GL Watson 47 ft Motor Sailer 1937/2013 - Sold

This fine twin-screw displacement ketch with impeccable pedigree fell into the best possible hands in 2010 when the present owner became smitten at the right time in her life. Over the following three years he had BEATITUDE restored at Elephant Boatyard with a clear plan of what he wanted to do with her. During the ensuing five seasons she has successfully and comfortably long-range cruised UK and Irish waters, proving well mannered and self-sufficiently capable. BEATITUDE benefits from an interior layout that is practical and yet allows privacy: 3 cabins, a wheelhouse/ deck saloon with superb visibility, and cosy lower saloon - perfect for two couples or a family to cruise in vintage style, but with modern amenities and systems. A mini vintage explorer yacht or mother ship for a classic race boat perhaps? In whatever role she does it with style.

Some yachts are special from the start; BEATITUDE certainly was, and remains so. When successful Yorkshire tar distiller and Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club member George William Mitchell of Doncaster decided to become a yacht owner relatively late in life - presumably in his retirement - he could have easily ordered a “stock cruiser” design locally from Hyland of Wakefield to be built at their Staniland yard at Thorne. Instead, in 1936 Mitchell commissioned maestros of yacht design Glasgow-based GL Watson & Co to draught his dream ship – design No. 567. The result was the only non Hyland-designed yacht built by the profusely productive Staniland yard to that point, and one that was built to last.

A combination of sound Watson specification and a yard with an earlier reputation for the stout construction of small commercial sailing vessels, especially ‘Humber Keels’, resulted in a fine and strong all round yacht. In fact her build scantlings and quality proved so good that, extraordinarily, thirty years after launching, although not originally built under Lloyds supervision, she was eventually classified by them ‘100A1’ - their highest possible grading.

War curtailed a longer relationship between Mitchell and BEATITUDE, and she became the government-requisitioned, grey all over floating base for the 14th Nottinghamshire (Trent River Patrol) Battalion of the Home Guard – “Dad’s Army”. By war’s end, Mitchell had passed away naturally and she was disposed of to Nottingham draper William Newman Granger, like Mitchell a Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club member, in whose hands she became somehow registered at the port of Glasgow, Scotland, and her name changed to NEW STAR II.

Her next change of ownership in 1953 remained “northern”, but silk merchants Mr & Mrs EW Stannard of Stoke-on-Trent cruised southern UK waters as members of the Royal Thames and Royal Southern Yacht Clubs. Certainly, when it became time to replace her original Thornycroft paraffin engines with Russell Newbury diesels, this work was done in Hampshire to Lloyds 8A1.

The Stannards were obviously meticulous owners, and perhaps it’s to them as well as to London butcher Frederick Lepard, owner from 1955 until 1968 and responsible for the Lloyds 100A1 classification, that NEW STAR II/ BEATITUDE owes her longevity up to the point of her major 2010-2013 rebuild; that and her exceptionally stout construction.

After a brief sojourn based in Jersey, she returned to home waters in the early 1970s and changed hands many times in a generally downward spiral with the Lloyds classification withdrawn in 1977.

There followed rescue from an unsavoury end by UK-based Swede, Nils Rudder, who changed her name back to the original and refitted her for a 1980s Scandinavian cruise. BEATITUDE was subsequently cared for through the 1990s by William Cooper who fell for her charms lying at Port Hamble in a rather forlorn state and managed to recover many “lost” items at Hampshire boat jumbles.

It was via a subsequent ownership that BEATITUDE found her next lover who was prepared to dig deep to give her the structural restoration that time had demanded. From 2013 he has enjoyed her with friends during extensive and successful cruises of the UK’s west coast, including the Caledonian Canal, proving well her very usable layout as a vintage explorer yacht par excellence.

Between 2010 and 2013 BEATITUDE received an extensive structural rebuild at Elephant Boatyard on the Hamble River, England. Great care was taken to preserve and restore the non-structural, original elements that give her so much character, whilst discretely installing all mod cons.

- Oregon pine hull and topsides on oak frame
- Rangoon teak deck and superstructure
- Round bilge, long iron ballast keel

- Laid teak decks
- Extensive uncluttered deck area forward
- Varnished teak coveringboards; painted toerail aft rising to bulwark then raised topsides
- Full length rubbing strake
- Original painted steel stanchions and guard rails overhauled, with teak capping rail
- Gates port and starboard aft of deckhouse
- Removable aft section of capping rail for tender access
- Teak lazarette hatch with portlight
- Bronze mushroom ventilator in king plank forward of hatch
- Painted galvanised tender davits suitable for both tenders
- 2 x Quarter fairleads each side
- Teak aft house: square ports; 2 hatches, 1 with skylights; teak laid roof; varnished margins
- Removable, purpose made chocks for either dinghy located on aft cabin roof
- 1 x permanent wooden hoistable gangway, starboard side
- Boarding ladder
- Mizzen sheet cleats at aft of coachhouse
- Liferaft stowage above forward hatch
- 1 x Rectangular deck prism at each side deck to aft accommodation
- 1 x circular deck prism at each side deck to engine room
- Teak semi sunk deckhouse with windows all round and 45 degree angled front corners
- White painted fibreglass sheathed slightly overlapping roof
- Vintage searchlight, 2 x solar panels, 4 x cowl ventilators, port and starboard running lights
- Grab rail each side in way of sliding entrance doors
- Main boom crutch
- Raised forward teak laid deck with varnished king plank and covering boards
- Large butterfly skylight over saloon adjoining front of wheelhouse
- 2 x Main sheet self tailing winches
- 2 x Large painted cowl ventilators
- Forward butterfly skylight over forward cabin
- Teak forehatch with portlight
- 270 feet (45 fathoms) 3/8 in galvanised anchor cable
- 1 x Lewmar Delta anchor stowed on stemhead roller
- 1 x CQR pattern anchor
- Original Hyland hydraulic windlass and winch; overhauled 2013 incl. new hydraulic pump
- Sea water deck wash pump with hose adjacent to windlass

Completely refurbished in 2013 with most of the original mahogany panelling and fittings being retained. Restoration work was undertaken sympathetically to retain the original character but to allow for the use of modern equipment and practices.

- Full headroom throughout, except in engine room
- All varnished features are mahogany
- Hull side in cabins mahogany open slatted
- Extensive stowage under all bunks and settees
- Fully re-upholstered 2013
- Carpeted throughout

Wheelhouse
- Enter via 2 sliding doors starboard side; 1 port side
- Full-width console; navigation equipment and engine instrumentation/ controls
- Traditional ship's wheel to port; passage to forward accommodation to starboard
- Settee berth to port, folding table, bookshelf/ sideboard over stair to aft accommodation
- Starboard side passage leading aft to steps down to aft accommodation and engine room

Engine room below wheelhouse
- Of similar dimensions to wheelhouse

Forward accommodation accessed by steps down from wheelhouse

Saloon
- White painted finish with varnished furniture and deck beams
- 3 x Opening hull ports each side
- ‘Cabin’ type bulkhead mounted lamps and deckhead lights
To port
- Full height dresser, bevel glassed doors, glass topped working surface, locker below
- Upholstered settee seating on three sides around folding saloon table
To starboard
- Galley with full length hardwood work surface
- Induction hob with stainless steel fiddles
- Cool box, microwave built into locker above and refrigerator beneath
- Athwartships double sink forward with mixer tap
- Stowage for crockery, cutlery, comestibles

Forward via door from saloon to forward cabin
- Shower room to starboard
- Bathroom to port
- Electric fresh water flush toilet
- Wash basin with mixer tap/ extendable shower head
- Vanity unit
Forward cabin
- Large double bunk to port, side settee to starboard, hanging lockers, cabinet

Aft accommodation and engine room accessed via turned stair leading from aft of deckhouse
- Centre panelled passage
- Low level engine room door forward
- To starboard through sliding panelled door: single berth cabin with chest of drawers
- Bathroom to port through sliding panelled door
- Separate shower cubicle
- Electric fresh water flush toilet
- Washing machine
- Wash basin with mixer tap/ extendable shower head
- Vanity unit

At aft of passage, full width state room
- White painted coach house sides
- Grabrails at carlins
- Large single berth to starboard; single berth to port
- Hanging locker; vanity unit
- Centre dressing table with hinged top revealing Victorian hand beaten copper sink bowl

Domestic equipment
- 2 x LeeSan Headmaster fresh water electrically operated heads
- 2 x Wash hand basins with mixer tap or shower function
- 2 x Full shower appliances in dedicated shower rooms
- Twin sink with mixer tap in galley
- Zanussi ZWC1301 washing machine (3kg. drum)
- 2 ring 240V induction hob with removable stainless steel fiddles
- Panasonic NN-CF7785 Microwave flatbed Cooker/Grill/Convection Oven
- 12V stainless steel (2 drawer) refrigerator
- Cool box
- Deck shower (h+c)

Douglas fir spars
- Main mast and boom
- Mizzen mast and boom
- Integral wiring
- Stainless steel rigging

Sails by Ratsey & Lapthorn
- Gaff mainsail, hooped luff (2013)
- Gaff mizzen, laced luff (2013)
- Hanked jib (2013)
- Hanked Yankee (2016)
- 2x Lewmar self-tailing sheet winches

Covers
- Mainsail and mizzen boom covers
- Fitted hatch covers
- Wheelhouse side covers

Range
- More than 900 miles @ cruising speed 7 knots (1600 RPM)
- Max 9 knots (2000 RPM)

Power and drive train; generator
- 2 x Perkins Sabre M135 Diesel engines; 135 HP @2600 rpm/ 118HP @ 2200 rpm (1997)
- Engine hours at 1 Feb 2018: 939 starboard/ 972 port
- 2 x Fitted lead-lined acoustic engine jackets
- 2 x Newage PRM 302D 2:1 reduction / reverse gearboxes
- 2 x Teinbridge bronze water feed lubricated stern tubes new (2015-16)
- 2 x 2 Inch dia stainless steel shafts
- 2 x Phosphor-bronze three bladed 22 inch dia 17 inch pitch propellers
- Fischer Panda PMS 4000S (4.5KvA) Diesel generator (2016)
- Hours 1 Feb 2018: 44

Tanks
- 3 x Linked flow s/s fuel tanks under main saloon total exceeding 300 Imp gallons (2013)
- 2 x Tek-Tank 120 gallon fuel tanks in engine room new (2013)
- 3 Polyethylene water tanks under forward sole >120 Imp gallons total (2013)

Fresh water system
- Pressurised system
- QL starboard engine calorifier water water with 240V immersion element
- Echotec starboard engine-driven watermaker, capacity >20 Imp gallons per hour

Electrical
- Merlin S500 TE alternator/ battery management system
- 2 x Fallriver (HC2150) individual start batteries, paralleled to main system (2018)
- 2 x Uprated Lucas A127 70A main engine alternators
- Marine grade cable throughout; completely rewired in 2013
- 32A stainless steel shore power connector
- Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120 16A inverter with remote control panel
- 4 x Lifeline GPL-6CT AGM 6V 300Ah traction domestic batteries (2012)
- 2 x 90 Watt monocrystalline solar panels with 225 Watt Power Point regulator
- Numerous 240V outlets throughout, including engine room

All Raymarine electronic equipment purchased and fitted in 2013
- C125 MFD Chartplotter
- 18” 4kW HD Digital Radome
- AIS 650 Class B Transceiver
- 218E VHF Radio + Hailing Horn
- SPX-30 integrated autopilot system, including p70R Pilot Control
- i70 instrument display
- 5 ½ in Sestrel binnacle compass
- Throughdeck 9 ½” diam. 12V chrome spotlight
- Kent Clearview screen
- ETON 750 satellite receiving radio
- Aquasignal LED navigation lights
- ‘BEATITUDE’ brass barometer and clock
- Hand bearing compass

- 8 man Zodiac liferaft.
- Numerous lifejackets and buoyancy aids.
- Additional manual searchlight.
- Electronic (Raymarine) Hailing Horn,plus aerosol operated horn.
- 3 x fire extinguishers ; 2 x fire blankets.
- 2 x Johnson float activated bilge Pumps / electric bilge pump alarm.
- Offshore flare pack.

- 1 x 8’6” Wooden clinker built dinghy by Jack Kay of Ardrishaig
- 1 x 2.4m Ribeye, aluminium hull RIB (2015)
- 1 x Honda 2.5 HP (4 cylinder) outboard
- 1 x ‘Hook & Moor’ boathook
- 1 x standard wooden boathook
- Adequate number of fenders and warps

Main image photo by James Roberts (Instagram @james_roberts_rr)