Whanake is entered on Part 1 DOT British Ships Register

 

TYPE/CLASS        Auxiliary Bermudan Cutter

 

DIMENSIONS      Loa 12.80m (42’ 0”) Lwl 9.75 (32’0”)  Beam 3.66m  (12’.0”)  Draft  2.29m  (7’6”)  Displacement 15 tons

 

BUILDER               Brian Watts, Watts  Engineering, Auckland, New Zealand in 1972

 

DESIGNER            Chris Robertson of Warkworth, Auckland

 

CONSTRUCTION

 

Triple skin Kauri Pine hull, with diagonal inner skin and conventional fore’ and aft  outer skin, resorcinol glued and bronze screwed, with longitudinal stringers of about 1 ¼”  section at approx. 8” centers or less. The stringers are rebated into laminated framing and flooring.  In way of the mast area there are three massive laminated floors about 5” in width, built up with approx. 5/16 ” thickness laminations. These main floors tie into the Kauri Pine backbone structure, again of solid or laminated  timber. This yacht appears immensely strongly built by virtue of the construction method, without resulting in an overweight vessel. The hull exterior is epoxy resin and glass cloth sheathed, finished originally with a two-pot paint system and today, retaining very fair topsides with a cream paint finish.

Blue painted sheer strake with a rubbing strake above, fitted with a protective brass strip. Above the sheer strake the bulwarks are painted golden yellow. A substantial laminated deck edge carlin with double thickness plywood bulkheads support the stressed plywood deck, in addition to beautifully laminated hanging knees forward and again amidships in way of the galley. The deck is double thickness plywood on beams with a plywood ceiling below and the space between is filled with polystyrene insulation. The deck is epoxy resin and glass cloth sheathed, the non-slip finish is granite chippings laid in epoxy resin and the finish is two-pot polyurethane white.

There is a built-up toe-rail [bulwark] with scrubbed Burma Teak capping with three waterways either side for drainage and at the deck edge a concave fillet to ensure a watertight join.

The cabin top superstructure is again of marine ply construction, all epoxy resin and glass cloth- sheathed, with a very smooth surface.  The cabin sides are white enamel with bronze side window frames, the finish to the coach-roof  is cream, all polyurethane. There is a very nicely made teak skylight which incorporates a clever cover for the cabin heating stove chimney and the engine room extract vent.  The cabin-top coamings are taken slightly forward to give a protected deck area in way of  the mast.  Aft of the mast is a ventilated deck box containing three propane gas cylinders and regulator.

The hull freeboard is very well proportioned and not at all excessive, giving easy access from a pontoon or dinghy.

The cockpit is self draining with no cockpit locker openings for security, is finished with double layers of epoxy resin and  glass cloth sheathed and painted cream and with scrubbed teak coaming cappings, scrubbed Teak lazarette hatch and companionway hatch which is slightly offset to starboard.

Lead keel and fin and skeg hung rudder configuration.

 

Hardware on deck includes: a single stemhead roller fitting with twin forestay attachment. Stainless steel pulpit [new 2001 by Hinckley Yachts] with Aqua Signal bi-colour navigation light [new 1998].

S/s stanchions in bronze bases with twin s/s guardwires. Bronze mooring bollard on the fore’deck with two bronze cleats and four bronze fairleads. Fore’deck hand and electric anchor windlass. Stainless steel flush-type lashdown eyes and canvas pads for dinghy stowage. Teak forehatch with smoked acrylic top to give extra light below. Four deck prisms (over heads, corridor and wardrobe). Anchor chocks beside the mast for a kedge anchor. Beside the mast is a fresh water deck shower and a seawater high pressure deck and chain wash / fire hose. Teak chocks for liferaft stowage.Teak grabrails on the cabin top and teak stowage chocks on the side decks for twin spinnaker poles and whisker pole.Very substantial stainless steel and teak boom gallows. Stainless steel mainsheet track forward of companionway hatch garage. Stainless steel tracks (4) and car travellers (4) on both side decks for headsail sheeting. Massive tufnol and stainless steel turning blocks aft for headsail sheets. Terylene tape harness safety lines running full length of vessel (both sides). Stainless steel mooring bollard on aft deck with two bronze cleats and four bronze fairleads. Stainless steel pushpit with fishing rod holders, outboard mounting bracket and Aqua Signal navigation light [new 1998]. Pair of stainless steel ‘goal posts’ supporting radar, GPS and Navtex aerials, automatic riding light, two large solar panels and the outboard crane. Two horseshoe lifebuoys each equipped with automatic flashing floating light, whistle and parachute drogue. Aries lift-off type self steering gear. Jonbuoy automatic trailing drogue.

Stainless steel pedestal wheel steering with brake, clutched wheel for Aries steering, laminated and varnished spoked steering wheel, Suunto binnacle compass and drinks shelf, which also supports a cockpit table.

The dinghy is an 8’ Seabird GRP simulated clinker made in Auckland, with oars and lifting strop and stows upside down ahead of the mast. Dinghy is complete with rudder, leeboard, mast, spars and balanced lugsail.

 

Ventilation - Particular care has been taken with this and ‘Whanake’ has already sailed through some of the hottest parts of the world [deck insulation has already been mentioned].

One dorade ventilator right forward above the chain locker. Two dorade ventilators with teak boxes above the forward cabin. The dinghy stows over and protects the forehatch so this can be left partly open in settled conditions. One dorade ventilator above the heads compartment. Two dorade ventilators over the forward end of the saloon. Two dorade ventilators with teak boxes above the saloon.

One dorade ventilator above the galley stove. The present owners stow a sailboard and passarelle above the saloon skylight which enables the skylight to be left partly open in most conditions.

 

Below, the yacht is very attractively fitted out, with a good deal of solid Burma Teak joinery, white enamalled bulkheads and deckhead. The joinery work is to a high standard, with dovetail joints where appropriate, properly dowelled screw fixings, attractive beadings etc. Where exposed, the hull sides in the saloon and aft, are vertically strip paneled using a most attractive fleck grained native timber (REWA-REWA – Honeysuckle wood). Cabin sole boards throughout are of approx. ½” Teak on plywood backing, with cream colour caulking.

 

SPARS AND RIG

 

Deck stepped aluminium alloy mast and round section boom. The mast has a secondary track for the trysail. Stainless steel standing rigging with bronze bottle screws. Twin spreader rig with an additional lower shroud to starboard with Teak ratlines fitted from the lower spreaders. Two painted aluminium spinnaker poles and silver anodized whisker pole. Boom is rigged for slab reefing with stainless steel  horns (not used) and jamming and aluminium cleats.

Furlex yankee/genoa furling gear (new 1998). Colour coded multiplait synthetic halyards and running rigging. Three halyard clutches and two jamming cleats. Track and pair of travellers for spinnaker poles. Radar reflector. Aqua Signal combined steaming light and deck flood ,new 1998. Aqua signal combined tri-colour and anchor light, new 1998. VHF aerial, new 1998. All electric cables replaced in 1998. Twin backstays, one of which is insulated for the SSB. Standing inner forestay for the hanked staysail. Multiplait runners which are only set up in really severe weather.

 

Note: All the standing and running rigging was renewed in 1992 in NZ and a number of halyards have been replaced since then.

 

Winches include:

 

On the mast - Lewmar 40 self-tailing for the main halyard/spinnaker. Barlow 23/26 self-tailing for the yankee/genoa. Wilkie 24 for the staysail/topping lift.

On the boom - Lewmar 16 self tailing for slab reefing. Wilkie 16 for ditto.

On the coachroof - Two Wilkie 26’s with rubber ‘winchers’ for the staysail sheets.

Around the cockpit - Two Lewmar 52 self tailing primaries for yankee/genoa. Two Wilkie 28 secondaries. One Wilkie 26 self tailing for the mainsheet.

Note: Wilkie NZ has been taken over by Barlow [Australia] and Wilkie spare parts are available from Barlow.

 

SAILS

 

All in white terylene except the spinnaker which is blue.

Mainsail, fully battened with three slab reefs – Gowen Ocean - 2004. Staysail with hanks – Gowen Ocean 2004. No 1 Yankee - North -1998. No 2 Yankee – 1990. Heavy Genoa -1994. Light Genoa – 1990. Trysail. Spinnaker

Note: Gowen Ocean has all the details of the sails for rapid replacement.

 

MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL

 

Yanmar 3JH3E three cylinder 36/40 hp diesel engine, new 2000 with approx. 1480 hours running to date. Engine is installed under the galley worktop and drives forward to a V- drive gearbox to the 1 1/4” dia. stainless steel propeller shaft, new 2000, running in rubber and white metal bearings with

standard gland packing seal and driving an 18” x 13” bronze three bladed propeller, supported by a P bracket. A 12 volt Vetus spark protected blower extracts hot air from the engine compartment.

Fuel consumption at a cruising speed of 5 – 5 ½ knots is three hours per gallon, with a maximum speed of about 8 knots. A full maintenance history of this engine is included, as well as all manuals. The engine has a 55 amp alternator which charges through a Heart smart charger.

 

Hot water from the heat exchanger circulates through the primary circuit of the C Warm 6 gallon hot water cylinder (new 1998), giving adequate hot water for domestic use. This hot water cylinder also has a 1 ¼ kW electric immersion heater running from shore power. The engine also drives through an electric clutch an MGC 1000 Tecomech compressor for the fridge and freezer system (new dryer and modern refrigerant no. R413A installed 2004).

Single lever engine control close to helmsman. The engine controls including alarms, hour meter and temperature and oil pressure gauges are situated in the cockpit in full view.

Diesel fuel of 70 gallons in two 35 gallon tanks situated under the fore-cabin bunks gives a potential range in quiet conditions of over 1100 miles. The service batteries are three 120 amp. hr. lead acid deep cycle (new Nov 2001) wired in parallel, with one 105 amp. hr. lead acid cranking battery for starting. For emergency purposes both banks can be switched together.  The supply to the anchor winch is separately switched and together with the chain wash pump runs from the starting battery.

Charging from the alternator to the battery banks is controlled manually. One ammeter and two voltmeters, together with a digital ‘Voltwatch’ meter indicate the state of charge in the batteries constantly. The two 55 watt Solarex solar panels are coupled together (with a diode) and charge both banks of batteries through a RWS 200 Rutland Charge Regulator, complete with ammeter, digital readout and ‘overcharging’ lamp (all new 1998). The batteries can also be charged by the Sterling Advanced Switch Mode 20 amp battery charger (new 2003) running on shore-power.

An exceptional level of 12 volt lighting is provided throughout the vessel, some of the lights being halogen. There are three dri-plug power outlets.

The high quality music system is a Pioneer high power cassette player with FM AM SW tuner and a pair of  9” dia. Pioneer speakers.

The vessel is wired for 240 volt shorepower with the inlet plug situated in the cockpit. The system is protected by a 30 ma. RCCB and circuit breakers on both live and neutral.

Four double 13 amp socket outlets are installed, together with one outlet for the battery charger and one outlet for the immersion heater.

Four dry powder fire extinguishers within saloon and galley area, together with a galley fire blanket.

Whale Gusher 25 double acting bilge pump operated from below.

Whale Gusher Titan bilge pump operated from the cockpit.

12 volt electric bilge pump.

Note: The solar panels have usually refilled the service batteries by mid-morning, following a normal evenings use of electricity.

In Northern Europe 30 minutes a day and in the Tropics 45 –60 mins. a day of engine running keeps the freezer at  25deg to 15deg F [ minus 5deg to minus 10deg C]. The freezer has a thermometer.

 

Plumbing - Freshwater of approx. 120 gallons is carried in two 60 gall. Stainless steel tanks under the saloon settees (starboard tank new 2009). All the plumbing is in Hep 2 o [previously called Acorn – new 1998] and includes a Jabsco Aqua Filter. The pressure pump is a Jabsco Par Max 4 [new 1998] with a pressurized accumulator. The heads comprise a Blakes Lavac with white pump and pipework (new pipework 2004). The stainless steel heads basin empties with a Henderson ‘Chimp’ pump (new 1998) and has hand pumped freshwater and pressurized hot and cold from a shower head (all new 1998). The shower tray also empties with a Chimp pump (new 1998). The galley has a Penguin Engineering stainless steel double sink, both sinks empty with Chimp pumps and have hand-pumped freshwater and pressurized hot and cold (all new 1998).

The Power Survivor 35 watermaker is installed under the saloon, providing freshwater to the port water tank or a separate container. This watermaker can operate off the solar panels in a sunny climate. Bungs are used to bung scuppers to collect fresh water, which is filtered and sterilised before putting into water tanks.

The pressure pump for the chain wash/fire hose is a Jabsco Par Max 4 (new 2001), a similar pump to the domestic water pump but working at a higher pressure and draws water from the toilet inlet seacock.

The vessel is heated by a stainless steel Refleks diesel stove (new 1998) with an insulated flue pipe. The fuel is gravity fed from a small TekTanks polythene tank (new 2008) situated in the heads and with inline fuel filter.

This heater has a water coil around the heating chamber which is connected to the secondary coil in the hot water cylinder. The heater provides more than adequate heat to warm the whole vessel, whilst at the same time providing hot water.

 

The gas installation was all new in 1998, the vessel previously used paraffin. Three British 10 lb butane cylinders are stowed in the ventilated gas locker adjacent to the mast, the pipework to the galley being all in copper, except for a flexible pipe connection to the cooker.

There are two shut-off taps in the pipework, one in the heads where the pipework enters the vessel and one in the galley. The gimballed cooker (new 1998) is a stainless steel SMEV with four burners, grill and thermostatically controlled oven with 12 volt ignition and two sets of pan clamps.

 

ACCOMODATION

 

Headroom in galley - 6’ 2”  saloon - 6’ 6”  heads and forecabin - 5’ 9”.

The deckheads and the bulkheads are painted white gloss and all edges are trimmed in varnished Teak.

The topsides are lined with vertical battens of Rewa Rewa (honeysuckle) wood, varnished.

All lockers and bunk fronts are constructed of teak or teak veneered plywood , varnished.

The cabin soles are ½” teak on plywood backing with cream coloured caulking/splines, with teak  gratings fore and aft for bilge ventilation, all varnished.

Note: with the exception of the Teak added in the 1998 refit, all the original Burma Teak came from the same log.

 

From forward:

Forepeak with chain stowage and room for large warps and surplus fenders. Substantial bulkhead with open cut-out access to the chain locker. The yacht carries a generous beam forward and her broad shoulders give a spacious forward cabin, with a large sail stowage area ahead of the berths. There are two wide single berths port and starboard  and an infill with additional cushions converts the port berth to a generous double. Above the berths are book shelves and stowage pockets. On the bulkhead at the head of each berth are personal lockers.

The passageway has a good sized toilet compartment to port with a stainless steel wash basin, hot and cold water, a shower head and hand-pumped cold water, a Blakes Lavac toilet and pump, two mirrors, shower curtain, towel rails  and toiletry lockers. To starboard of the passageway is a large hanging locker for clothing with plenty of shelving and a further locker under.

The saloon of ‘Whanake’ gives a very spacious feel with good light, ventilation and headroom.  The settees to port and starboard are full length and deep and provide comfortable seating. The upholstery throughout is in marine blue hard-wearing dralon fabric with a discreet yellow-gold dot; the curtains are matching yellow-gold (all new 1998).

At the forward end of the starboard settee is special stowage for glasses and a drinks locker. Behind the settee backs are 4 large lockers and above, near the music centre, is stowage for up to 200 CD’s and 100 tapes and extensive book shelving. To port are lockers at each end of the pilot berth and bookshelves behind. Under the pilot berth is an enormous stowage area with specially constructed storage boxes. The port settee has a small sideboard with drawers aft and shelving forward.

Above the pilot berth is the main chart locker which holds approx. 250 Admiralty sized charts. The chart table holds 10/12 charts for everyday use. Additional chart stowage is under the double bunk in the fore-cabin where there is room for a further 500 charts.

At the aft end of the saloon is the stainless steel heating stove with tiled “hearth” and a neat surround designed to contain any spilt fuel should this ever occur.

The saloon table in solid teak has substantial fiddles and opens out to give room for up to eight persons to dine in comfort.

 

Aft of the saloon, is the navigation area to starboard which has a full sized chart table which lifts up to give access to the deep-freeze. Navigation instruments and radar are arranged over and around the chart table. The engine is beneath the central galley worktop and its casing projects slightly into the passageway. The engine compartment is lined with sound deadening material.

The galley (U-shaped for safe use on passage) was rebuilt in 1998 and has marine blue formica worktops with varnished teak fiddles, twin stainless steel sinks with hot and cold taps and hand pumped cold water, plenty of stowage for crockery, glassware and galley equipment and two drawers for cutlery and small items. The modern SMEV gas cooker is located outboard and is described under Mechanical/Electrical. Refrigeration capacity is large, with a 1¼ cubic ft top-opening fridge aft of the navigation area and a 4¼ cu ft deep-freeze under the chart table. Both are heavily insulated and the freezer is capable of freezing down a full load from +15 deg C to -15deg C.

The starboard quarterberth is aft of the fridge and extends under the cockpit seating. The port quarterberth also extends under the cockpit seating and has been adapted to provide additional food stowage for long passages. Alongside the companionway steps is a large hanging locker for wet gear. Beneath the cockpit is the steering gear, electric pilot and room for further stowage. Aft of the cockpit is a large lazarette. ‘Whanake’ does not leak so most of the bilges can be used for stowage.

 

EQUIPMENT

 

Ground tackle: The Anchor winch is a Nillson hand wind [there are two handles and winch is easy to operate]. It has been modified to accept an electric motor, operated by a  deck mounted switch. 20 kg Manson Supreme bower anchor with 44 fathoms of  7/16” galvanized chain. 35 lb Danforth and 35 lb CQR kedge anchors. Various short lengths of chain and rubber snubber. Two 30 fathom kedge warps. Two chums (15 kg and 12 kg). Varnished laminated emergency tiller.

Instruments: Suunto binnacle compass. Stowe Micro 210 speed and distance log.

Stowe Micro 220 windangle and windspeed installation [masthead unit new 2002].

Raytheon ST 60 depthsounder [new 2001]. Autohelm ST 6000 automatic pilot. Raymarine A65 chart plotter.

Icom IC – M 55 VHF. Icom IC – M 700 SSB radiotelephone with ATU which operates on both commercial and Ham bands and which has been modified to accept ‘Sailmail’ e-mail transmissions.

Nasa Navtex Pro weather receiver. Furuno 1800 radar.

All instruments are working well and have been in recent use.

Covers: Blue UV strips to headsails. Blue canvas cover to anchor winch.

Blue canvas bag to staysail [stays hanked to inner forestay]. Blue canvas mainsail cover. Blue canvas cover to skylight. Blue cockpit sprayhood. Blue canvas cover to companionway hatch. Blue cockpit sidescreens with yacht’s name. Blue covers to compass and wheel. Blue covers to all of the ventilators with bunging corks. Blue canvas cockpit bimini with sidescreens and water collection attachments.. Green/black netting bimini which can be kept up whilst sailing. Two large orange canvas sun awnings, one for the foredeck and one for the main cabin. Instrument covers. Insect screens to fit forehatch, skylight and main companionway.

Stainless steel boarding ladder.

 

REMARKS

 

‘Whanake’ has been a very lucky yacht as she has been owned by four very loving owners who have spent money on purchasing only the best equipment and have kept her in excellent condition.

She has sailed approx. 114,000 miles to date. Her maiden voyage was a circumnavigation of New Zealand, thereafter her first owners sailed regularly to Australia and the Pacific Islands, covering 55,500 mls. in her first 16 years.

Her second owners purchased in 1988 and sailed several times to the Pacific Islands before leaving NZ in 1992 and sailing via the Red Sea and the Mediterranean to the UK, a total  distance of 26,000 miles, arriving in 1995, where poor health forced a reluctant sale.

Her third owners purchased in 1997 and gave the vessel a thorough and careful refit of her rig, her plumbing and electrical installations and a new galley and heads, as well as a complete repaint. Structurally, nothing needed doing, following her survey.  They sailed around England before heading for the Med. and cruising the South of France and Corsica. Their next cruise included a crossing in the trades to Barbados, the Caribbean, North up the Eastern seaboard of the States to Maine and back twice, Nova Scotia including the Bras D’Or Lakes, a return to the Caribbean and re-crossing the Atlantic via the Azores to return to their Spanish base. Their last cruise was a quick dash to Greece, Turkey and back, making a total of 28,000 miles.  On a number of occasions they have met very severe weather and at all times ‘Whanake’ coped admirably with no cause for concern.

The current owners sailed her from Gibraltar to Oban, and then onwards.