Custom Boats Saunders-Roe Medina Class Motor Yacht for sale in Isle of Wight United Kingdom

Wooden Ships Comments on this Saunders-Roe Medina Class Motor Yacht

Built in 1937 by Saunders-Roe of Cowes, she was the fifth of eight Medina Class motor yachts built at this yard.

She cruised in northern Europe in the years before the War, when she was commandeered by the Royal Navy as a patrol vessel. In June 1944 she took part in the D-Day landings, believed as an ambulance boat to carry the wounded from the beaches out to the hospital ships.

Wooden Ships Comments on this Saunders-Roe Medina Class Motor Yacht

Built in 1937 by Saunders-Roe of Cowes, she was the fifth of eight Medina Class motor yachts built at this yard.

She cruised in northern Europe in the years before the War, when she was commandeered by the Royal Navy as a patrol vessel. In June 1944 she took part in the D-Day landings, believed as an ambulance boat to carry the wounded from the beaches out to the hospital ships. Her ships bell is inscribed to her ‘War Service Admiralty’

She has spent most of her life in the hands of owners with a desire to cruise extensively, and she covered most of the European waterways and northern Europe. The present owners bought her in 2010 and started a major rebuild with Harbour Marine Services in Southwold. Nominated for Restoration of the Year in 2011 by Classic Boat magazine she was described as ‘the epitome of the gentleman’s motor yacht….immaculately restored.’

The rebuild included replacing a lot of steamed timbers and some planking, strengthening of the hull with many new steel floors and some new keel bolts. The deck was replaced entirely with teak glued over a sheathed plywood subdeck which gives a stiff and low maintenance deck structure.

Since her launch in 2011 the owners have covered over 20,000Nm including 2 years in the Mediterranean via the French canals visiting Italy and out to Greece, circumnavigation of the UK, 2 years in the Baltic up to Sweden, Poland and getting near the Arctic circle. Latterly in 2018 she spent time cruising in the Netherlands and the Frisian Islands. It is rare to find a motor yacht of this pedigree in such well found condition and so well proven as a cruising live aboard yacht.

This yacht is equally comfortable as a long distance cruiser, pootling around home waters and canals or as the most elegant of holiday homes on the water. If you can imagine eating in an art deco oak panelled dining room under a gently swaying oil lamp after a day at sea or lazing on deck this may be the boat for you

In 2013 she was voted as one of Classic Boats 300 most beautiful boats in the world and has featured in numerous magazine articles, including 12 issues of Classic Sailor magazine about her voyaging adventures.

She carries a clinker motor launch of 12′ on the aft coachroof, fitted with a Stuart Turner single cylinder petrol engine.

2020 survey available.

Below is a link to the article from October 2011 in Classic Boat regarding her restoration:

Length on deck 45’8”

Length Waterline 43’8”

Beam 11’

Draft 4’11”

Thames Tonnage 21TM

Construction

Carvel planked in teak fastened with copper rivets to steam bent Canadian Rock Elm timbers.

Timbers are quite light, 4cm x 3cm but closely spaced which was quite unusual at the time of her build.

The timbers extend across the centreline acting as structural floors. During the refit she had numerous galvanised steel floors added for strength.

External iron ballast keel of 2.1 tons, fastened with bronze keel bolts. Some keel bolts new in 2010.

Deck replaced entirely in 2010. Many of the original deck beams were retained. New plywood deck laid on the deck beams, sheathed externally and finished with a straight laid teak deck glued over the top. Seams have been finished with butyl rubber.

Original teak cover board has been retained wherever possible and incorporated into the new deck.

The underside of the plywood subdeck was veneered in oak, specially chosen by the owners and glued to the plywood before being laid.

Varnished teak skylight, forehatch and deck boxes on the foredeck.

Raised foredeck with a step down to the side decks either side. Original cast stanchions with stainless guard wires.

Wheelhouse and aft coachroof with varnished teak coamings. Mostly chromed bronze windows in the aft coachroof.

Sheathed plywood coachroof deck and wheelhouse roof.

Rig

Small deck stepped mast in a tabernacle just aft of the wheelhouse of varnished pine, sets a small steadying sail. This sail is very useful when at anchor and for steadying the motion of the yacht when at sea.

Stainless steel standing rigging to external galvanised chain plates.

Machinery

Twin Daimler-Benz OM314 85hp 4cyl diesel engines, installed new in 1970.

Top end rebuild on both engines, port engine in 2010, starboard engine in 2017.

Further work in 2010 included new shaft couplings, engine feet, waterlocks, antisyphons and goosenecks fitted. New bearings on drive train. ‘A’ brackets refitted and shafts realigned.

In 2017 both raw water pumps were replaced, engine room hoses renewed, starboard heat exchanger replaced and port heat exchanger rebuilt.

In 2021 the port shaft bearings were replaced, both stern glands re-packed and the Ambassador rope cutters serviced.

Borg-Warner Velvet Drive gearboxes with stainless shafts to handed 3 blade bronze propellers. Both propellers re-pitched in 2017.

Cruising speed of 6.5 knots, 9 knots max speed. Approximately 7 litres/hour total consumption.

2 x start batteries of 110ah each. Domestic battery bank with 2 x 260ah Mastervolt deep cycle batteries.

Charging from 65 amp engine alternators, or through the Sterling 240 volt 30 amp digital charger when connected to shore power.

Total of 575 litres of diesel in 2 tanks either side in the engine room. Port side is a painted steel tank, starboard side is stainless steel, new in 2000.

Total of 560 litres of fresh water in 2 galvanised water tanks. Hotpot calorifier connected to one engine supplying domestic hot water.

1 manual bilge pump, 3 auto electric bilge pumps.

Accommodation

Beautiful interior that was restored during the refit and as much as possible kept as it was.

6 berths plus a childs berth. 1 double, 4 singles and a childs berth.

Many original art deco features and fittings throughout the interior retaining her period feel and elegance, as well as a great deal of original paneling.

Doors either side into the wheelhouse with helm position to port. A seat either side at the aft end of the wheelhouse. Centreline companionway going aft.

Starboard side is a single cabin, known as the skippers cabin with a single berth and some nice original joinery.

Port side is the heads compartment with a manual Jabsco sea toilet which discharges into a black tank. 143 litre Tek Tank with a macerator. Porcelain hand basin with hot and cold pressurised water. Shower with hot and cold pressurised water and good headroom.

Aft owners cabin with a double berth to starboard and single berth to port. Original joinery with various drawer units and lockers. Skylight above.

Moving forward, steps down from the wheelhouse on the starboard side into the saloon.

L-shaped settee to port around a varnished teak dropleaf saloon table. A pair of built in single armchair style seats set into the teak joinery. The panelling around the saloon is original with oak panels in teak surrounds.

Solid fuel cabin stove finished in red enamel with a flue through the foredeck. Fitted new in 2010.

Hot air heating system via two separate Webasto diesel fired heaters, one for the forward sections and one for the aft sections of the yacht.

Varnished teak skylight above.

Centreline door going forward into the galley . To port is a 4 burner Alpes Inox gas stove with oven and grill. To starboard is a varnished wooden worktop with twin stainless steel sinks with pressurised hot and cold water. Galley joinery is all teak with numerous storage lockers.

Port side door into the forecabin which has 2 single berths to port and a child berth to starboard.

Vitrifrigo 95 fridge with freezer compartment fitted new in 2020 with a keel cooler, in a locker on the starboard side.

Full specification and details available upon request

Interior photos of aft cabin, fore cabin and bucket seats courtesy of Emily Harris Photography

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.