J Pain Clark 32 ft Gaff Cutter 1905/1999 - Sold

J. Pain Clark was arguably Edwardian England's most talented 'amateur' yacht designer, and LONA II, built to his own account by William King & Sons of Burnham-on-Crouch, may well be the most desirable of small, intrinsically English, gaff cutter cruiser-racers. True to her builders’ reputation, her light but strong construction kept LONA II alive until the 1980s wooden boat revival, and ever since she has enjoyed absolutely the right kind of restoration and care under three loving owners. More recently, LONA II has graced Italy's fashionable yet suitably old-fashioned Riviera di Levante - often single-handed - with a hands-on owner who knows he is lucky to be the custodian of something very special. LONA II is lucky too.

I first met LONA II before her owner did; she was moored in Birdham Pool and I still have pictures of that day. The boat has always been well cared after and very much loved. He is a retired businessman, but he has grown up on boats and he has always had plenty of time for his boat: LONA II has been his priority for the last 17 years. Since he bought her in 2005 he has spent thousands of hours working on her. All the jobs have been done at high professional level. He is a maniac of traditional tools and materials: on LONA II there is no epoxy nor polyester; only mono-component and possibly water based finish.

John Pain Clark was a London architect with the ability, flair, and means to design and have built for himself and his friends some of the most attractive small yachts of the early 20th Century: many were very well built by William King & Sons of Burnham-on-Crouch.

As Pain honed his out-of-hours craft, he had a series of LONAs built in quick succession at Burnham and latterly on the River Thames at Chiswick.

The second LONA attracted many interesting subsequent owners - including Captain Michael Barne who had sailed with Scott to Antarctica aboard DISCOVERY in 1902, Hugh Tetley of Tetley’s Tea, and Peter Hartley of Hartley’s jam - and her 2.5 ton lead keel survived being requisitioned through two world wars.

During the 1980s wooden boat renaissance, LONA II was lucky to be owned by connoisseurs James Walrock and Keith Butti, whose restoration efforts were completed into the 1990s at Chichester Harbour by Richard (appropriately an architect) and Clare Meynell, her last British owners.

For LONA II’s present Italian owner, it was love at first sight in 2005 as she lay to her Birdham Pool mooring, and she couldn’t have found a more caring custodian to lead her into her 2nd century.

In the Mediterranean, LONA II has sailed in several classic CIM/AIVE classic events, obtaining good results and considerable admiration at Argentario Sailing Week, Vele d’Epoca di Imperia and at Vele d’Epoca nel Golfo in Portovenere.

In a January 2000 Classic Boat magazine feature on LONA II, then editor, Nic Compton, placed her design on the same level as Fife, Mylne and Nicholson. It’s hard to argue.

2005
- Pre-purchase survey found her in excellent condition

2006
- Bottom wooded and re-finished
- Boom extended to original length
- New set of white dacron sails by North Sails
- New running rigging

2007
- Topsides wooded and traditionally re-finished
- Spars wooded; 12 coats single component varnish

2010
- Forepeak wooded and single component white enamel

2012
- Topsides and varnish re-finished

2014
- Spars wooded and re-varnished
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished

2015
- Rudder serviced and one portion of stern redone
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished

2016
- Saloon wooded and re-finished
- Underbody wooded and traditionally re-finished
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished

2018
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished
- All interior including bilge re-finished

2020
- Teak deck was dismantled; redone new; seams Sikaflexed
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished
- Some frame repairs
- Spars wooded and re-varnished

2021
- Baby Blake toilet was reconditioned

2022
- Topsides and other varnish re-finished

- Pitch pine bottom planking
- Teak topsides planking
- Copper fastened
- Oak frame
- Teak laid deck on oak deck beams
- Lead ballast keel 2.5 Tonnes
- Bronze keel bolts

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck
- Varnished covering boards and king planks
- Teak toerail, ash capped

FROM AFT
- 2 x Bronze topmast backstay padeyes port and starboard
- Galvanised buffered mainsheet horse
- Wood chocks port and starboard for boom crutch
- Mainsheet ash blocks
- Samson post
- Rudder head with galvanised tilled cracket
- Wood tiller

COCKPIT
- Raised teak coamings attractively faired to companionway
- Leads through aft coaming for mainsheet
- Line leads through side coamings, inside and outside
- Cleats port and starboard
- Deck as cockpit benches poort and starboard
- Wide margin boards

COMBINED COMPANIONWAY AND SKYLIGHT HOUSE
- Varnished margin board
- Raked companionway with sliding hatch
- Large butterfly skylight over saloon

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze runner Highfield levers port and starboard
- Headsail bullseye fairleads
- Rail widened at chainplates

MAST POSITION
- Galvanised deck-stepped shoe

FOPEDECK
- Forehatch
- Samson post
- Bowsprit bitts
- Galvaniosed gammon iron with chain roller

- Double door access via companionway hatch

SALOON
- Lockwers to port and starboard at companionway
- Engine box as step
- Settee berths port and starboard
- Stowage under
- Slatted hull sides
- Sideboards with drawers to port and starboard forward
- Brass fiddled tops; shelves outboard
- Butterfly skylight trunkl in deckhead

FOREPEAK
- Curtained access via mast support column
- Open gear stowage
- Baby Blake marine toilet (reconditioned 2021)
- Forehatch in deckhead

RIG
- Mast, boom, gaff and bowsprit of spruce

SAILS
White Dacron by North Sails (2006)
- Sail area 88.2 sq m
- Mainsail
- Topsail
- Staysail
- Large Jib
- Smaller jib

CANVASWORK
- Cockpit cover
- Custom winter cover in 3 x parts

MECHANICAL
- Nanni 3-Cylinder 21 hp diesel (1999)
- Apperture 3-bladed fixed broze propeller

ELECTRICAL
- Start battery

TANKAGE
- Fuel tank

EQUIPMENT
- Boom crutch
- Original bronze windlass (not fitted)
- 2 x Wooden name boards with P & S running lights (not fitted)

PROVENANCE
- Original Bills of Sale on parchment and paper
- Invoices; antique books; magazine articles