Alfred Mylne 40 ft Island Class Gaff Yawl 1913/2014 - Sold

Six very evenly matched one-design cruiser-racer 40-footers coming to the start line in any century stirs the hairs on the back of the neck. When they were as beautiful and efficient as Alfred Mylne’s Belfast Lough Island Class Yawls, it must have been quite a thing. Five were built in the space of just a few months winter 1910-1911, then TRASNAGH’s commissioning owner, the advisor to Sir Thomas Lipton’s SHAMROCK America’s Cup challenges, decided the party was too good to miss. Two of the six survive, one a project, and TRASNAGH, the subject of a meticulous restoration awarded a runner up prize in the Classic Boat Awards 2014. TRASNAGH is ready to go for regattas and cruising – true to the original raison d’etre.

This is a provisional set of details; more specs and photos to be added in coming weeks

“Looking at the lovely sweep of the sheer -- the line of the deck elevation -- it is clear that these boats were designed and built to be beautiful: to inspire love and affection; to teach successive generations about the bliss of going afloat; to experience the friendliness of sailing; to feel the excitement of danger when the wind blasts over the water and to know the solid pleasure of beating the elements and reaching harbour safely. What sport can begin to compare with sailing and racing for people of all ages?”
Ian Nicolson: Alfred Mylne The Leading Yacht Designer: Volume 1 1896-1920 (Amberly 2015)

2010-2014 BY PETER NASH, DARTMOUTH, DEVON

"TRASNAGH was bought as a bare hull in 2010 and went through a complete bottom-up restoration led by Peter Nash with several specialists. The rebuilt took four years, and in 2014 was selected as the Classic Boat magazine restoration of the year runner up.

"No expense was spared to bring her back to her former and total beauty. Every step of the way Pete brought the best craftsman onto the project. For example: Ed Burnett was involved when we got to research and trim the sail plan; Lee Rogers was selected to hand make all the rigging; and many suppliers were selected to source all the original items, from all-bronze winches, to new spars from Collar.

"At every step of the project we agreed to “do the right thing”. So, for example: the original iron keel was removed; full inspection; then refitted with all new wrought iron bolts; the teak decks were laid on all replaced plywood; in the mast step area we decided to strengthen to port & starboard, replacing the 2 in x 4 in steamed beams with 4 in x 4 in laminated beams; all floors were removed and either restored or replaced. All new systems were fitted: water & fuel tanks; navigation systems; electrics; 4 x 160 Ah Glen batteries; all new (in keeping) interior.

"In summary, nothing was left to chance, everything that could be saved was, and everything else was replaced with authentic materials."

On Belfast Lough, the idea of one-design yacht racing in performance cruiser-racers had been well honed over two decades by the time this wonderful class of very efficiently rigged gaff yawls hit the scene in 1911. Typically, owners from both sides of the Lough expected a one design class to have run its course in about five seasons, after which they would try something new. But the designers and builders they commissioned had no concept of expendable boats, despite being squeezed on price by these hard-nosed Belfast industrialists and professionals.

So down the centuries we are left with some wonderful survivors of the Belfast Lough One Design Classes, the Alfred Mylne-designed Island Class yawls being arguably the best of them; holding their own while the International Rule was beginning to gain momentum. An horrific war that would decimate many of the offspring that might have been expected to move on to an even larger type actually resulted in the six Island Class yawls surviving longer together, modernising in the mid-1920s to Bermudan rig.

The first five boats of the class were built in one winter,1910-1911, by John Hilditch at his Carrickfergus yard, tightly squeezed into the north west corner of the County Antrim port. Then, in 1912, perhaps the Lough’s most prominent yachtsman - Royal Ulster Yacht Club Vice Commodore, advisor to Sir Thomas Lipton’s America’s Cup challenges, and the Member of Parliament for Belfast East - Colonel R.G. Sharman-Crawford ordered TRASNAGH for the 1913 season. She was named after one of Strangford Lough’s myriad of “sunken drumlin” islands lying just east of popular yachting station Whiterock, and was to be the last yacht built and launched by John Hilditch who died aged 60 in December 1913.

TRASNAGH took the early 1913 season Island Yawl Class races by storm, winning five in a row until a rally by TORY had rather evened things up by the end of the season. Using the modern scoring system TRASNAGH would probably have come out on top.

After the First World War, a succession of owners among the most prominent yachting families of the day on both sides of the North Channel enjoyed her, but she always returned to Belfast Lough ownership after periods in Clydeside hands.

The class adopted a bermudan mainsail from the 1926 season, but TRASNAGH and TORY were late adopters, with results over possibly two seasons as a hybrid class indicating there wasn't much in it. TRASNAGH finally went modern in 1928, in time for one of the great moments in her life, winning the King George V Silver Cup at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club's Regatta on Belfast Lough 13th and 14th July. Racing on the same waters as the "Big Class" yachts, the King's own BRITANNIA, WHITE HEATHER and the 23mR CAMBRIA, TRASNAGH won by gaining the best points total over the two days, winning both Island Class races in a full strength fleet of all six boats; not only gaining the beautiful trophy, but also a personal telegram from the King.

Through the 1930s the numbers of the Islands Class racing together gradually decreased, but instead of the usual five seasons, the class had run its course for more than ten with a terrible war in the middle. The quality of the original idea, the design, and the build ensured that the boats remained used and loved as cruiser racers. Now TRASNAGH, and her sister FIARA - currently a restoration project - are the only known survivors, and TRASNAGH is here and ready to keep proving what a thoroughly good idea it was.

©2022 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Original mahogany topsides planking, splined
- Original pitch pine bottom planking
- Copper and bronze dump fastened
- Sawn and grown oak frames with 2 x intermediate oak steamed timbers
- Extra laminated ring frames at mast
- Iron keel; new wrought iron keelbolts 2014
- Laid teak on plywood deck
- Elements of original deck carpentry

From Aft

- Varnished toerail
- Bronze guardrail stanchions and bases
- Teak laid deck on plywood

AFT DECK
- Bronze mooring fairleads port and starboard at taffrail
- 2 x Bronze mooring cleats
- Varnished teak kingplank
- Mizzen mast position
- Bronze mainsheet horse
- 2 x raised varnished hatches either side
- Bronze mushroom (AIS)
- Mainsheet blocks
- Bronze boom crutch bases
- Bronze foresail sheet cleats port and starboard
- Painted galvanised tiller; bronze rudder head

COCKPIT
- Varnished mahogany cockpit coaming
- 4 x Hutton 30 bronze self tailing sheet winches (2014)
- Kobelt engine control
- Volvo engine panel

TRUNK CABIN
- 2 x Hutton 30 bronze self tailing sheet winches (2014)
- Sliding companionway hatch
- Varnished teak handrails port and starboard
- Butterfly skylight over saloon

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze pinrails port and starboard

MAIN MAST POSITION

FOREDECK
- Bronze chain pipe
- 2 x Deck prisms
- Varnished kingplanks
- Mahogany forehatch with round light
- 35lb Galvanized CQR type anchor in chocks
- 6 m Chain 20 m rode
- Bronze mooring cleats port and starboard
- Bowsprit bits
- 2 x Bronze bow rollers and gammon iron

From aft
- Down 5 x steps to cabin sole
- Quarter berths port and starboard
- Mahogany and white painted finish throughout

GALLEY TO STBD
- Stainless steel sink; mahogany cover
- Bronze hot and cold taps
- Plastimo 4500 2 x burner stove and grill
- Top loading fridge
- Food lockers
- Various pans/ cutlery etc.
- 1 x opening port
- 2 x Bulkhead lights

CHART TABLE TO PORT
- Lockers above and below
- Ship's electrical panel behind mahogany doors
- Fuel tank gauge
- 4 x battery isolation switches
- 1 x opening port
- 2 x Bulkhead lights

SALOON
- Settee berths port and starboard
- (1 x Converts to double berth)
- Lockers in seat backs
- Light brown cushions/ seat covers
- Dropleaf table with bottle stowage
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- Electric lights and reading lights
- 4 x Ports

FORWARD VIA DOOR TO WC COMPARTMENT TO STARBOARD
- Jabsco manual toilet
- Locker
- Stainless steel sink
- Lockers to port
- Electric light
- 2 x Opening ports

FO'C'SLE
- 2 x Berths (possible double)
- 2 x Deck prisms
- Electric reading lights
- Forehatch in deckhead

RIG
- Main mast
- Bronze self-tailing winches
- Douglas fir bowsprit
Collar spruce spars 2014
- Main boom
- 1 x Bronze self-tailing winch
- Main gaff
- Mizzen mast
- Mizzen boom
- Bowsprit
- Topsail yard
- Jackyard

Standing Rigging
- Stainless steel standing rigging (2014)
- Bronze bottle screws (2014)
Running Rigging
- Ash blocks with stainless steel innards (2014)
- Leatherwork
- Wykeham Martin yankee furling back to cockpit
- Drum size 5 (over sized)

SAILS
Westaway 2014
- Gaff Mainsail
- Jackyard topsail
- Bermudan Mizzen
- Staysail
- Yankee jib
- Working jib
- Small jib

Drum size 5 (over sized) Wykeham Marin yankee furling system back to cockpit

CANVAS AND LEATHERWORK
- Matching cockpit seating cushions
- Sail covers and bags matching cushion colour (2014)
- New leatherwork 2014

MECHANICAL
- Volvo D1-30 engine & gearbox (2014)
- Offset to port 2-blade bronze folding propeller

ELECTRICAL
- All new electrics in 2014
- 4 x 160 Ah Glen batteries (2014)
- Battery condition monitoring

TANKAGE
- 45 L Fuel tank (2014)
- Fuel gauge & full breather system
- 2 x 80 L Water tanks, port & starboard under saloon settees
- Pressure water system

AIS system (2014)
Navigation system runs to any external screen (for example, an iPad - not included)
Fully concealed satellite receiver
VHS radio 2014
Depth sounder & AIS tracker/collision avoidance system (all to iPad, as above)

- Misc. sailing equipment
- bronze winch handles
- leather winch pockets (not yet fitted)
- Flags, pennants

- On water and most accommodation by Nigel Sharp