Silvers John Bain 54 ft 'Ormidale' Twin Screw Motor Yacht 1951

ILONDA is among the earliest and purest of John Bain's iconic and much sought-after Silver ORIMIDALE Class, with the original, clean and highly attractive deckhouse on flush deck profile. In long term current ownership, ILONDA has received a sensible maintenance regime and recently been re-powered, while her accommodation has been tastefully and respectfully upgraded to modern standards. Such comfort and practicality married to the ORMIDALE Class's legendary seakeeping qualities and sheer presence make ILONDA a very enticing family classic motor yacht - and perhaps a most suitable classic regatta mothership.

2020
- Installation of 3 x new plastic water tanks and associated new plumbing
- Total capacity 435 Litres

2017
- Re-engined

2016
- Installation of bow and stern jet thruster system

2015
- Replacement of both shaft logs in Iroko and associated works
- Deck refastening

Henderson the Jeweller was an iconic Glasgow name with branches all over Scotland. Post war business was good enough in 1950 for Don Henderson of that ilk to commission this fabulous expression of John Bain's design flair for building by his James A Silver yard at Rosneath, Dunbartonshire, with delivery early spring 1951.

ILONDA followed a pattern of development begun pre-war when the popular Silver Leaf Class design was occasionally stretched from the standard 43 feet up to 50 feet. Silvers were exceptionally busy during the Second World War producing Fairmile-designed Motor Launches, Motor Gunboats and Motor Torpedo Boats, among other work. Bain would have been busy supervising these builds, but with much creative space to develop his own designs for better times. The most successful result - named after the first boat built to the design in 1949 - was the ORMIDALE Class which would remain in production for 25 years at lengths ranging to over 100ft, and become much sought after. The key ingredients were a combination of increasing spaciousness and seakindliness - true to Silvers advertising slogan: "Superbly Seaworthy".

The Yachting World magazine review was both complimentary and technical: "Mr. John Bain has a reputation for designing grand sea boats, with good accommodation, efficient in operation, well built and beautifully finished...

" The hull is of the ORMIDALE type, with a long, fine run aft and a deeply immersed point to the transom, but, unlike ORMIDALE, she is a single-rudder vessel with a keel running aft almost to the sternpost. By carrying down the central point of the transom well below the waterline, the thrust races of the two screws are separated. Mr Bain considers that this arrangement has the advantage of making these vessels run straight and steer easily in a following sea. They are certainly well mannered in this respect."

Silvers advertising at the time boasted ILONDA as "... an improved version of the famous ORMIDALE Class which has been so notably successful in the Pavilion d'Or, 1948, 1949 and 1950." Thirty years of designing and building have produced perfection in ILONDA which finely exemplifies the Silver tradition."

After four seasons, Henderson sold ILONDA to the first of a series of UK based owners over the decades who respectfully didn't tamper with Bain's concept. More recently, under similarly careful Belgian ownership ILONDA has cruised the western Baltic by summer and been sensibly upgraded by winter.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Mahogany planking on oak frame
- Solid teak deck
- Deck structures in solid teak

ILONDA has a beautifully crafted and very traditional interior, with white painted surfaces and teak highlights throughout the whole interior. White soft furnishings on bunks and seats underline the very tasteful overall impression of this fine example of Scottish craftsmanship. The interior has been partly renewed in the tradition of the vessel and is in exceptional condition.

The deckheads are painted white providing for a very light interior in combination with the portholes.

AFT ACCOMODATION
- 1 x double berth in aft cabin with sink and banquette
- 2 x single berth cabins aft with sink
- WC/ Shower compartment with sink
- Electric Marine Toilet

FORWARD ACCOMMODATION
Saloon
- Woodburning stove
- 2 x single berths on bunks in the salon as spares
Athwartships galley
- 2 x burner electric stove
- Wemo fridge
Single berth cabin fwd
- Work bench to starboard
- Chain locker access

- Webasto heating system (2009)
- Webasto DBW hot water (2010)
- Pressurised water system

MECHANICAL
- 2 x Solé 160 hp 4cy Diesels (2017)
- Engine hours at March 2021: 304.7 & 305.2
- Hydraulic SCG gear boxes
- Indirect cooling system
- Maximum speed: 11 knots
- Cruising speed 7 knots
- Consumption in cruising mode - 8l/h for both engines
- 2 x Bronze 3-blade propellers (2017)
- Geko Marine M7000 E-A/KED Diesel Generator 2700W

ELECTRICAL
- System renewed, 2006
- 2 x Gel batteries
- 1 x 80Ah Battery for the generator
- 2 170 Ah Batteries for the engines
- Sterling Power Inverter 12/24V DC – 230VAC

TANKAGE
- Fuel: 1,200 L
- Fresh water: 435 L in 3 x plastic tanks (2020)
- Sigmar Marine calorifier/ electric immersion hot water tank

BOW AND STERN JET THRUSTER SYSTEM
- Holland Marine Parts 24 V 15.5 kW JT90 Horizontal pump (2016)

- Raymarine C-120, new 2005
- Radar
- GPS
- Echosounder
- VHF transceiver simplex/ semiduplex VHF DEBEG

- EPIRB Simrad EG50 & EP50

- Full winter cover