHz | |
| Boarding ladder | |
| Emergency steering |
2 bilge pumps (0 manual / 2 Electric)
•There will be a new Seago Seacruiser Liferaft and new Epirb, purchased new on completion of purchase.
•24V Rule 3700 bilge pump and automatic switch (and a spare RULE 3700 main bilge pump)
•New Jabsco Industrial Diaphragm Pump installed in forward bilge. Run dry capacity, capable of pumping air, fully repairable.
•Coastal flare pack (August 2024)
•2 x hand held powder fire extinguishers
•Automatic engine room fire supression system
•Air horn
•Demountable boarding ladder
•Emergency boarding rungs, at the stern
Broker's Comments
Boatshed Essex are pleased to be presenting this one-of-a-kind steel auxiliary ketch, purpose-built for ocean cruising. Designed with a traditional trawler-shaped hull and a graceful canoe stern, she combines classic lines with a robust, seafaring presence—qualities that we've been told, have earned her admiration wherever she sails!
Over her lifetime, she has been proven as a capable and seaworthy vessel, extensively cruising the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Sea, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as navigating Europe’s inland waterways. She has journeyed through the Danube River to the
North Sea and crossed the Caledonian and Crinan canals multiple times. The 'kindly' motion she has provided has ensured a comfortable ride, even in challenging conditions.
Her last major voyage before coming ashore for refit was an approx. 600-mile journey from
the Firth of Clyde to the River Crouch in Essex. What could have been a punishing passage across the August North Sea was handled with ease— taking everything the sea threw at her without hesitation.
In early 2021, she was dry-stored at Rhu Marina, later moving to Sandbank Marina in 2023 for further storage.
The current owner acquired her in June 2024, undertaking a comprehensive recommissioning in preparation for a journey south. She was hauled out and placed into a fully enclosed workshop to begin her refit. She now rests on hard standing, poised for her next adventure.
Stepping aboard, one is welcomed into a well-fitted and comfortable interior that immediately feels like home. The accommodation includes a double fore-cabin, a twin aft cabin, and a convertible saloon double, comfortably sleeping six. The saloon and galley are located forward of the wheelhouse, while a heads/shower compartment is neatly positioned to starboard, between the saloon and fore-cabin.
When not under sail, the Gardner 4LW 65hp diesel engine, renowned known for its legendary reliability powers her along. Her full sail wardrobe includes a main, mizzen, self-tacking jib (boom-footed), storm jib, and two downwind cruising sails—all rigged for long-distance cruising with durability in mind. Designed for versatility, her tabernacle-mounted masts and spars allow for easy lowering, making her ideal for canal passages.
A true passage-maker, she is ready to embark on her next great voyage, wherever the winds may take her.
Foreword by the Current Owner:
"In early 2024, I was simply looking to charter a boat for a family cruise around Scotland during the summer holidays. By chance, I came across this yacht, quietly laid up in the shed at Sandbank Marina on the Holy Loch, near Dunoon. Though she was in a rather tired state, her solid build and undeniable charm shone through—and I was hooked. Less than two weeks later, she was mine.
Initially, I had her repainted, conducted basic checks, and had her relaunched. The legendary Gardner 4LW engine was recommissioned by Joe McCool of Tangent Engineering (Gardner specialists), who performed a sea trial and gave her a clean bill of health—along with giving
me the confidence to undertake our first voyage.
That maiden journey took us from Oban to Essex via Inverness over nearly two weeks. She never missed a beat. The Gardner engine proved relentless, powering through 15-hour stretches without complaint, even when the conditions turned against us. That voyage gave
me a real sense of what she could do—and what would be needed to prepare her for more ambitious passage-making.
Over the past six months, I’ve overseen a comprehensive refit with no area left untouched. Every system aboard is new. The Gardner engine has been professionally overhauled. Inside, she boasts all-new upholstery and a fresh, refined finish. Her exterior is both clean and
purposeful, ready for whatever lies ahead. Sadly, my personal circumstances have changed, and work now takes me to the Global East.
As such, I must reluctantly offer her for sale. For her next owner, she is truly turn-key—ready to cruise, explore, and begin her next chapter."
If you would like to know more, have any questions or would like to arrange a viewing , please do get in touch and we would be delighted to help.
These boat details are subject to contract.
Note: Offers on the asking price may be considered.
Owners FAQ's
How long have you owned the boat for?
Since June 2024
Why are you selling her?
Change of circumstance
Where have you sailed her?
Scotland (Oban) to Essex