Sibbick 48 ft Yawl 1906 - Sold

THALASSA has great beauty and style, and also a remarkable pedigree. She is reputed to be the last yacht built by Charles Sibbick in his yard at Cowes. Her lovely lines, her amazing condition after 110 years and the affection she has generated in all who have sailed in her is testament to the vision, genius and skill of this remarkable designer. She is in very sound and original condition, having been owned within one family from 1936 to 2009, and sailed and cruised extensively.

Carvel 1½ inch pitch pine planking on heavy oak frames, her top plank, cover boards and toe rail are all teak, as are her cockpit and hatches. Her decks are Canadian yellow pine and were fibreglass sheathed in 1989.

The interior is largely original; the white paneling contrasting with the varnished mahogany and much lovely detail - and there is space for 7 or 8 berths in 3 cabin areas.
- 2 x Bench seats in saloon fold down into berths, with two berths above on either side
- Chart table to port and access to engine
- 2 x Berths, drawers and lockers in cabin amidships
- Head with Baby Blake and sink
- Oilskin locker
- Galley forward, cooker and sink, many lockers and cupboards
- One or two berths in fore peak
- Sail locker in lazarette aft of cockpit
- Numerous storage lockers throughout

Originally gaff rigged, THALASSA already had a Bermuda mainsail in the 1920s on a shorter solid mast. John Illingworth, her co-owner, commissioned plans in 1934 from Laurent Giles, which are in the possession of the current owner for a sail plan based on a taller, hollow mast, shorter main boom and two headsails on a shorter bowsprit. These changes were made eventually in 1937 by her new owner Alan Baker, and with only a few small adjustments, were in place until this year. In the winter of 2011-2012 the present owner has changed the rig using a 1926 Beken photograph for guidance. The early impressions of the new arrangements are of a powerful rig with greatly improved balance and handling. In summary: longer bowsprit ; 11 ft 6 inch projection from the stem head, larger loose footed staysail on the forestay - now re-positioned forward on to the stem head, a gaff mizzen, and longer main boom, giving a considerably larger mainsail.
- Bowsprit 2012
- 62 ft overall keel stepped mast 1990 (last lifted out, stripped and varnished 2009 and re varnished each season since
- Main boom - Noble Spars 2012
- Gaff mizzen
- Running backstays operated by Highfield lever

Sails
- Mainsail - Crusader new 2012
- Mizzen - Crusader new 2012
- Staysail - Crusader new 2012
- No 1 Jib - Crusader 2005
- No 2 Jib - Barter and Huggett
- No 3 Jib - Barter and Huggett
- Trysail - Barter and Huggett
- Mizzen Staysail old but serviceable
- Spinnaker

- Winches; Lewmar single speed winches
- Windlass; Simpson Lawrence electric winch SL280006
- Stainless steel pulpit and pushpit
- Compass
- Fore hatch, aft skylight and middle cabin skylight; can be opened
- Sail locker hatch
- Avon Redstart with Yamaha Malta 3.5 outboard
- 6 fenders
- Warps various, of which three are 33 m length
- Collection of useful equipment, ropes etc

Engine
- Perkins 4 cyl 37 BHP 4/108 diesel installed in 1984 and recent major overhaul
- Propeller is offset to port

Electrical
- 2 banks of 120 AH 12v batteries; one set new in 2007
- Alternator
- Honda generator, with output of 12v and 240v
- Navigation and interior lights
- Fridge

Tankage
- 2 x Fresh water; capacities approx 40 gallons and 30 gallons, pumps for each
- 20 gallon fuel tank (av consumption c 2 ¼ hours per gallon 18 - 2000 rpm economy)

- Garmin 126
- Sestrel compass
- Hand held Sestrel compass
- Nasa Target depth sounder
- Raymarine log with distance and depth
- Raytheon 10X Radar
- Silva VHF Radio with DSC

- 1 x Automatic electric bilge pump
- 1 x Deck bilge pump
- 1 x Bilge pump at base of companion steps
- Fire extinguishers
- Flares
- Fog horn
- Harnesses

Designed and built by Charles Sibbick in his yard at Cowes from 1903, THALASSA was completed at the yard of Fay & Co at Southaaampton (later Camper & Nicholson).Her story, some aspects of which are recorded below, is remarkable.
Although the identity of her first owner is unknown, there’s a record of owners since 1908. She raced frequently and in the 1927 Fastnet came 3rd. In 1934 and ‘35 she was owned by Guy Napier-Martin and John Illingworth. He planned extensive alterations and refers to her in his classic book ‘Offshore’. In 1936 Alan Baker bought the boat and her participation in the 1939 Fastnet Race is reported in the book ‘To Sea in Carpet Slippers’ by Sandy Sandison, THALASSA’s cook at the time.
After the Second World War, which she spent safely in a mud berth on the east coast, she was raced extensively with considerable success. When Alan Baker died in 1966 she was inherited by his daughter, who with her husband Richard Sewell sailed her very actively for the next 4 decades. For details and a more information about her during that period with pictures and a “Classic Boat” feature from September 2006, please follow this link to THALASSA’s dedicated website www.thalassa06.co.uk
THALASSA has been restored and maintained with great care to keep her character. She is spacious on deck with teak cockpit, hatches and rail. Her interior is largely original and is very attractively paneled, full of interest and the atmosphere of her age.