| Description |
History:
Owners Comments:If you are looking for a boat that will look after you, whatever the conditions, look no further. Melchior of Beaulieu was built by North Sea Craft in Colchester and commissioned at Fox,s Yard in Ipswich. The whole process was a delight as my wife & I were involved from the very beginning just as the hull had been removed from the mould. David Cannells design is meticulous from stem to stern and masthead to keel. Nothing gets past Davids scrutiny even if it means taking some of the boat to pieces to just improve a particular part of the design!We took delivery of Melchior at the later part of September 2007. My single male crew and I had a very small window of time to get the boat back to the South Coast. As we came out past the Harwich cranes, any sensible sailor would have turned round and found a nice quite upstream mooring. Oddly enough, we had no anxiety or worries heading out into the North Sea in a Force 8 gusting 9. We had total confidence in the design & build. We worked out a comfortable rig that would keep her cruising at 6.5 knots and arrived safely in Dover in time for a meal ashore and we did not even feel tired! Since then we have been down to the West Country and over the Channel with no worries. We have cruised for 10 days with a crew of six in total comfort and, unlike many boats, finding there was always some where to lose yourself for an hour or so and sometimes not be found! Melchior is a go anywhere boat that will always look after her crew. Her design is impeccable, her sea keeping qualities are superb. Down below is a delight in everyway offering everything you would expect in such a boat. She is ready for someone to literally start the engine, let go the lines and sail off to that dream destination. The deep centre cockpit with radiused coamings provides shelter and comfort. The centre cockpit and hull form gives additional safety and comfort in a large following sea but is not made so restricted in size that eight people cannot sit in comfort.The hull form is based on that of the famous Norwegian sailing lifeboats, developed over many decades to cope with heavy breaking seas yet provide the ability to sail in the most severe of gales. The vessel has a long keel hull form with rudder hung from the aft end of the keel by very substantial stainless steel gudgeon. The ballast is fitted inside the hull moulding avoiding keel bolt problems and potential leaks. This cruising yacht is able to set a considerable sail area by extending the deck length by fitting a substantial stainless steel fabricated planked bowsprit thus achieving good performance for a vessel of this displacement in light winds.As in the rest of the vessel the accommodation below is designed specifically for serious cruising offshore. Those who undertake night passages know how uncomfortable sleeping in a forward cabin can be and therefore there are good berths in the saloon & the additional pilot berth.
Construction:
RCD Status: The yacht conforms with the essential safety requirements of Directive 94/25EC (Recreational Craft Directive) and is categorised A Ocean (for 6 persons).Hull & Deck Construction:The hull and deck are constructed to plans approved by Lloyd's Register of Shipping with substantial lay up in the hull incorporating chopped strand mat and woven rovings. The hull is laminated using isophthallic resin providing high water resistance. The deck is constructed of sandwich structure using 19mm end grain balsa and hardwood in way of all high stress points. The GRP deck is overlaid with teak planking. Teak is also used on the coachroof and in the cockpit.A sealed and varnished teak gunwale timber and capping is fitted together with painted cove line and boot top. The topsides and superstructure are finished in cream gel coat with carmine red painted cove line and boot top.The bottom is painted with epoxy and then prepared and painted with two coats of antifoul.Four main structural bulkheads all bonded to the hull and all secondary joinery also bonded to provide full structural strength. All internal bulkheads are of WBP or marine ply using only hardwood veneers. The bilges are flow-coated to provide smooth, easily cleaned surface together with prevention of water penetration through the inner laminate. The bilges are fully limbered throughout to deep sump aft.Keel & Rudder:The long keel contains approx. 4.5 tons lead ingots encapsulated in resin and laminated overforming integral part of the hull.The rudder constructed with stainless steel stock and tangs and stainless steel bottom pintle and gudgeon fitting of heavy duty construction and heavily laminated over with GRP rudder blade faces. The rudder stock is fitted with a top square and emergency tiller supplied. Filament wound GRP rudder tube bonded to hull and supported in aft locker and tube fitted with polyacetalbearing and O ring seal. The design is such that the rudder can be unbolted from the main stock without having to lift the boat high off the ground to drop the rudder stock through the rudder tube.Whitlock heavy-duty sleeved cable system with marine alloy quadrant and turning blocks to s/s binnacle mounted in cockpit with Lewmar folding stainless steel helm wheel.
Engine & Fuel System etc:
Engine & Gearboxes:Yanmar 4JH4E 4-cylinder 4-stroke marine diesel engine producing 54hp @ 3,000rpmThis engine is freshwater cooled via a heater exchanger to the seawater.Reinforced rubber exhaust is fitted with waterlock and seawater injection bend.The engine is flexibly mounted with anti-vibration mounts bolted to the GRP engine beds with steel inserts. The whole of the engine space is insulated with special plastic/rubber sound insulating material.Maintenance & Performance:Engine hours as at November 2009: approx 100 hours Date of last engine service Spring 2009Cruising speed under power: 6.5 knots Max speed under power: 8 knotsFuel consumption at cruising speed: 6li per hourPropulsion & Steering:Bronze stern tube with water lubricated cutlass bearing bolted and bonded to hull with flexible stuffing gland and remote greaser strongly supported by heavily bonded transverse floor. 32mm diameter stainless steel shaft with outboard end tapered and inboard end fitted with steel coupling.Three bladed propellerSleipner SP95TI 12vDC bow thruster with control in cockpit. Fresh Water & Water Heating System:Water is supplied by 12vDC pressure pump to outlets in galley, forward heads and owner's heads.The water is heated via engine-driven calorifier to 30 litre calorifier tank or via 220vAC immersion heater element from shore power.Bilge Pumps:12vDC electric bilge pump in main bilge sump with float switch.Hand bilge pump mounted in the cockpit pumping the main sump.All underwater skin fittings are of bronze with lever ball seacocks.Grey & Black Water:Aft Heads only discharge into holding tank.All sinks discharge directly outboard.Showers discharge via 12vDC pump. Fuel:Diesel fuel tank of stainless steel baffled giving 66 gallons (300 litres) capacity installed under the cabin sole. Tank fitted with filler pipe and breather and filler on deck so any spillage runs overboard.Analogue tank level gauge at chart tableFresh water:Freshwater tank of stainless steel mounted under cabin sole, 110 gallons (500 litres) capacity and fitted with deck filler and breather. Analogue tank level gauge at chart tableBlack water:Stainless steel blackwater holding tank 30 litres capacity servicing aft heads.
Electrical:
Voltage Systems:12vDC domestic system with 220vAC ring main from shorepowerBattery Banks:1Ah 12v start battery3Ah 12v service batteries joined in parallel1 Ah 12v battery dedicated solely to operating the bow thrusterBattery Chargers:Victron Centaur 40Amp automatic battery chargerVictron BMV501 battery monitorAlternator:60Amp engine mounted alternator Shore Power:220vAC shore supply Other Electrical:220vAC ring main with sockets throughout interiorMain AC/DC control panel 12vDC sockets
Deck Equipment:
Rig:Mainmast, main boom, mizzen mast, mizzen boom and jib boom in silver anodised alloyDeck-stepped masts Masthead-rigged main mast with two sets of spreadersMizzen mast with single set of swept-back spreadersHarken ball-bearing battencar tracks on main mast and mizzenSingle-line reefing system for main and mizzen sails with three reefs for mainsail and two for mizzenLazy jack system with stack packs bags for main and mizzen sailsAdjustable mainsheet track aft cockpit with block & tackle mainsheet controlAll standing rigging of 1 x 19 stainless steel, 7mm on mainmast shrouds with 8mm forestays and 6mm shrouds to mizzen. Halyards of 6mm 7 x 19 flexible wire with l2mm rope tails, all internal halyards. Stalock or Norseman stud terminals and toggles used on all shrouds.Rod vangs for main and mizzen rigs with block & tackle adjustmentFull-time cutter rig with Harken furlers for genoa & staysailSpinnaker kit with vertically mast-mounted Z-spars alloy spinnaker poleWinches:All winches are by Lewmar and are self-tailing3x CST manual self-tailing halyard winches on main mast2x 40 CST manual sheet winches adjacent to cockpit2x 16 CST manual secondary sheet winches adjacent to cockpit2x 19 CST manual winches on mizzen mastSails:Sail package by Gowen Sails with all cream sails in Dacron. Sails package includes: 10oz Soft-battened mainsail 28.06sqm 9oz Soft-battened mizzen 13.75sqm 9oz Furling genoa 16.62 sqm 9oz Furling staysail 14.40sqm Nylon spinnaker with snufferGeneral:Stainless steel pulpit, pushpit, mast pulpits, Dorade vents, guardrail stanchions and guard wiresSubstantial stainless steel fabricated bowsprit with teak slats and nylon anchor rollersStainless steel grab rails on coachroofTeak outboard bracket on pushpitAnchoring & Mooring Equipment:Lewmar 12vDC reversing anchor windlass together with AnkaData20kgs CQR anchor with 30m of 9.5mm galvanised chainCQR secondary anchor with warpMooring cleats forward, amidships and aftWarps & fendersCovers, Canvas & Cushions:All canvas work is by Gowen Sails in carmine red to match hull lines and UV strips on yankee/staysail.Sprayhood with cockpit tent extensionStackpack sails bags for mainsail and mizzenWindlass and winch coversSafety Equipment:Seago G-Raft 8-man canister liferaft (next service due May 2010)2 x Lifebuoys with light1 x DanbuoyMOB recovery devicesWessex Offshore flare packWebbing jackstaysSeaMe radar target enhancerVisiballs radar reflectorGas detectorNavigation lights with pushpit p/s, steaming light, masthead tricolour, all round white and stern lightDeck lights on mainmast & mizzenFire-fighting equipment:Automatic engine-space fire extinguisherManual fire extinguishers Fire blanket in galley.
Accommodation:
Up to eight berths in forward twin cabin, single saloon settee berth to port, single/converting double saloon settee berth to starboard, pilot berth in walkthrough aft, and double berth in owners cabin aft.All interior joinery in satin varnish oak with extensive use of solid oak and oak veneered marine ply.White vinyl headlinings with broad solid oak battens serving as mountings for inset halogen lights.Oak laminate soleboards with inlaysColourcore countertops to all work surfaces in galley & headsStainless steel splash backs in galleys area.All cushioning made by The Natural Mat Company. Throughout the boat it is their Airflow Standard 120mm covered in Sunbrella Burgundy with grey breathable underlining.Many of the lockers are lining with a beige soft felt to offer protection & insulation.Forward Twin Cabin:Fitted with berths to port and starboard, berth lockers, oak-faced ply with soft linings. Overhead lighting and two berth lights fitted. Manual marine heads to starboard with vanity unit to port. Shower fitted with electric shower discharge pumpMain saloon:Fitted with large U-shaped settee to starboard with lockers behind and stowage under. This can be converted into a very comfortable double berth. Settee to port with stowage lockers behind & under, providing a very long single berth.Galley:Located to starboard aft of the saloon. Fitted with two stainless steel sinks, a gimballed Plastimo 2500 two-burner gas cooker with oven & grill, worktops with drawers, lockers and a refrigerator. Chart Table:Opposite galley to port. Forward-facing chart table with chart light and bulkhead space for mounting instrumentationPilot Berth:Located in passageway to owners aft cabin on port side. Pilot berth located outboard with stowage beneath. There is excellent access to the engine space to starboard in the passageway.Owners Cabin:Double berth positioned to starboard and seat to port. Extensive locker stowage with additional hanging locker aft. Reversible & removable modification to allow athwarthship sleeping. Cabin lights & bunk lights.Owners Ensuite Heads:Manual marine heads, shower with electric discharge pump, hand washbasin and locker stowage. Galley:Plastimo 2500 two-burner stainless steel gas cooker with oven and grill.12vDC refrigeration with large top-opening insulated icebox.Twin stainless steel sinks with thermostatic pressurised water supply.Heads/Showers:Jabsco Manual marine heads with compact bowl in forward heads and standard bowl aft.Basins & showers with hot & cold water supply.Heating & Ventilation:Eberpsacher Aitronic D4 diesel-fired hot-air cabin heating with 5 outlets throughout interiorDorade vents for accommodation cabinsOpening deckhead hatches with Oceanair blindsOpening portlights in superstructureEntertainment:Radio/ CD player and two speakers in saloonLighting:12vDC halogen lights inset to deckhead with additional reading lights throughoutNight light at chart table. |
