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FRANCES

specs in 1996

  • Water: 15 Gallons
  • Diesel: 7 1/2 gallons.
  • Engine: 1 cylinder Volvo Diesel
  • Electrical: One marine battery (1996), cabin lights, navigation lights, anchor light, Tri-color light, electric bilge pump, 20W solar panel.
  • Accomodations: One long full width berth forward (6'6") aft to mast, two opposing settee berths (6"), quarter berth (6'6") aft to port with head under, galley aft to starboard.
  • Galley: Hand pump, two burner Origo alchohol stove, ice box.
  • Sails: Bondell Main with two reefs (1988), 100% jib (1988), Staysail with new (1996) club foot, 150% genoa (1996).
  • Rigging: Stainless steel 1 x 19 wire, cutter rig with bow sprit, club footed jib, 5/8" halyard and sheets, Aluminium mast with varnished boom, Jiffy reefing for main.
  • Winches: Three Barlow primary #16 winches, one Barlow #15 halyard winch on cabin top and one mast winch for jib halyard.
  • Electronics and Navigation: GPS, Fathometer, VHF, AM/FM radio.
  • Equipment: One 13 lb. Dandorth anchor with 250' of 5/8; 22 lbs Delta anchor with 315' of 3/4" line, 5 fenders, dock lines, manual bilge pump, three fire extinguishers, canvas winter cover with frame, life lines with gates. stern rail, cowl vent, Monitor self-steering vane, boat cushions, three Type I life jackets, fog horn, Danforth white Cosair compass.
  • Comments: This boat was finished by the designer C.W. Paine, as his personal yacht in 1974. Th e interior joinery is excellent and is sonply finished out white bulk heads accentuated with carnished mahogany trim. New deck in 1994 covered with twwo layrs od fiberglass and West apoxy resin. Topsides re-conditioned with Pettit All-Temp Barrier coat and bottom with Glass Flake Barrier coat in 1995. New rudder, Some interior work needs to be completed.

Chuck Paine quotes from 'The Best Boats to Build or Buy' by Ferenc Mate - more here.

"She was to embody everything I knew about the design of efficient cruising-vessels of fiberglass construction, to be capable of yearly cruises to and among the Caribbean Islands, to be small enough to fit my limited budget, but large enough to safely survive a gale at sea. She had to be as beautiful as her namesake, for some day I would part with her and I know well that beautiful yachts reward their owners' good taste with profit upon resale. Yet she is small enough for me to handle the little maintenance required, capable of being laid-up alongside a local lobsterman's wharf on an outgoing tide for periodic attention to the bottom, or even towed behind a good Maine Peapod if the engine and wind should choose to crap out simultaneously. Then there is always the dream of circumnavigation, and well, some year I might just find the time and have saved up the Panama Canal fee and a few cans of ravioli."

"The entry is quite sharp (25% half angle forward, which is sharp indeed for most racers have around 20 to 23). The keel extension is carried right up to the canoe body of the hull with a very tight fairing radius."

"I wanted to end up with a boat that could carry her sail well (an essential conflict between cruising and racing yachts, the stability being penalized in the latter for rating purposes). On the other hand I wanted the desirable wave performance of a tender boat. That is, one which is. an easy roller. There is only one solution to this seeming conflict. I get the sail carrying ability from the moderately heavy displacement (directly proportional to the riding moment). I achieve the easy motion by shaping the hull sections with a high angle of deadrise and very easy bilges, or more technically, designing the shape with a low meta-centre. The result is a hull which is driven easily and has relatively less wetted surface for her length than many yachts of her size range."



Year: 1974
Length: 26'
Engine/Fuel Type: Single / diesel

Located In: Rockland, ME
Hull Material: Fiberglass
YW#: 1572-3107013

Current Price:US$ 34,900

The interior joinery is attractive and well done with white bulkheads and varnished mahogany trim. Recent upgrades by her present owner who purchased her in 1996, and is her third owner, include a new Beta diesel engine, new hatches and new settee berth cushions. If you are looking for a unique, traditional pocket cruiser, with a charming interior, and short-handed rig, capable of long-range sailing. FRANCES is worth your serious consideration. She is in excellent condition. Please call after your inspection and thank you for your interest.

 

Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:

Boat Name
FRANCES

Specs
Builder: Morris Yachts, SW Harbor, ME
Designer: C.W. Paine

Dimensions
LOA: 26 ft 0 in
Beam: 8 ft 0 in
LWL: 21 ft 3 in
Maximum Draft: 3 ft 10 in
Displacement: 6800 lbs
Ballast: 3500 lbs

Engines
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Beta Marine
Year Built: 2016
Engine Model: 14
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel

 

VESSEL DETAILS

HULL & DECK:
• Solid fiberglass hull.
• Mist Gray hull paint using Petit Easypoxy, gray boottop, Flexdel Armour red bottom paint.
• 2014 new Epoxy barrier coat on bottom, after sandblasting.
• 1994 fiberglass over plywood decks using West epoxy, painted beige with nonskid surface.
• Bronze deck hardware.
• Companionway and deck hatch; light green companionway Dodger.
• Single lifelines with gates.
• Ash tiller steering with outboard rudder.
• 2011/2012 bow sprit replaced.
• Keel bolts recently inspected and approved.

TANKAGE:

Fuel: 7 gallons in S/S tank.

Water: 15 gallons in S/S tank.

Holding: porta potti head.

ENGINE & MECHANICAL:
• 2016 Beta Marine 14 diesel, 13.5 hp, 2 cylinder, FWC, installed by Ocean Pursuits, Rockland, ME, with only 12 hours.
• New exhaust system; new engine mounts.
• New 3 blade bronze prop.
• New S/S shaft.
• New Dripless shaft seal.

Cruising speed: 4-6 knots @ 1 gph.

ELECTRICAL:
• 12V system.
• 1-12V deep cycle battery for engine start and house service.
• 12V DC circuit breaker panel.
• New alternator.

ACCOMMODATIONS:
• For four in traditional layout with 6'6" long, full width double berth forward, two opposing 6' settee berths, and a 6'6" queen berth with porta potti under..
• Quarter berth with blue cushions.
• White bulkheads and ceiling, varnished mahogany trim, and painted mahogany cabin sole.
• 2017 new brown settee berth cushions.
• Galley to starboard with 2 burner Origo non-pressurized alcohol stove, icebox, no sink.

ELECTRONICS:
• Furuno depthsounder.
• Garmin 182C GPS with chip for Penobscot Bay.
• ICOM VHF.
• Compass.

SAILS & RIGGING:
• 337 sq. ft. sail area.
• 1995 Mainsail by Bohndell Sails with lazy jacks.
• 1996 110% jib by Bohndell Sails - can be used on Harken roller furler.
• 1996 150% Genoa by Bohndell Sails.
• Self-tending club jib - original sail.
• Aluminum spars.
• Jiffy reefing.
• Wood boom.
• New Harken Roller furling jib.
• Sailcover, older.
• S/S standing rigging, original, in good condition.
• Dacron running rigging, 15 years old, in good condition.
• Three #16 Barlow sheet winches.
• One #15 Barlow halyard winch.
• Three #16 sheet winches; One #15 sheet winch.
• Aluminum mast with painted ash spreaders and boom.
• Mast has been removed every winter.

EQUIPMENT:

• 22 lb Delta anchor with 3/4" 250' rode and 30' chain
• 25 lb Danforth anchor with 5/8" 250' rode and 30' chain.
• 13 lb Danforth anchor with 5/8" 250' rode and 15' chain.
• 1 manual and 1 electric bilge pump.
• 10' Puffin rowing dinghy.
• Dark green Dodger, 20 years old.
• Life ring.
• Swim ladder.
• Portable searchlight.
• 4 fenders; 4 docklines.
• Handheld & electric horns.
• Boat hook.
• Flares.
• Life jackets.
• Weems & Plath clock.
• AM/FM stereo.
• Gimballed propane stove.
• LED nav lights, port and starboard.
• Monitor S/S wind vane.

COMMENTS BY HER DESIGNER:

FRANCES is Hull #1 of the Chuck-Paine designed Morris built Frances 26 Cutters. Chuck Paine built her for his personal use. Here are his comments: " I designed FRANCES during the winter of 1975 for my own use. She was to embody everything I know about the design of efficient cruising vessels of fiberglass construction, to be capable of yearly cruises to and among the Caribbean Islands, to be small enough to fit my limited budget yet large enough to safely survive a gale at sea. She had to be as beautiful as her namesake, for someday I would part with her and I know well that beautiful yachts reward their owners' good taste with a profit upon resale. Yet she is small enough for me to handle the little maintenance required with fiberglass construction, capable of being laid up alongside a local lobsterman's wharf on an outgoing tide for periodic attention to the bottom, or even towed behind a good Maine Peapod if the engine and wind should choose to crap out .simultaneously. Then there's always the ultimate dream of a circumnavigation, and well, some year I might just find the time and have saved up the Panama Canal fee and a few cans of ravioli.

FRANCES is a small boat. She does not have full headroom, although the builder tells me he now has a coach roof deck plan giving 6' headroom, but does have yards of sitting room. A great deal of attention has been paid to stowage space, and of course any experienced cruising sailor knows that space is no damned good if the displacement and freeboard of the yacht are so small that, should that space be occupied by useable supplies, she would float halfway up her sides. Load FRANCES with your cruising gear and she won't show it, in appearance or performance. Many an ocean passage has been made in smaller boats. The coastal cruiser or sailor dreaming of• more distant places, will find a reassuring capacity in his Frances. She's a double ender. Not as fast as a transom or counter stem, but not much slower, either, and the sea-keeping qualities are so well known as not to require repeating here. Many hours were devoted to developing the hull shape, including the carving and gradual perfection of a half model. The entry is modeled quite sharp (the fastest racing yacht I ever designed of comparable size had an entry half angle of 22 degrees). The keel extension is carried right up to the 'canoe body' of the hull with a very tight fairing radius. This allows the entire keel to act like a vertical wing and thus prevent leeway. The rig is tall and narrow, increasing the leading edge of the sails. These three factors make FRANCES a weatherly boat. She has quite a high freeboard. This is used fore and aft to provide 4 inch high bulwarks around the forward and after deck. Now bulwarks have gone out of fashion on the racing boats, but once you sail with decent bulwarks as well as lifelines betwixt yourself and the hereafter, you won't go to sea again on a boat that is not so equipped. Amidships the high freeboard combined with a flush deck are responsible for all that lovely room below decks. I wanted to end up with a boat which could carry her sail well (an essential conflict between cruising and racing yachts, the stability being penalized in the latter for rating purposes.) On the other hand, I wanted the desirable wave performance of a tender boat. That is, one which is an easy roller. There is only one solution to this seeming conflict. I get the sail carrying ability from the moderately heavy displacement (directly proportional to the righting moment). I achieve an easy motion by shaping the hull sections with a high angle of deadrise and very easy bilges, or more technically, designing a shape with a low metacenter. The result is a hull which is easily-driven and has relatively less wetted surface for her length than many yachts in her size range."

COMMENTS BY HER BROKER: The interior joinery is attractive and well done with white bulkheads and varnished mahogany trim. Recent upgrades by her present owner who purchased her in 1996, and is her third owner, include a new Beta diesel engine, new hatches and new settee berth cushions. If you are looking for a unique, traditional pocket cruiser, with a charming interior, and short-handed rig, capable of long-range sailing. FRANCES is worth your serious consideration. She is in excellent condition. Please call after your inspection and thank you for your interest.

 

Below are Frances pics from the archives: