Philip L Rhodes 45 ft Bermudan Sloop 1954

A Philip Rhodes design from 1954, JOSEPHINE's sheer is elegant and the coach house wonderfully proportioned. The large cockpit - typical of many American yachts of the 1950s - is a very comfortable and spacious asset. Her rig and sail plan is well proportioned: simple for both single-handed cruising as well as efficient and hard racing with a fair aspect ratio of 2.3. In comparison with English yachts of this era, Josephine has broader beam, making for a hull of considerable initial stability and offsetting the effect of the comparatively shallow draft - this also offers commodious accommodation for her length. JOSEPHINE - built as JANE DORE IV - underwent an extensive rebuild at Gannon & Benjamin yard under her former owner, before returning to the Solent to cruise and race. Under current ownership her maintenance regime has been second to none in the best of hands.

Built in 1954 to a design by one of America's leading yacht designers of the period Philip Rhodes; JOSEPHINE is of particular interest as a shoal draft yacht with a 5 ½ ft draft that increases to 8 ½ ft with the centre board lowered – and a superb example of Rhodes’ centre board hull. Seven sister ships were built and originally as JANE DORE IV this yacht was designed for the Commodore of the Cruising Club of America. He and all the other owners reported their yachts to be very fast, comfortable and seaworthy.

Discovering JOSEPHINE on Long Island in September 1999, a more recent former owner bought and moved her to the Gannon and Benjamin yard on Martha's Vineyard, where she underwent an extensive structural rebuild. JOSEPHINE has undergone a continual program of investment, improvement and maintenance to a high standard by specialist shipwrights.

- Carvel Burma teak planking
- White oak centre line and frames
- Burma teak deck
- Bronze fastenings
- Bronze centre board and trunk casing
- Conventional long keel displacement hull form with a lead ballast keel
- Rudder hung to the full depth of the vessel
- Burma teak superstructure and all deck joinery

Sloop rig with forestay options
- Painted aluminium mast and Sitka spruce boom
- All stainless steel new standing rigging 2000
- Spinnaker pole stowed on deck port side fwd

Sails
- Racing main sail Thomas Clark Inc
- Cruising mainsail Thomas Clark Inc
- No 1 genoa Thomas Clark Inc
- No 1 working jib Thomas Clark Inc
- No 2 working jib Ratsey 2002/03
- Cruising spinnaker Crusader 2001
- Cross cut spinnaker Solent sails 2005/06

Canvas
- Spray hood 2004
-Mainsail cover 2004
- Helm wheel and winch covers 2004
- Cockpit cushions 2004

From aft
- Varnished teak caprail over transom and forward
- Chromed fairleads aft
- Panama eye fairleads set in bulwarks fwd
- All mooring cleats have stainless rub stripes set on the toe rail
- Stainless steel guardrails taper from aft up to chromed stanchions in bronze sockets both sides
- Large teak lazarette sheet and warp stowage vented by two dorades
- Main sheet block track
- 2 x chromed Barient ST main sheet winches on teak blocks each side
- Convex helmsman’s seat
- Large cockpit with high coamings; the side seats at the same level as the main decking
- Deep lockers on both sides
- Original teak spoke and bronze ships wheel
- 2 x Barient chromed secondary sheet winches on pedestals outboard each side
- Chromed compass binnacle and instrument console
- Engine controls
- Teak folding cockpit table set in binnacle forward
- Chromed cleats outboard
- Barient chromed ST Primary sheet winches on pedestals outboard each side
- Winch handles in socket stowage fwd cockpit bulkhead
- Bridge deck
- Wide side deck running forward
- Trunk cabin with raised aft section, port light and instrument readers on aft bulkhead sides
- Sliding hatch and wash board access on centreline
- Large windows to the sides
- Varnished hand rails each side of coach roof running forward
- Large teak gas bottle container fwd of raised section
- Lower section of trunk cabin fwd
- 2 x Dorade vents on boxes each side with chromed port and stbd lights outboard
- Large skylight hatch over saloon
- Mast with chromed bronze fittings
- Boom on bronze rotary furler
- Skylight hatch in coach roof over forecabin
- Boathook in chocks on deck stbd
- Toed in forward trunk cabin
- Clean foredeck, save for dorade vent on box
- Chromed mooring cleats below toe rail each side
- Chromed electric anchor windlass fwd
- Large bronze mooring cleat on centreline
- 28 lb galvanised CQR anchor with chain and warp on chocks to port
- Chromed fairleads on toe rail
- Panama eye fairleads below

General
- Entry by sliding hatch in the raised doghouse section of the main cabin
- Companionway steps down over the engine casing
- Teak interior joinery and trim with a teak and holly cabin sole
- Contrasting white painted T&G bulkheads and deck head
- Large windows either side of Doghouse section
- Cabinets either side up on aft bulkheads for binos, hand tools etc
- Electrics panel behind steps
- Doors either side aft give access to the engine compartment
- Lobby on centreline a useful link between the cockpit and saloon
- Seating each side (quarter berths outboard and aft)
- Half bulkheads forward

Galley and Chart table forward
- Stainless steel sink and draining board with pressure and manual pump mixer tap
- H5 Heritage Luke 3 burner hob and oven - as was the original to port
- Lockers above outboard and below for stowage of plates utensils, provisions etc
- Large fridge / cool box to starboard; its top surface doubling as the chart table with chart stowage
- Navigation instruments outboard
- Semi bulkheads to accommodation forward

Saloon
- 4 x Chromed opening ports high in trunk
- Grab rails along each side
- 2 x Settee berths; one each side with stowage under and behind backs
- 2 x Pilot berths up and outboard
- Large drop leaf dining table offset to port
- Access in cabin sole to the bilge space and tanks below
- Main bulkhead forward by mast to port
- Doorway to forward accommodation (modified circa 2000)

Head compartment
- Accessed by two cabin doors enabling en suite to fore cabin
- Original manual WC with wooden seat and lid
- 50s style china corner wash basin and chromed taps
- Shower with mixer tap
- Locker outboard to port and mirror on fwd bulhead
- Teak grating sole
- Hanging locker to stbd

Fore cabin
- Enlarged by moving head aft in 2000 modification for owners use rather than for crew
- Large berth offset to port
- Hatch in deck head hatch for ventilation
- Outlet from the Webasto heating system
- Forward again is the chain locker

Aft through saloon
- 2 x Generous quarter berths running aft outboard; one each side

- Yanmar 47 HP Diesel engine 1999
- 12 V Engine start battery
- 2 x 12 V Domestic batteries
- Engine calorifier with a 240 V immersion option gives hot water to galley and heads
- Alternator
- Shore power
- Webasto cabin heating system
- Clarion CD player with cockpit speakers
- Stainless steel fuel tank with level gauge
- 2 x Copper / brass fresh water tanks with level gauges
- 2 x 7 Kg Gas bottles

- Tacktick MR 100-2 2 x repeaters
- Tacktick MR 100-2 1 x dedicated wind direction repeater
- Standard Horizon CP 1801 GPS for binnacle
- Standard Horizon CP 500 GPS at chart table
- ICOM M505 VHF
- Raymarine Auto pilot control system

- Chromed signal horn
- Plastimo 4 person life raft
- Life horseshoe with sling and Danbuoy
- EPIRB?
- Fire extinguishers
- Gas alarm
- Electric bilge pump
- Manual bilge pump

Refit works undertaken by Traditional Shipwright Services Poole
2007
- New horn timber
- New main cabin coach roof
- All bright work stripped back to bare and re-varnished 10 coats

2008-2009
- Alterations to galley and chart table
- New standing rigging

2011
- New boom

2014
- New transom

Every year
The boat has been brought in undercover every winter for her regular maintenance
- Routinely treated and re-varnished 2 coats every year
- Topsides painted every other year
- Engine service every year