John Bain 57 ft Twin Screw Motorsailer Ketch 1971

From the North Sea to the Greek Islands, in current ownership the John Bain 57 ft motorsailer ENGLANDER has been a trusty, long-legged wanderer on the wind's highway for all of the 21st Century, and a comfortable home-from-home. In her design and specification – one of his last – Bain applied 50 years of experience, 40 of them with James A. Silver of Rosneath, Scotland, and that influence married to his later ideas on styling, sea keeping and accommodation combine in ENGLANDER, a motorsailer development of the revered Silver 'Ormidale Type'. Her second owner describes her as a fantastic sea boat, and the well thought out interior spaces theoretically offer berths for up to 11, but perhaps more importantly, multiple possibilities for both conviviality and privacy.

- Partial re-splining of topsides (2020)

John Bain parted company with James A Silver Ltd in 1957 at what should have been retiral age, but as an independent designer he never stopped working. Bain's later designs gradually moved with the times, but still carried recognisable Silver style and seakeeping heritage, in particular the "Bain stern".

ENGLANDER wasn't the last of Bain's designs, but she may have been among the last launched. The design most probably dates from the early 1960s, and follows a theme also seen in the Bain motorsailers LYNARA II (63 ft) and WILD VENTURE (73 ft), built by J.N. Miller of St. Monans in 1961 and 1963 respectively. The first documentary record of ENGLANDER in build is her entry in the 1964 edition of Lloyd's Register of Yachts.

She was slowly but meticulously put together from the best of materials at an Upnor, Kent boatyard near Medway Yacht Club specially created by her first owner, Laurence W. Blair, whose tool making company, Hollands & Blair was best known for 'Spiralux'. Bain, then in his mid-70s, and Blair personally selected her timber, and the shipwrighting work was by an experienced local boatbuilder. ENGLANDER was launched in 1971.

Blair initially berthed ENGLANDER at Cowes, then from 1980 she moved to Rochester, Kent, closer to his Bromley home. But her port of registry has always been Southampton, and in first ownership she returned for winter to her Upnor build shed. Including the build period, Blair owned her for around 26 years.

In about 1990, sea going motor yacht aficionado Andrew Robertson became ENGLANDER's second owner and her home port moved to Hayling Island, then back to Cowes. Andrew fondly remembers her as "a wonderful sea boat", and having some work done by her original shipwright. She was subsequently sold to an airline pilot who replace her original Perkins 6.354 engines with the present pair, and is believed to have sailed out of Dartmouth.

ENGLANDER has been in present ownership since 1995, gradually making her way from Dartmouth to Greece.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Built to comply with Lloyd's 100A1 classification, but not classed
- Iroko planking
- Splined topsides
- Underbody Cascover sheathed from new
- ¾ in/ 18 mm Teak laid deck on ¾ in /18 mm marine ply substrate
- Teak superstructures

GENERAL
- Teak laid decks
- Raised aft deck
- Raised and capped toerails/ bulwarks forward
- Stainless steel stanchions and guard wires
- Varnished teak or iroko rail
- 9 x Bronze opening ports to port; 7 x to starboard
- 2 x Stainless steel coped rubrails in topsides

FROM AFT

AFT, RAISED DECK
- Stainless steel mooring fairleads with rollers port & starboard
- Central, more substantial stainless steel rollers in assoc. with aft warping windlass
- 4 x Small stainless steel cleats at taffrail
- A pair of stainless steel tender davits
- Stern boarding ladder
- 2 x Stainless steel mushroom vents
- 1 x Teak capped mushroom vent
- 2 x Teak laid lazarette/ steering flat hatches
- Galvanised double mooring bollards port & starboard
- Associated stainless steel fairlead cleats with anti-chafe
- Varnished butterfly skylight over owner cabin
- Mizzen sheet tackles

WHEELHOUSE
- 2 x Aft windows
- Aft outside helm position to port
- Helm plinth with stowage under
- Traditional ship's wheel with stainless steel bezel
- Morse controls
- Engine gauges and Autohelm control
- Stern light
- Mizzen mast deck stepped in tabernacle
- Bench to starboard with gas bottle locker under
- Lewmar self tailing yankee sheet winches outboard port & starboard
- 2 x Windows in sides port and starboard
- Sliding doors port and starboard with window
- Grab rail port and starboard
- Dorade boxes with chromed cows port & starboard
- Running light boards port & starboard
- Name boards port & starboard
- Searchlight
- Main boom crutch
- 3 x Windscreens, 2 x with Wynn 'Straight Line' wipers
- Horns port & starboard

DECK SALOON
- Teak laid on marine ply roof
- 9 x Windows
- Main sheet tackles
- 2 x Steps forward; associated grab rails
- Grab rails port & starboard
- Boat hook stowage
- 2 x Winches for running backstays
- "Soft patch" for engines removal

SIDE DECKS
- Gates to port & starboard in rail
- Spring line cleats at rail port & starboard

FORWARD DECK
- Teak laid hatch with light to port over dining area
- Teak laid hatch with light to starboard over galley
- Main mast position
- Dorade boxes with chromed cowls to port & starboard
- Teak capped stainless steel granny bars to port & starboard
- Stowage boxes to port and starboard
- Stainless steel teak capped granny bars port and starboard
- incorporating pin rails
- Large air intake to port & starboard
- CQR kedge anchor stowage to port
- Large warping windlass on centreline
- Associated large wood cleat
- Butterfly skylight over forward cabin
- Galvanised double mooring bollards port & starboard
- Associated stainless steel fairlead cleats with anti-chafe

RAISED FOREDECK
- Deckwash fitting
- 2 x Stainless steel small cleats
- Lifting hatch with vent
- Stainless steel stemhead fitting with roller and fairlead bollards
- Hose flag staff at rail

GROUND TACKLE
- Galvanised stockless type anchor in hawsepipe at bow
- Galvanised anchor chain
- 'Quick' vertical drum windlass
- Custom stainless steel/ nylon chain roller and lock
- Galvanised CQR kedge anchor

GENERAL
- Teak and holy veneered marine plywood sole

WHEELHOUSE
- Access port forward to deck saloon and all lower accommodation
Helm and navigating position to port
- Chart table
- Steering compass
- Navigation, communications and engine monitoring displays
- Morse throttle controls
- Traditional ship's wheel with stainless steel bezel
- Chart stowage over
- Flag stowage under
- Chart table/ top surface aft to port
- Chart reading lamp
- Navigation computer screen and keyboard
- Diner type seating port aft with table

DECK SALOON
- 3 x Wheeled steps down from wheelhouse
- Settee seating to starboard
- Coffee table
- Sideboards aft to starboard
- Standing oil lamp
- Clock and barometer
- Flat screen TV concealed by painting
- 2 x Armchairs to port
- Drawers, lockers, drinks cabinets, glass stowage & shelf to port
- Book shelves aft to port
- Barograph
- Glasses cabinet forward
- Top surfaces forward to port & starboard
- Deckhead lamps

FIVE STEPS DOWN TO FORWARD ACCOMMODATION

GALLEY TO STARBOARD
- Cannon domestic gas cooker: 4 x hob burners; grill; oven
- Whirlpool 220 V fridge freezer; fiddled stowage over
- Sink with drainer
- Mixer tap
- Salt water tap
- Lockers under and over Formica top surfaces
- Fiddled shelves outboard
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
- Hatch with glass port in deckhead
- Deckhead lamps

DINING SALOON ATHWARTSHIPS TO PORT
- Facing settees
- Table - folds away to free settees as berths
- Shelf outboard
- Standing oil lamp converted to electric
- Shelf outboard
- Wine bottle and glasses racks
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
- Hatch with glass port in deckhead
- Art Deco deckhead lamp
- 2 x Bulkhead lamps

WC COMPARTMENT TO PORT
- Electric toilet
- Ceramic wash basin; hot and cold taps
- Lockers under; shelves and mirror over
- 1 x Bronze opening port
- Strip light

SLIDING DOOR TO FORWARD CABIN
- Double berth to port
- Single berth to starboard
- Stowage drawers and lockers under berths
- Shelves outboard
- Bulkhead mounted TV
- 4 x Bronze opening ports
- Bulkhead lamp
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- Watertight door forward to bosun's store and chain locker

AFT ACCOMMODATION
- Accessed between Wheelhouse and entrance to Deck Saloon
- Wheeled stair down to starboard

GUEST WC / SHOWER COMPARTMENT
- Separate shower cubicle
- Ceramic countertop sink
- Lockers under
- Mixer tap
- Electric toilet
- 1 x Bronze opening port
- Deckhead lamp

TWIN BERTH GUEST CABIN
- Berths with trotter boxes
- Alcove shelf forward
- Shelf outboard
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
- Chest of 5 x drawers

OWNER EN SUITE CABIN
- Double berth to starboard
- Single berth/ settee to port
- Stowage under berths
- Dresser: 3 x drawers; locker; large mirror
- Bookshelves
- Large wardrobe
- Chest of 3 x drawers
- Bulkhead mounted TV
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- Deckhead lamps
- Reading lamps
- 4 x Bronze opening ports
En-suite
- Separate shower cubicle
- Ceramic countertop sink
- Lockers under
- Mixer tap
- Electric toilet
- Shaving mirrior
- 1 x Bronze opening port
- Deckhead lamp

MECHANICAL
- 2 x Mermaid Melody 6 cyl diesels 1992, installed 1993
- Approx consumption 1.5 Gal per engine per hour @ 1200 rpm
- Cruising speed 6 kts @ 1200 rpm = approx 1200 nm range
- Hours: port 1474; starboard 1706
- Borg Warner 2:1 reduction gear boxes, same hours as engines
- Gearboxes rebuilt when engines renewed (1993)
- Flexible drives to thrust bearings
- 2½ in Bronze shafts
- Bronze stern tubes, water lubricated cutlass bearings
- Standard packing seals plus lip seals
- Bronze “A” brackets
- 2 x Bronze 27 in 3-bladed propellers
- 1 x Bronze rudder with bronze shaft and fittings
- Twin hydraulic steering positions

MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL
- 1 x Westerbeke 6BTD 6 kW Generator in engine space. Recently refurbished, serviced 2024
- Remote panel in wheelhouse
- 1 x Fischer Panda 4 kw generator in aft Lazarette
- Remote panel in wheelhouse

HYDRAULIC
- Steering - from 2 x positions

ELECTRICAL
- 8 x 120 Ah Domestic batteries (2024) arranged in 440 Ah 24 V system
- 4 x 100 Ah Engine start batteries, 2 per engine, independent
- 1600 and 3500 W inverters
- Auto switching: shore power, generator, inverter
- 100 A Mastervolt charger
- Engine alternators paralleled to give 100 A output
- DC switch panel in Wheelhouse.
- Mains electricity available throughout vessel

TANKAGE
Fuel
- 2 x Steel tanks in engine space, each 300 Gal / 1634 L
- 2 x Separ primary filters
Fresh water
- 150 gals / 682 L total in 3 x tanks forward
- Fresh water pump to all heads, showers and galley on demand
- Hot water via gas water heater to all heads, showers and galley on demand
- Mains-driven 90 L/h per watermaker

RIG
- Ketch rig
- Douglas fir tabernacle stepped main mast
- Stainless steel fittings
- 1 x Spreader set
- 3 x Winches
- 2 x Whisker poles
- Douglas fir main boom
- 1 x Reefing winch on main boom
- Douglas fir tabernacle stepped mizzen mast
- Winch
- Stainless steel fittings
- Douglas fir mizzen boom
- Radome
- 2 x winches on aft handrails, for yankee reefing and staysail sheets.
- 2 x Sheet winches for yankee on aft wheelhouse.
- Most pulley blocks Dragonfly marine wood and bronze.

SAILS
- All serviced repaired 2023
- Mizzen
- Mainsail
- Staysail on boom
- Roller reefing yankee

CANVASWORK
- Covers for hatches, deck boxes, cabin windows
- Boom covers for sails
- Dodgers at aft deck rail
- Aft deck awning on stainless steel frame with side screens

NAVIGATION
- Magnetic compass in Wheelhouse
- Numerous paper charts and instruments
- 2 x GPS receivers: 1 x Garmin; 1 x Puck type for chart plotter
- Tiki Gold computer based chart plotter system
- with Raymarine charts all Mediterranean and northern European waters
- 20 in Screen with keyboard and mouse on chart table.
- AIS receiver for charts
- Raymarine ST50, depth, speed, wind, compass and rudder indicator instruments
- with multi repeater at outside steering position
- Raymarine S3000G hydraulic auto pilot
- Koden 36-mile radar
- 2 x Wynn 'Straight Line' wipers at wheelhouse windscreen

COMMUNICATIONS
- 1 x Standard Horizon GMDSS VHF transceiver
- 1 x Sailor RT146 VHF transceiver
- 2 x VHF Antennae switchable to either set

- 6-Person liferaft on wheelhouse roof
- 2 x Horseshoe liferings on wheelhouse sides, with lights
- Fire extinguishers in all compartments
- Automatic fire extinguishers in engine space, and aft compartment for generator
- Radar reflector
- 2 x Bilge pumps in main engine space with float switch
- 1 x Bilge pump in aft compartment with float switch
- 1 x Bilge pump lazerette with float switch
- 1 x Bilge pump forward compartment with float switch

- Self-levelling paserelle gangway (stowed on wheelhouse roof)
- Boarding companionway steps
- Topsides boarding ladder (not swim ladder)
- Dock box/ step
- Mooring warps
- Fenders

- Zodiac 340 Yachtline Deluxe 3.4 m RIB tender
- Refurbished with new Zodiac tubes, bilge pump & steering cable
- 30 hp Yamaha electric start & tilt outboard; refurbished and recently serviced