McGruer 54 ft Ketch 1973 - Sold

This wonderful ketch is at the top end of yachts from the McGruer portfolio. Notably she was designed by James’s son George, a graduate in naval architecture who gained some worldly experience before taking over as MD of the business in 1969. From this time it seems McGruer’s hallmark yachts were of another aesthetic dimension, reflecting George’s own artistic qualities. Indeed more than one commentator has remarked that three ketches of that era TALISKER MHOR - as she now is, CUILAUN OF KINSALE and GLORY BE IV are among the finest yachts of their size – anywhere. Strongly constructed of course and enduring, she has been beautifully kept; her systems properly maintained and very well equipped to make a superb cruising yacht - and moreover with some turn of speed. She has moreover been set up carefully with the aim of sailing shorthanded. To Ireland, Northern Spain and Southern Brittany her owners, sailing à deux with considerable ease, have been delighted with her performance. Most recently refitted she has been stripped back to bare wood and totally repainted and protected – immaculate.

- Nanni marinised Mercedes 135 HP Diesel 2,680 hours and instrumentation
- Maxprop
- Wind generator battery charger on mizzen mast
- Isolator panel for 12 V, 24 V and 240 V electrical systems
- Mastervolt 2.2 Kw inverter
- 4 x Gel 135 Ah domestic batteries
- 1 x Engine battery
- 3 x 12 V x 24 V DC outlets in saloon
- 4 x deck head lights in saloon
- 3 x reading lights in saloon
- Deck head lights in guest cabin deck heads
- 2 x reading lights in owners double cabin
- Shore power (cockpit terminal)
- 50 gallon / 255 litre fuel tank forward
- 40 gallon / fuel tank aft
- 140 gallons / 636 litr fresh water

- Douglas fir varnished mizzen mast single spreader Noble Spars c 2002
- Lewmar 40 halyard winch
- Lazy jacks
- Douglas fir main mast single spreader Noble Spars c 2002
- 3 x Lewmar halyard winches; 43, 40, 40
- Lazy jacks
- Running backstay on block & tackle
- Bamar electric furler to forestay
- Carbon jib pole
- Hood main sail 2009
- Hood genoa 2009
- Hood mizzen 2009
- Hood staysail 2009
- Sanders yankee
- Hank on storm sail

From the aft deck with push pit seating, generous side decks flank the deep cockpit and main superstructure. The cabin accessed by sliding hatch and doorway forward of the helm wheel and offset to starboard has a washed teak planked coach roof framed in teak bright work. The mid and fore decks are also spacious. Generally from aft the equipment comprises
- Stainless steel framed and teak boarding ladder over counter
- Varnished out board bracket
- 2 x Bronze fairleads
- 2 x Teak and chromed mooring cleats
- Gas box and seating
- 2 x Lazarette hatches
- Varnished king plank
- Stanchions and guard rails both sides up to pulpit
- Tufnol blocks for mizzen
- Lewmar 16 winch for mizzen sheet
- Deep and well protected cockpit, access to lazarette – holding cockpit table and cushions
- Cockpit seats both sides with large storage lockers under
- Vents from Eberspacher heating system
- Destroyer type helm wheel and steering compass binnacle
- 2 x Lewmar 55 spinnaker / staysail winches teak block mounted outboard of cockpit
- 2 x Lewmar 65 electric genoa winches
- Deck mounted 2 x stainless steel spinnaker sheet sheaves
- Traveller system for main sheet on trunk cabin top sheeted to Lewmar 40 in cockpit
- Lewmar 48 electric winch abaft mast for main halyard
- Stainless steel granny bars either side of main mast with varnished pin racks
- Wide side decks with long fore and aft jib tracks
- Trunk cabin with varnished hand rails port and stbd
- Track for staysail
- 2 x Chrome cowls
- 2 x lemon squeezer lights and 2 x deck prisms light head / shower compartment
- 3 x Alloy hatches over main saloon and galley
- Track for staysail
- 2nd Trunk cabin with 2 x chrome cowls and large alloy hatch forward of main mast
- Muir Thor anchor windlass (controls to port on cockpit bulkhead)
- 75 lb and 60 lb CQR anchors 250 ft ½ inch chain
- Sampson post
- Bronze Panama eyes for mooring ropes amidships
- 2 x Teak and chromed mooring cleats
- Fenders
- Warps
- Advance covers for main and mizzen sails
- Tent style cockpit cover and sides
- Bespoke tented overall out of water cover

- Carvel mahogany planking bronze fastened to laminated mahogany frames
- Lead keel
- Teak decks
- Teak superstructure
- Teak cockpit with high coamings

From the cockpit a sliding hatch, doorway and companionway steps lead down to the accommodation below. This is very well laid out with substantial galley to port, charts to stbd and half bulkheads revealing the saloon and further accommodation forward; all resplendent in varnished mahogany with solid teak cabin sole, white panelling and deck head; very well lit with side ports and overhead lights. With accommodation for up to 7 in 4 cabins the layout and equipment from aft is arranged:

Galley to port with opening port in bulkhead for good ventilation
- Twin bowl stainless steel sink with mixer H&C tap
- Force 10 Marine gas 3 x burner hob and oven
- Large top loading fridge freezer (with water cooled compressor)
- Top loading stowage locker
- Generous stowage cupboards, drawers and racks outboard for crockery, provisions etc

Wet locker and navigation area to starboard
- Chart table with large chart stowage, drawers and cupboards
- Bookshelves outboard
- Seating

Main saloon
- Settee berth to port with cushioned backs aft to side and forward, convertible to stowage
- Generous drop leaf table amidships
- Settee berth to starboard with stowage under
- Pilot berth above and outboard starboard
- Drinks and glass cabinet
- Oil lamp

Doorway and corridor forward amidships
- Head with Blake manual WC, shower (pumps to waste) and stainless steel basin to port
- Guest cabin to starboard with hatch access single berth and stowage under
- Paul Luke wood burning heater
- Guest cabin to port with hatch access and single berth and stowage under
- Owners cabin; 2 x hatches in deckhead, large double berth to port, settee and basin to stbd
- Substantial stowage under berths
- Book case to stbd
- Fore peak has Blake manual WC accessible also to owners cabin
- Stowage for sheets, warps, sails, boathook tender engine etc

Formerly CERESIO this yacht was built at the McGruer boatyard on the Clyde in 1973. CUILAUN, her sister was built for an American who still sails her in the waters of Maine, East Coast USA.

Struck by CUILAUN\'s beautiful lines and teak construction an English east coast trawlerman was inspired to own a yacht of the same design – leading to his commissioning CERESIO. Unfortunately he was to fall ill and he was not to realise his dream. Colin Tindal, a member of the Clyde Yacht Club bought her, renaming her TALISKER MHOR, TALISKER; the name of his previous yacht and MHOR \'big\' in Gallic given the larger dimensions of this, his new boat.

She sailed under Tindal’s ownership to the Caribbean and back and was then bought by an Italian Doctor Luigi Greppi in Gibraltar. In his ownership she cruised the Med for a few years - and truth be told was rather neglected. As Steve Sands, the present owner recognised in 1994 - and still protests, \"She needed to be sold\".

Alan Buchanan then in his late 70s surveyed her – and recorded; \"The McGruers really knew how to plank boats in those days\". This seal of approval was enough of a go-ahead and the sale was clinched.

Steve Sands sailed her back from Italy to the UK and immediately had her lifted for some TLC; just as well given that whilst trying to wrench off some rubber hoses the sea cocks came off in his hands! Many months of labour later TALISKER MHOR was re launched. Steve had worked especially hard on the rigging; putting in roller furling and slab reefing which made it easy to sail the boat with just two pairs of hands.

- Sestrel steering compass in cockpit binnacle
- Raymarine autopilot ST6000Z – units on cockpit bulkhead fwd of helm
- Raymarine ST60 + Tridata system
- Echopilot log
- B&G analogue wind direction
- Furuno Navtex
- Raytheon RL9 radar (Radar scanner on mizzen mast)
- Garmin GPS 152
- B&G analogue depth sounder
- Simrad RD 68 VHF
- Inverter for laptop
- Ships clock and barometer in saloon

- Life rings
- Kim man overboard sling
- Avon dinghy and Torqeedo 8 HP outboard
- 2 x manual bilge pumps in cockpit
- 6 x fire extinguishers – 1 in every cabin