WR Murdoch Flush Deck Sloop 1946

WYVERN II’s designer succeeded with that winning combination of easy sections and moderation in most aspects of her lines. The editor of “Yachting World” in 1950 wrote “...from every point of view she is a most successful design for she demonstrates the possibilities of steel construction in producing a yacht that is a most comfortable cruiser and at the same time sufficiently fast and weatherly to win offshore races in good company.” Between 2002 and 2011 WYVERN II was completely rebuilt from the keel up. This is a fast vintage yacht that is equipped and ready to cruise anywhere in comfort yet a look at her race record from 1947 might surely tempt a new owner to enter a regatta or two!

"WYVERN II is a hidden pearl among classic yachts and now available. She is a beautiful, well restored classic, suitable both for racing and blue water cruising. Comfortable ocean going - ready even to sail round the world and well suited to permanent living aboard - she is also easily handled by one or two persons. While very much a classic, she has modern facilities and equipment to meet the expectations of today and is currently fitted with a 22 m aluminium mast and boom, though the original wooden mast is also available."

WYVERN II was fully restored between 2002 and 2011; essential details of which were
- Hull sand blasted, primed and finished with 2-component paint
- New plating
- New teak deck
- New cockpit and doghouse
- New mast, standing - and running rigging 2013
- New sails 2013 and 2016
- New engine, 2011
- New start and service batteries
- All new electrical wiring
- All new electronic instruments
- Fuel and water tanks cleaned, inspected, repaired and newly coated
- New interior in mahogany designed by Robert Das
- All winches fully refurbished - and frequently serviced since
- New anchor on bow roller
- All exterior teak varnished every two years
- Hull and exterior painted again in 2017

“Though built as a comfortable family cruiser WYVERN II combines these qualities most successfully with seaworthiness and speed.” “Like a number of other heavy displacement yachts with a deep, easy midship section, WYVERN II has proven outstandingly fast to windward in a light to moderate breeze, but she is a fast ship in almost any conditions.”

WYVERN II was built in Antwerp as a cruiser/racer, something of a new concept at that time. In 1950 'Yachting World' published a significant article on this yacht and her designer. In 1991 the Dutch magazine 'Waterkampioen' put WYVERN II in the spotlight twice.

William Robert (Bob) Murdoch her designer was the third generation owner of the boat yard Guthrie, Murdoch & Co. Growing up at the yard, Bob and his brother Frank were resourceful and were to become very driven ship engineers and eventually Bob took over the family business but there is little more known about him apart from that in the article published in the 'Yachting Monthly' magazine from 1950.

Frank on the other hand, chose to switch to aircraft engineering. Growing up with boats however leaves a mark and Frank found himself back in the yacht building business for Sir Thomas Sopwith’s ENDEAVOUR project. His knowledge of aircraft technology proved relevant and he played a significant part in the design and construction of the famous J-Class ENDEAVOUR (America's Cup in 1934) and ENDEAVOUR II (America's Cup in 1937). He had also been one of the crew in the 1934 contest. Later on in life he would go on to play a major role in the restoration of ENDEAVOUR undertaken by American Elizabeth Meyer between 1985 and 1989.

Frank involved his brother Bob in developing several J-Class yachts in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the few facts known about him is that he created many J-Class fittings. Frank also seems to have inspired Bob into yacht design. Bob then having worked on many J-Class yachts, decided to design a J-Class-inspired yacht for himself to sail with his family and as a demo ship for the wharf. Apparently, designing runs in the family!

WYVERN II participated in numerous races in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, such as the North Sea Race and the Fastnet. It's impressive how often she achieved high placings - and among worthy opponents, like the much lighter OLIVIER VAN NOORT and ZWERVER. In her first appearance on the race track in 1947 she was first in class in the Harwich to Hook of Holland race. Bob Murdoch also won the North Sea Race with WYVERN II in 1953, 1955 and 1956. Until 1958 Wyvern II was the flag ship of the Royal Yacht Club in Antwerp. Nonetheless designed as a family yacht, Bob Murdoch and his family were using her mostly for cruising from Norway to the Mediterranean.

In the 1970s and 80s, the yacht enjoyed a somewhat more peaceful existence with a new owner on the Atlantic and home port Bayonne in the southwest France. In the late 1980's the ship was sold again and restored in the Netherlands. After that, she chartered for a number of years in the Caribbean, around the Netherlands Antilles.

A casualty of owner’s divorce, she fell neglected for some 7 years sorely needing some love and attention. In 2001 WYVERN II was seen on the quay in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles and purchased by the current owner. After she had been shipped to the Netherlands, the restoration began and completed by 2011; WYVERN II began her third life. Since 2011 she has cruised European waters, from Sweden to Spain.

A well-known sister ship of WYVERN II is FLYING MIST, now known as BRUMA. She is listed and described in detail in several books on classic yachts.

- Steel hull and superstructure with extra knees and cross connections for stiffness
- Cast iron keel of approximately 10 tons
- Keel hung rudder
- Ivory white hull and doghouse
- Blue self polish antifouled undersides
- Teak 22 mm planking flush deck bonded to 3x10 mm plywood sub deck on steel deck beams
- 50 mm PUR insulation on hull and deck; warm in winter, cool in summer
- Bulwark / gunwale in stainless steel
- Teak capping rail
- Original bronze fittings and deck equipment
- Rubber insulation inside all interior walls and doors for optimal silence and comfort
- Watertight bulkheads fitted fore and aft
- Interior joinery in mahogany veneer with solid mahogany edges, cabinets and doors
- Solid oak cabin soles

Flush deck plan designed for easy handling by a short-handed crew
From aft
- Backstay with tensioner
- Pushpit with guard rails running forward through stanchions each side
- Life raft stowage
- Original bronze and teak mooring cleats each side
- Original Murdoch bronze winch on aft deck centre line
- Selden main sheet system
- Varnished teak coaming round self draining cockpit with teak sole
- Seating for helmsman abaft teak wheel
- Wheel to quadrant steering - fully refurbished 2017
- Plath compass, housed on original Murdoch bronze binnacle
- Bench seating over deep lockers to port and starboard
- Engine controls and navigation instruments mounted under the shelter top of the doghouse
- 1 x Barient manual ST winch for main sail, mounted to port (another in storage)
- 2 x Bronze Barlow manual winches on pedestals outboard for jib / genoa
- Wide clean side decks
- Doghouse with 4 large and 5 small port lights and sliding hatch offset to stbd
- Original bronze and teak mooring cleats each side
- Teak butterfly skylight over saloon, original bronze fittings and tinted safety glass
- Dorade boxes each side with bronze vent cowls and mushroom vent with coamings forward
- Mast with lemon squeezer deck lights each side
- Teak skylight hatch fwd of mast over guestroom, original bronze fittings and tinted safety glass
- Teak hatch over forward stowage
- Original bronze and teak mooring cleats each side and bronze fairleads
- Original Murdoch anchor windlass with warping capstan
- 40 Kg Stainless steel Bruce anchor
- Furlex furler for genoa

- Accommodation is for 4-6 guests in 3 cabins
- New interior designed by Robert Das and built in modern layout, but classic style
- Light oak soles and a white painted deck head give a bright look
- Contrasting satin varnished mahogany interior joinery
- Unrestricted headroom >2 m throughout the whole interior
- All cabin lights in LED for reduced power consumption

From aft moving forward
- From cockpit step up
- Sliding hatch in doghouse roof and louvred double door access 4 companionway steps down
- Light and spacious interior
- Companionway stairs down to corridor with wardrobes to starboard
- Passing the master/owners cabin to port

Galley to port
- Cupboards with drawers
- Stainless steel sink with mixer tap, stowage lockers under
- Cupboard above
- Front loading fridge stbd
- Top loading cupboard on port usable as Fridge/freezer
- Smev 3 gas burner hob and gas oven, with grill, cardanic
- Stainless steel extractor hood
- Whirlpool microwave oven
- Nespresso coffee machine

Navigation area to starboard
- Navigation instruments, GPS, VHF, tank level indicators, electrical panel and controls
- Large solid mahogany lifting desktop chart table and pilot’s seat

Saloon with butterfly skylight over dining table
- Classic saloon midships, spans the full beam of the yacht
- Mahogany drop leaf folding table for 6 under a butterfly skylight on centre line
- L shaped settee berth to port and bench settee berth stbd with stowage under
- All seating in blue velour upholstery
- 2 x Lockers in traditionally panelling each side outboard
- Bookcase to port
- Heating convectors outboard of settees for comfort in cold winters
- Lamp on centreline over dining table and many deck head lights
- Doorway to corridor leading to forward accommodation and head compartment
- Corridor with head to port and hanging locker and cupboard stbd

Head and shower compartment
- Cupboard with mirror on locker door
- HPL / stainless steel wash basin with mixer tap, stowage lockers under
- Grohe Mixer shower head
- Towel radiator
- Shower curtain in U-shape
- Sealed sole HPL-wall finishing
- Dometic Vacuflush fresh water 24 V WC
- Hatch behind locker accesses the WC vacuum system and plumbing

Double guest cabin
- Double berth to port, with wardrobe / stowage lockers under
- Extra long 2.3 m single berth starboard, cupboards with drawers under
- Both berths with quality mattress on a slatted base frame
- 2 x Reading lights
- Steps up to raised hatch on fore deck

Forepeak
- Watertight bulkhead
- Access with ladder, through teak hatch on foredeck
- Black water tank to port
- Gas cupboard, with 2 gas bottles to starboard
- Sail storage
- Anchor chain locker amidships
- Stowage for dinghy

Coming aft through the saloon

Master / owner’s cabin to the right; port side of companionway stairs
- Double berth with quality mattress on a slatted base frame
- Wardrobe beside the berth and two drawers under
- Heating convector built in wardrobe
- Well lit by two opening ports, 2 x deck head and 2 x reading lights
- Banquette seat on centreline, next to berth, opposite wardrobe
- More stowage under the berth
- Corridor and exit to cockpit

Engine room
- Engine is situated partly under the galley and the centre line seat in the owner’s cabin
- Several doors / hatches give access to the well isolated engine room
- For quick inspections or changing filters there are 2 doors / hatches in the corridor by the galley
- Centre line seat in the owner’s cabin can be opened as a 'car hood'.
- Base of cupboard and sole by galley easily removable for full access to all engine parts

Domestic equipment not detailed above
- Maritime Booster Mini Combi, 14 kW Hot water & heating with fan coils, convectors, radiators
- Johnson pump with pressure vessel for pressurised fresh water
- Vitrifrigo freezer and fridge
- MT logic CD/MP3/radio, incl. remote control, 8 speakers audio in saloon
- Kenwood CD/MP3/radio, incl. remote control and speakers in cockpit
- Samsung LCD Digitenne TV

Sloop rig convertible to Bermudan cutter rig
- Main mast with 2 pairs spreaders, keel mounted on a metal plate Selden 2013
- Boom with fast reef system; 3 reefs
- All spars painted with 2 coats white
- 316 Stainless steel wire standing rigging 2013, attached to a reinforced steel frame
- Backstay with tensioner 2013 attached to a plate welded to reinforced steel frame
- Removable cutter stay
- Dynema running rigging 2013
- 3 x Barient halyard winches on mast
- Spinnaker pole on deck and track on mast leading edge

Sails
- Main:M-Sails 72 sq m, 2016 vgc as new
- High performance cruising main; Contender Fibercon Pro Dacron, cross-cut
- Roller headsail: Rolly Tasker Sails furling cruising 120% genoa, 74 sq, 2013 vgc as new
- High performance cruising: CDX11 Contender laminaat, tri-radiaal, Sunbrella UV luff strip
- Staysail / storm jib: De Vries Sails, 20 sq m 1990 n 1990 but hardly used
- Spinnaker: North Sails, c. 150 sq m, 1990 but hardly used

Canvas
- Mainsail cover
- Steering wheel cover
- Hatch covers
- Dorade covers
- Winch covers
- Anchor winch cover
- Overall full boat winter cover

- Yanmar 4JH4-HTE (2011)
- ZF Marine gearbox; ZF 25-2.0, 1:1.97
- Shaft drive; Python-Drive P110, Volvo seal, water lubricated
- HS-Aquaprop - 3 bladed, Ø 19 inch / 483 mm, pitch 11.5 inch / 292 mm
- Yanmar control panel
- Vetus cooling water filter
- Space in the forepeak for a bow thrusters (not fitted)
- Cruising speed 5-6 knots, max speed 7-8 knots
- Range c 700-800 n miles at cruising speed (1500-1800 rpm)
- Extra switchable external double Diesel filter
- 12 V, 24 V and 230 V electrics
- 230 V shore power
- Service batteries; 24 V, 210 Ah (4x105 Ah), 2017
- Starting batteries: 12 V, 90 Ah gel cells, 2010 + 2017 (spare)
- Alternator 12 V - 80 A start
- Alternator 24 V - 60 A service with Balmar regulator
- Charger/inverter; Victron - Phoenix Multiplus 24/2000/50 + Phoenix multi control
- Isolator switches 12 V, 24 V and engine
- LED alpenglow cabin lights (night vision)
- LED cabin lights
- LED tricolor and anchor lights
- 2 x 40 W solar panels with controller
- Water tank c 600 ltr / 132 gallons
- Fuel tank c 400 ltr / 88 gallons
- Black water tank ca. 300 ltr / 66 gallons.
- Gas tanks 2 x 7 Kg
- Tank level indicators at chart table
- Electrical and control panels at chart table

At chart table
- NASA Clipper: depth, log and wind
- Furuno GPS/Waas - GP-32
- Chart plotter Apple iPad with Navionics (not included)
- Laptop with Waypoint GPS charts (not included)
- VHF; Icom IC-M505

At the helm / in cockpit
- Plath compass
- NASA Clipper repeaters: depth, log, wind and GPS
- VHF; Icom IC-M505 Commander mic III
- Yanmar control panel
- Kenwood CD/MP3/radio, incl. remote control and speakers
- Chart plotter; Apple iPad with Navionics (not included)

- Manual bilge pump aft in cockpit with selector valve for spaces to be emptied
- Automatic pump in fore peak
- 2 x Automatic / manual pumps in saloon and deep bilge
- BEP Marine gas detector in fore peak (gas bun) and under stove/oven
- 1 x 4 person inflatable life raft
- 1 x Life buoy
- 2 x 2 Litre foam fire extinguisher
- Tender with Yamaha outboard

- Custom made steel cradle for shore storage or for shipping