Iolaire
Iolaire is seriously for sale as I am rapidly approaching my 80 birthday in July.
Dispite her 105 years Iolaire as a result of her 6,000 man hour re fit/re build in 94/95, plus on going work she is in perfect structural condition. No structural work needs to be done on her for the next 20/30 years.
In 2007 I final broke down and intstalled a diesel electric system(see further along for details).Built 1905; She had major overhauls in 2005 again in 2007 when the diesel electric system was installed. In 1009 she stayed out of the water for six months, the longest she has ever been out of the water in her life.
Since for once we had the time my son and namesake D3 raised the waterline back aft by 4" removing the stern down look she has had for the past 50 years.
While checking the keel bolts we discovered the after two were broken so they were replace.
For summary of all the major work done on Iolaire in the 52 years of Street's ownership e mail streetiolaire@hotmail.com and the list will be e mailded to you.
As the years have gone by Iolaire has become younger and younger. The summer of 2005 was a celebratory summer, Iolaire was 100, the owner D M Street Jr. celebrated his 75th birthday July 26th, and it was 50-years since Street made a pier head jump onto the Lloyds Yacht Club boat Lutine one hour before the start of the Fastnet. Lutine won her division, Street was asked to sail the rest of the season on board, and he became a member of the RORC 50-years ago. On Lutine he made the contacts that enabled him to go into the insurance business ten years later. To celebrate, Iolaire took part in the British classic Yacht Club Regatta in Cowes, July 16th to 23rd, D M Street Jr.s birthday party was held on board on the 26th July.
Iolaire started the Fastnet on August 7th. It was Street’s sixth Fastnet and Iolaire’s fourth.
Iolaire is the most unique yacht afloat today. What other yacht has been in commission for 10 of her 105 years? Has made twelve transatlantic passages? Has sailed over 300,00 miles? Has been as far north as North Cape, as far east in the Baltic as Hanko in Finland? As far east in the Mediterranean as eastern Turkey? Visited all the Atlantic islands? Criss-crossed the Caribbean for 48 years visiting all the islands as far west as Jamaica?Has for 37 years without engine sailed in and out of tight anchorages and Marinas in the Caribbean, the states and northen europe, and twelve times up and down the Thames, Has been owned by two founding members of the R.O.R.C.: R. H. “Bobby” Somerset and Major T. P. Rose-Richards?
History lolaire was built by Harris Bros, in 1905 and is one the only yacht of 100-years old that has been in continuous commission since she was built. She was cruising and racing during WWI as she was Irish owned and based in Ireland during WWII she was laid up in a mud bank on the Hamble. She raced successfully from 1909 to 1923, under her gaff rig for the Tweedy family, of Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), and also cruised extensively.In 1928 P. T. Rose-Richards, one of the founder members of the R.O.R.C., purchased lolaire and raced her successfully, she was then variously owned by Lt. Colonel Alston, the Burton family and Owen Edmunds - all of whom raced her under gaff rig.After the war, still under her gaff rig, R.H. Bobby Sommerset another founding member of the R.O.R.C. bought her. He sailed her to the Caribbean in 14 days and hours from the Cape Verdes to Barbados, cruised extensively through the Caribbean as far west as Jamaica—as far north as North Cape; then back to the U.K. and as far east as Turkey.Sommerset then raced her and won the R.O.R.C. Class 2 Seasons Points Championship in 1951 under Marconi rig—He had inherited the rig out of German Freres Joanna, when Freres had Camper & Nicholson build him an aluminium mast.The present owner, Don Street, purchased her in 1957 and has cruised and raced her extensively—lolaire has made twelve transatlantic passages, seven of them under the present owners command.She is a passage maker.Three trips; Cape Verdes to the islands of the Caribbean in 14 days and hours in 1949, 1985 and 1989; the Canaries to Antigua in 18 ½ days in 1975; Halifax to Mizzen Head in 1975 - averaging 154 miles a day.He raced her successfully in the Caribbean until 1985 when he retired her from round the buoy racing. He has continued racingher in Classic Regattas in the Caribbean and European waters.Despite having no engine the present owner has taken her all the places that people say you cannot go without one. Through the East River in New York; through the Cape Cod Canal; eight trips up and down the Thames River; five trips up and down the Elbe; to various harbors on the south coast of England that people say you cannot enter without an engine—to the south coast of France to La Rochelle; Benodet; Trinit<5; Brest; Douarnenez—all possible because of the yawl rig.He has owned lolaire for 53 years and has sailed her roughly 200,000 miles - in all conditions. Considering the extensive cruising done before the present owner bought her, she has probably done between 300,000 and 350,000 miles in her life time.Numerous articles have been written about her. The distinctive ones in recent times are: Yachting Monthly, December 1997; One Man and His Boat; The Sunday Times: Irish Yachting Review; One Gun Yawl. Classic Boat June 1998 has a special feature article on lolaire; lolaire's Baltic Cruise, Sail magazine March 1999; Don's Street's Baltic Cruise, Classic Boat June 2000;There are videos of lolaire — Transatlantic with Street, pre-1995 rebuild; Antigua Sailing Week, 1985 lolaire's swansong in racing. Both of these videos are available in the U.K. from Kelvin Hughes, and in the States from Armchair Bookstore.No boat has ever been offered for sale under such favorable terms and conditions as lolaire is being offered. lolaire was hauled in June 2005, the mast was pulled for checking, the bilges were completely emptied, water tanks and internal trimming ballast removed, iron work, mast step and floors in the forward part of the bilge were cleaned, chipped and painted with coal tar epoxy, and new batteries were istalled. .lolaire has been painted red for fifty years. When I purchase lolaire 1958 she was red. I accused the previous owner of painting her red to hid the rust stains from the iron work whose galvanizing had long since departed. Through the years I eliminated all the iron fittings but kept the color as she had become famous as "the old red race horse".lolaire is the Scottish Gaelic name for "White Tailed Sea Eagle" so for her 100th birthday my wife Trich has persuaded me to re-paint lolaire original white color.The topsides, bulwark, bottom and all varnish work was brought up to first class yacht standard. r lolaire,was hauled again in Cowes in 07 and desiel electric drive with off set feathering prop installed. The winter of o8/09 she was hauled in Old Court boat yard up the river Ilhen above Baltimore. All water tanks were removed, checked and minor leaks that were found were repaired. All keel bolts were again checked, they had been checked in 05, but we checked them again and discovered the last two were broken. These were both replaced. The are l 1/8 bronze. For probably the first time in her life she was out of the water for the entire winter.
We took this time to do a job that we have wanted to do for 50 years.
When we removed Iolaire copper sheathing in 1958 we had to guess at the water line, we guessed wrong, it was sligtly low back aft. Sailors always said she was down by the stern why did I not get her properly trimmed
She was not down by the stern, the water line was not correct. Since she was out of the water all winter, D3 our number one son raised the waterline 4"back aft. Iolaire now looks correctly trimmed. Given three weeks notice I can have her ready to sail anywhere in the world. She can be raced in the Classic Circuit as is, or the aluminum mainmast or if someone has a lot of money, deep pockets she can be converted back to gaff rig. She is so original above and below decks she should rate like a bandit.What boat is available to the owner who wants to race in the Mediterranean Gaff Rig circuit that can be converted back to her original rig, deck layout, and Edwardian elegance with no structural alterations on or below decks? The present owner is willing to manage the project of conversion back to her original rig and Edwardian elegance.
The more practical thing to do is to leave her just the way she is. In fifty thre years of ownership a tremendously flexible and effective rig has been developed. Iolaire will work to windward in gale conditions under a double reefed main and staysail, or storm trysail and staysail. She will heave to in storm conditions under the Mizzen alone.Yet with the aid of an MPG she will sail quite nicely in the very lightest of windThe Mizzen is used as an air rudder when sailing her in and out of the marinas that otherwise people say, would be impossible to negotiate without an engine.
She is a passage maker. Three trips; Cape Verdes to the islands of the Caribbean in 14 days and hours in 1949, 1985 and 1989; the Canaries to Antigua in 18 ½ days in 1975; Halifax to Mizzen Head in 1975 – all trips averaging about, 154 miles a day.
Rig Double Headsail Yawl The rig is very flexible and easy to handle. The spreaders are raked slightly aft to create a slight pre bend in the large sectioned 9 '/2 inch fore and aft; 7 ½ inch athwartship aluminum mast.The preventer back stays are seldom used and if being used short tacking in heavy weather they are far enough forward, that both runners can be set up and left set up. They do not have to be adjusted each time the boat is tacked.Over the 53 years of ownership the present owner has worked out the rig that works superbly in all conditions. The working rig is Main and Mizzen, big Yankee and Genoa-Staysail. This provides the same sail area as a 135% Genoa but this rig is much easier to tack than a 135% Genoa. While racing this has often been proved when short tacking up the south coast of Antigua. As the wind increases the main can be shortened down quickly using slab reefing, in extreme conditions a storm trysail can be set in a separate track. In normal off shore sailing the storm trysail is bent onto the track and stowed in a bag on top of the dinghy.Under storm trysail and heavy weather staysail she will work to windward in 50 knots of wind. In storm conditions 70 knots she will heave to under Mizzen alone with helm lashed.The Yankee is set on a Harken roller reefing foil and can be reefed. Genoa-Staysail is roller furling in its own luff wire. In extreme conditions the Genoa-Staysail is rolled up completely and a bullet proof reefable heavy weather staysail is set, hanked on to the staysail stay.In light airs the first step is to roll up the roller furling Genoa-Staysail and set on the staysail stay the hanked on light Genoa-Staysail, with the Yankee. This gives the same sail area as a 10/150% Genoa but is much easier to set up, tack and handle.When the wind goes really light, the light Genoa-Staysail is dropped; the Staysail stay is disconnected and brought back to the mast. The Yankee rolled up. Then the 675-sq. Foot MPG (Multi-Purpose Genoa) stowed in a snuffer is set flying on its Kevlar luff. It is hoisted on an oversized halyard to minimize luff sag. In light airs one person can steer and tack the MPG as there is a clear fore triangle. When reaching the Mizzen staysail can be set. The small one is 320-sq. Feet, the larger one 640-sq. Feet!! Spars The aluminum main mast was built by Proctor 1965, it was anodized and painted. Through the years there has been a corrosion problem with the mast heel. This has been replaced twice. The last time in 1993. A spare tube for the 12" bottom section can be replaced, and is already made up. This new section should probably be installed ten years hence—2013. The mast was removed for a complete check in 1997, and again in 2005.In 1993 all fittings were taken off the lower part of the mast checked and where there was any significant corrosion double plates were welded on. The mast was removed for painting in 1995 and in 1997 for checking—when all rigging was checked. The main boom is spruce and believed to be the original. The Mizzen mast was built in 1954, for the Aberking Rasmussen yawl Ondine and well maintained over the years. Rigging Main Mast - The standing rigging is 5/16 -inclj. 1X19 stainless steel—all replaced in 1995 in the rebuild. The end fittings are Staylock—all fittings dye checked in 1997 polished and checked with magnifying glass The head stay was replaced in 1995 when the Harken gear was dismantled and checked by Spencers of Cowes.The rig is very flexible and easily handled. The spreaders are raked slightly aft to create a slight prebend, in the large sectioned mast 9'/2 fore and aft 7'/2 thwartships.The preventer back stays are seldom used Winches There are six halyard winches and nine sheet winches, three of which are self tailing. Running Rigging There are ample supplies of running rigging. Too numerous to list individually. Sails Main —440 square feet, Fully battened Doyle Stack Pack that can be single or double reefed. Mizzen —80 square feet, fully battened Korsan (North Venezuelan Agent). Headsail —MPG, 675 square feet set flying Kevlar luff, with snuffer to an oversized halyard minimizing luff sag - Doyle. Yankee — 340 square feet, foam luff set on a foil, North Genoa Staysail roller furling set on its own luff wire—Korsan (North Venezuelan Agents) Heavy Weather Staysail , hanked on and reefable 170 square feet—North. Light Genoa Staysail of 350 square feet set on the staysail stay with hanks—North. Spitfire Jib —,hanked on 60 square feet North Storm Trysail —250 square feet with 6´reef sets on separate track stowed in bag on top of the dinghies. Ulmer Spinnaker with snuffer, Mizzen Staysails —two: Small Mizzen Staysail 320 square feet; Big Mizzen Staysail 620 square feet.All sails are in good condition and have been completely overhauled and checked by the sail makers and repaired as necessary in June 2005. Construction Largely original Teak to the waterline; pitchpine below and the bottom four planks are Elm-all planking fastened with bronze spikes-now totally refastened in silicon bronze screws. The Kauri pine deck was iron fastened and was replaced in 1994/95 rebuild. Framing Grown Oak 3 ½ " squared-double amidships, single at the ends of the boat.KeelLead keel with bronze keel bolts-all replaced in 1936 and regularly checked, two replaced in 09. All other centreline bolts are bronze-1980 or more recent. Reconstruction through the years.The original bulkheads were non-structural partitions. They have all been replaced by structural 3/4" marine plywood bulkheads bolted to frames and deck beams. Through the years when broken frames were discovered they were replaced by laminated Iroko frames 3'/2" X 4 inches, and the planking refastened in with 3-inch No. 18 silicon bronze screws.Needless to say, in all old boats the mast step gives problems. In 1985 Mick Jarrold, who served his seven year apprenticeship in Campers in the 1950s, tore everything out in the region of the mast step and installed four steel plate floors, ¼" all tied to the main frames by bronze bolts and a seven foot long I-beam on the top—completely curing any movement in that area.In 1995 lolaire went through a major rebuild done by Mick Jarrold, who sailed is own Lily Maid (one year older than lolaire) from Madagascar to Venezuela to do the rebuild. All new deck beams were installed, and beam shelf, using pitch pine salvaged out of old warehouses built in England in the 1840s and 1850s. Any planking and any frames on lolaire that were the least bit suspicious were removed and replaced.The deck is not a skin job. There are two layers of 1/2 inch plywood epoxy glued together with 7/8" teak, screw fastened through the plywood and into the deck beams.The teak was the driest Mick had ever seen as it came from a 23-ft 12X12 log that had been lying in Grenadian Yacht Services for fifteen years. The remainder of the teak, Trinidadian Teak, bought in Trinidad was air dried, stacked and slicked, for three years in the top of a tropical warehouse. The iron floors in the deep part of the bilge which had given trouble over the years were pulled out and replaced with stainless steel and secured with bronze bolts.Two keel’s bolts were pulled and checked. It was decided they were perfect and they were reinstalled. Through the years all the bolts on the centre line stem and stern post bolts have been replaced with bronze.The rebuild used approximately 6,000 man hours. Since the rebuild lolaire has sailed roughly 20,000 miles. We discovered one problem with the stem (an area we did not work on in 1994/95), which was cured when she was hauled in Gibraltar at Shepherds in April 1996. Below decks layout 6-ft. headroom under the deck. 5´ 9" under the beams-7-ft. under the hatches and skylights. Foc’s’le and Galley Thirteen and half feet long; with two pipe berths — seldom used in modern times, except when sailing down wind and in port. A large galley with a heavily gimbaled Luke stove, (three burners and oven).We have always eaten well, even in gale conditions. The stove is very well gimbaled — and pot holders are very seldom needed. There is a gimbaled sideboard forward of the stove. There are two separate refrigerators with air-cooled compressors.The boxes are so well insulated that in Northern European climate the compressors were only run an hour a day. They finally died in 06. They were not replaced as the boxes are so well insulated, a full 4" of eurathane foam that ice lasts and incredably long time. In 08, keeping the box cooled with shave ice from fish factories, sometimes for free, if we had to buy the price was incredably cheap, and occasionally from supermarkets ,bagged ice, ice bill for eleven weeks was about £20. Air cooled refers could be re installed.
In the Caribbean in the hottest weather they only need to be run two hours in the morning and two in the evening. The Galley is fully equipped with spice rack, pots and pans stowage and ample food stowage for tinned goods and fresh vegetables in ventilated lockers and baskets fitted on the overhead. Main Cabin There are two hanging lockers and two sideboards with a big liquor locker on one side, and secretary locker on the other, holding papers and files with a folding desk in between. Two settees, full 6-ft 6-ins long with pull up pilot berths above them, giving four fall length berths in the main cabin.You are secure in the upper bunks in all weather as you are secured in place by 10" high bunk board that hinges down in the middle to enable you to easily get in and out of the bunks.In the low bunks you are held in place by proper lee canvases. There is ample storage underneath the settees — it will hold twenty cases of beer and two cases of wine. Clothes stowage is underneath the pilot berths — the four lockers provide adequate stowage for four people.Between the settees is a gimbaled table — which is reputedly older than the boat. The gimbal works so well that we have often served a full dinner on the table in a full gale. Navigation Area To starboard of the companionway hatch there is a chart table with a large book rack ample stowage over the chart table for charts tools under chart table and the batteries under navigation area sole. Head Opposite the chart table is the head, sink and counter space plus ample stowage for foul weather gear. Also, foul weather gear can be stowed under the companionway ladder. After Cabin There is a single bunk on the starboard side and a double bunk on the port side with ten inch high boards that hinge down to allow you to easily get in and out of the bunks, a settee along the starboard side bunk and across the after end. With good reading lights over each bunk. There is a door in the cabin that opens up to life raft stowage under the cockpit.
Water Capacity120 gallons in five separate tanks.Ventilation There is a four-inch dorade to ventilate the foc’s’le, and a six-inch dorade that ventilates the main cabin. In the head and navigators area are two 4-inch dorade ventilators. The 4" ventilators are a full 15" high, plus the height of the dorade box means they are high enough to really gather in air.The 6" dorade is a full 3' high. All ventilators have sliding doors so that in cold weather the flow of air can be reduced or closed off. Ventilation is also provided by hatches. The foc’s’le hatch can be left part open on a short prop in all but the worst gale conditions. The main skylight hatch in the main cabin, since it is under the dinghy, can also be left open under a canvas cover on a short prop in all but the worst conditions. It is the same for the after cabin hatch.In port the main cabin and after cabin hatches are double hinged so that they can be open facing forward to gather more air. In tropical conditions the whole main skylight can be unlatched and propped up giving an opening three and a half feet long and two feet wide-giving more than ample ventilation.HeatingThere us a coal stove in the after end of the main cabin with a Jolie Breeze pivoting ventilator, i.e. it has a weathercock so that it is always facing down wind it will draw even in gale conditions. This heats and dries the main cabin beautifully. In the galley the oven provides plenty of heat. Underneath each ventilator there is a sliding door, which in cold weather it can be closed to allow below decks to warm up. ElectricityThere is a new big Ampair wind generator mounted on the Mizzen mast head which, as long as the wind is abeam or forward of the beam, produces more than enough electricity to keep everything going. When the wind goes aft of the beam we trail a water generator which will put out 6 amps at 6 knots. At times, on reaching conditions when they are both overside, they generate so much electricity we have to turn on lights to keep the battery from overcharging.In 2005 some of the below decks fluorescent lights were replaced by LED lights. With five lights on the current draw is barely 1-amp.The three-way masthead light was replaced in 2005 with an LED light, drawing 0.5-amps or 5-amps in ten hours of darkness.A new improved Ampair wind generator was installed on the mizzenmast in 2008.With all these improvements in the electrical system, Iolaire will have more electricity than we know what to do with. BatteriesTwo banks of 12 volts, 90 ampere hours each,new May 2007. Bilge Pumps2 big Edson Bilge Pumps. 35 GPM—infinitely better than the Whale pumps as they have only one intake valve and one discharge valve of 2-inches in diameter. These suck all the bits out of the bilge and over board without clogging. One can be found under the main companionway and discharges on the port side. There is a secondary pump in the aft cabin, discharging through a sea cock under the cockpit. Life raftSwitlick, stowed below decks under the cockpit. Rechecked and restowed by Switlick agent 2000. This will be recertified Lifejackets10 Switlick of highest grade US Coastguard Air/Sea Rescue lifejackets. These will be rechecked 2010. Two man-overboard poles with big ARC strobe lights. Sea anchors and life rings. DinghiesNesting clinker dinghies made to Lawley design of 1898. The dinghies are built clinker plywood epoxy glued so they do not dry out. They are extremely light and row extremely well. See article in Classic Boat, August 2000.LazaretteThis is huge-to the point that all sails can be stowed below decks. In fact in the tropics the lazarette is so large that a number of Iolaire’s crews have rearranged the sail bags so that they can sleep back there often claiming it is the best bunk in the boat! The main lazarette hatch under the tiller is 26-inches by 30-inches, leads to sail stowage. Two small hatches aft of Mizzen lead to after lazarette with ample stowage for spare lines. Life raft (6-man Switch, will be recertified befr commissioning) is stowed in foreword Lazarette under cockpit and is accessible by a door in the aft cabin.Deck LayoutIolaire is flush decked with narrow hatches all in line, giving wide side decks that make he seem wider than her 10-ft 6-inch beam.She has only a foot well cockpit, but 8-inch high cockpit coamings give an eight-foot long cockpit with a collapsible dodger that shelters the whole forward end of the cockpit in foul weather.There are nine sheet winches properly placed. She is tiller steered but properly trimmed she is easy to handle as the owners wife Trich, who weighs no more than 45kg is considered the families best helmsman!! Ground TackleAnchors There are six anchors—A 50-lb Wilcox Crittenden copy of the Herreshoff. (Our standard working anchor catted under the bow sprit).A 35-lb. CQR—also catted; A 40-lb. FOB; A 25-lb. high tensile Danforth. A large aluminum Fortress anchor which dismantles into bits and pieces and is stowed in the Lazarette. A 60-lb. Pinky, stainless steel that can be taken apart; (basically a copy of a North Hill). The Life Insurance policy is a three piece 150 Ibs. Nevins copy of the Herreshoff anchor.Anchor RodeThere are three different anchor rodes 5/8th nylon totaling probably between 600-700 feet. Also, four fifty foot 5/8 " nylon. Four lengths of 5/i6" chain. Each length 12 to 18-feet. Two lengths of anchor 5/15" chain, approximately 100-feet each.Anchor handling gearOn the foredeck in a heavy bronze Gravity Ratchet to hold the chain. We have discarded the anchor windlass as we discovered through the years that it is faster and easier to haul up the anchor chain by putting a chain hook on it, running a line from the chain hook to a sheet winch and cranking up on the sheet winch.EngineIolaire has been without an engine most of her life - but has had a few through the years. The first of three were installed by Vospers Thornycroft (1928). None were reliable. The last one we dropped in Vigie Harbor, St. Lucia in 1956.The present owner installed 20HP gasoline Gray Seascout in 1959. Despite a rather inefficient belt drive and inefficient folding propeller she still did 5% knots in calm water. The engine was seldom used; used up time, money and energy and was dropped St. Georges Harbor, Grenada in 1972. The engine was replaced by a chart table that has produced nine books and about 150 magazine articles.lolaire has spent the last 37 years sailing every where people said she could not go without an engine - seven transatlantics; 12 times up and down the Thames; five times up and down the Elbe; the Brittany coast of France; the south coast of England and Ireland. But if the buyer wants an engine, read below: In 2007 we installed a small quiet well insulated diesel generator fisher panda 48 volts drivenby a two cylinder Kobata motor was installed in the fore peak driving alynch electric motor . Prop is an 18" feathering prop presently set at 13" pitch. Pitch can be adjusted without taking the prop apart and in fact can and has been adjusted by a diver.
The generator was installed in the combination line chain locker. The forerpeakcleaned out a couple of hundred pounds of junk that should have been removed years ago was sent ashore chain and line moved forward. The eletric motor was istalled under the navigators seat and batteries were fitted under the chart table, so interior accomodations were not changed.Back aft on deck you can not hear the engine running. Below decks
the noise is not too bad in the galley, bearable in the main cabin and can hardly be heard in the after cabin.
The installation is for flat calm power only 3 1/2 kts cruising. For very short periods in port 4 kts can be achieved. The installation has proved adequte for maneuvering arround harbors and in and out of marinas.
Under batteries alone she has 20/30 minutes power. Thus getting under way, we hoist main and missen, have headsails ready to roll out, then under battery power break out the anchor, roll out the headsails and off.
After 53 years of ownership, and approaching my 80th birthday it is time for Iolaire to find a new owner who will really sail her, she is ready to go anywhere in the world, and if the new owner wants to race her in the classic regattas,or in the cruising division of other regattas she will be in the prize money.
The present owner will be happy to accompany the new owner on a shake down cruise to show the new owner all the tricks that have been developed to make Iolaire not only easy to handle but also fast.
Channel Race 1931, owner Major P T Rose Richards founding member and later Commodore of RORC
Cowes Week 1939, owner D H Owen Edmunds RORC member who in WWI flew spies behind German Lines at night, landed and returned to pick them up, again at night.
In WW 11 he was in the "pit" fighter control during the battle of Britian but he said his greatest contribution to the war effort during the was was to keep the RORC in booze!
He spent his entire life working for Booths gin and thus had the right connections.
Cowes Week 1934, owner Lt. Col Alston RORC member
1975 Fastnet owner D M Street Jr. also sailed her in 1995 Fastnet and celebrated her 100th birthday by sailing her in 1005 Fastnet, it was Iolaire’s fourth, and Street's sixth.
Racing Falmouth Regatta 1995, sailing short handed only three of us on board, blowing like stink, the most exciting race any of us ever did, hard work with only three but we beat boat for boat, boats that were 10´ longer.
Cruising Sweden 2001.with this rig she yankee plus genoa staysail she has the same sails area as she would have if we were using a 135% genoa. This rig is much easier and faster to tack than a 135% genoa. We have proved this may time racing, short tacking up the south coast of Antigua
bow pulpit and easily handled anchor rig, 50 lb herreshoff on starboard side, 45 lb CQR on port side both catted to chocks on bowsprit.
Iolaire hauled. This photo is prior to the waterline being raised.
tow speed lewmar winch that takes care of both genoa or jib sheets, one person take care of both sheets when tacking or jibing.
cocpit with three sheet winches each side, they are three pairs of winches, with a good story to go with each set of winches.
smoke head with Jolie Brise pivoting smoke head that has a fin on it so it is always pointing down wind, the harder it blow the better the draft.
one of the nicest things about Iolaire is the broad uncluttered deck
Bow pulpit and headsail gear. Jib is on harken roller reefing gear. Staysail is roller furling on its own luff wire but the luff stays straight as the halyard is two part, 1/4 " 7 X 19 luff wire lead to a winch. Halyard can be set up so tight that the staysail stay goes slack.
In light airs, the genoa staysail is rolled up and a big light genoa staysail with a big overlap is hoisted in its place. The staysail halyard is slacked, tack pin pulled and staysail is disconected and secured alongside the mast.
If the wind goes really light, big genoa staysail is dropped, staysail stay disconnected taken back and secured alongside the mast.
Then our light MPG (multipurpose genoa, genoa going to windward, or with halyard slacked a single luff asymeteric spinnaker)is hoisted in its snuffer.
It is set flying. Because it has a kevlar luff, and is hoisted on a 5/16 1 X 19 halyard lead ro a 32 to 1 winch it can be set up so tight that there is little luff sag.
Once the MPG is up, jib, yankee is rolled up.
Since the staysail stay is disconnected the genoa, MPG is easy to tack and jibe as the foretriangle is unobstructed.
In very heavy weather the roller staysail is rolled up,and a small heavy weather staysail is hanked on the staysail stay, the roller staysail dropped and stowed below.
galley port side spice rack stove
port side of galley forward end showing electrical pannel for desiel electric drive battery switching dc/dc converter, galley utensiles hanging from overhead, and unique stowage for fresh fruit and vegtables. Many sailors stow fresh fruit and vegtables in string hannocks that while underway swing back and forth producing mush. On Iolaire shopping baskets that have plenty of holes for ventilation are stowed in the overhead
starboard side of galley, pot stowage, refers/now ice boxes, two completely separate, with two completely separate refigeration units. Thus if both refers are not needed uae only one cutting down on the electrical consumption.
When used as ice boxes, once both boxes are half way down, all ice is switched to one box so you are starting with a full box.
Using this technique, in the tropics we could go a full two weeks on one ice load. In northern european climate if the beer is cooled in the bilge,one ice load will last three to three and a half weeks. Each box will hold 100 lbs of ice and still have room for food.
port side of galley showing double sinks, drain and spice racks, utensiles hanging from overhead, Luke gimbaled stove that gimbles so well we never use pot holders. We regularly cook full meals beating to windward rail down and hove to in gales regularly cook up full meal, roast beef dinner and all the trimmings while it is blowing 50 gusting to 60.
head and wet locker with big hooks to hang foul weather gear, harnesses and safety tethers.
Iolaire unique feature, salt water tap. Why pump salt water up into the galley sink to wash dishes. Install a sea cock below the water line, run a line to a spigot, put small bucket or jug under spigot,turn on spigot, fill bucket or jug, turn off spigot, dump the salt water into the sink, a lot easier to get three gallons of water via this method than pumping it. This was installed in Iolaire 52years ago. I can not understand why more boats do not have this rig.
Iolaire has a two level head compartment. In this
mode there is 6'3" of head room and the head is the right height for tall crew members.
With the hinged floor down(next photo) headroom is reduced to 5'8" and head is the right height for the smaller crew members.
floor in down posistion 5' 8" head room. Sink drains into head so after using head and washing hands, water drains into head and has to be pumped out.
This does two things,extra water thru head means it does not smell.
The fresh water going thru the head eliminates the calcification problem found in most head discharge pipes.
During Iolaire's rebuild we disconnected the discharge pipe,first time in 20 years yet there was no sign of calcification. Needless to say we replaced the discharge line anyway.
Iolaire's ventilators are so efficient in cold weather to cut down the air flow the sliding doors that are under the ventilators can be closed.
Photo below,the door is opened to let air in.
Iolaire is so well ventilated that even in the tropics at lunch time we still eat below decks.
All ventilators are mounted in properly designed dorade boxes with big drain holes on the AFTER end of the box. This means even in the heaviest weather the dorade boxes do not flood out as do the so called dorade ventilators on the modern boats.
Iolaire's pilot berths are unique. In the stowed posistion they are fully back so sitting on the sette, your back is comfortable.
Time comes to use the pilot berths, the forward end is unlatched and pulled out. The bunk pivots on its after end giving a bunk a full 24" at the head of the bunk but only 18" at the foot where space is not needed.
To stay in a bunk in really heavy weather, the bunk board must be a full 18" above the mattress.
It is essenial this height be in the middle of the bunk to support your hip.
Most bunk boards are high at the ends, cut down in the middle where the height is needed.
Iolaire's are high in the middle, but the middle is hinged so it can be opened to get in and out of the bunk, but secured in place with two big brass barrel bolts once you are in the bunk.
Pilot berths are closed off by curtains, so you can retire to your bunk, pull the curtain while other members of the crew use the main cabin to relax, drink, eat and talk.
not shown, but underneath the settes are lee canvases, a full 18" above the mattress so once in the bunk there is no chance of being tossed out.
The main cabin is well ventilated as there is a 6" diameter ventilator mounted on a proper dorade box. The hatch in the main skylight which is underneath the dinghy is left open facing aft proped up on a short hatch prop. Even hove to in gale conditions the hatch can be left open.
Chart table with ample stowage underneath, and big book case above. Block of wood with holes in in for pencils, dividers, pens on forward bulkhead. This was salvaged from the wreck of the Abeking and Rassmusen yawl Ondine in 1959, along with a lot of other gear including the missen mast which is still on Iolaire. VHF mounted outboard edge of chart table.
Tool stowage and batteries underneath the chart table, ready tool stowage under navigators seat,dorade ventilator right over navigators head,
Double bunk port side aft cabin, with good high hinged bunk board to allow easy access, Bunk boards are original, so 104 years old!
single bunk starboard side aft cabin.
All bunks on Iolaire are a full 6' 6" long.
