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PETRONELLA

Trunk Cabin Cutter

Thank you, Thank you, thank you, some months ago I chanced upon your web site extolling the virtues of the Frances 26. After reading all, and drooling over the pictures I found myself looking at every one on the market. Consequently I have just sold my Moody 34 and will be the
proud owner of Petronella, the prettiest cutter rigged Frances I have seen. I am now looking forward to some real sailing around the coast of the UK and up into the Baltic, and one day perhaps I may do the Pond.

1985 Frances 26 (Long Keel)
Status : Sold
Price : £22,950 Tax Paid
Flag : British SSR
Lying : Norfolk Broads, UK - viewing strictly by appointment through Topsail
Inspected by Topsail : August 2010

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOA : 7.9m (25ft 11in)
LWL : 6.5m (21ft 4in)
Beam : 2.5m (8ft 2in)
Draft : 1.2m (3ft 11in)
Displacement : 3091kg
Ballast : 1591kg

CONSTRUCTION

  • Designed by Chuck Paine (USA)
  • Built by Victoria Yachts Ltd (Warsash, Southampton)
  • Trunk cabin (not flush deck) version giving approximately 1.83m (6ft) headroom
  • Very attractive, traditional, double-ender design
  • Encapsulated lead long keel
  • 51% ballast ratio
  • Mainly teak laid decks and cockpit
  • Self draining cockpit with locker to starboard and lazarette with gas locker to aft
  • Transom hung rudder with laminated tiller
  • Hull epoxied as a preventative measure in 1998
  • Last ashore and antifouled winter 2009/2010
  • Last surveyed November 2005 (copy available)

RIG

  • Bermudan Cutter rig
  • All standing rigging and sails replaced within the last 10 years
  • Terylene running rigging renewed as required
  • Silver anodised, single spreader, keel stepped mast by Proctor
  • Aluminium main and staysail booms
  • Aluminium telescopic whisker pole
  • Gibb reefing and halyard winches
  • Short Spruce bowsprit supporting Hood Seafurl headsail furling gear
  • Tan slab reefing mainsail
  • Tan self-tacking staysail
  • Tan furling Yankee jib
  • Cruising chute with snuffler
  • Original working sails

MECHANICAL

  • Vetus M2.06 twin cylinder 15hp freshwater cooled diesel engine (1996)
  • Shaft drive to 3 bladed propeller
  • Steel fuel tank
  • Engine professionally serviced
  • Single lever engine control in cockpit
  • Tiller steering
  • 2 x 105ah sealed batteries (recent) charged from engine alternator

ACCOMMODATION

  • Quality wood interior with rattan locker fronts
  • 4 berths in open plan single cabin
  • Double/V-berth with infil in forepeak
  • Single settee berth to starboard with lee cloth
  • Quarter berth to port
  • Berth cushions recently reupholstered
  • Galley to starboard with gimballed Spinflo Nelson gas stove (2 burners, grill and oven)
  • Stainless steel circular sink with pressurised hot and cold supply and hand-pumped cold supply
  • Heads compartment to starboard of companionway with Jabsco sea toilet (no holding tank) and sink with shower head with pressurised hot and cold supply
  • Drop-down chart table to starboard with stowage for charts and books
  • 6 x solid brass opening portlights (including 1 in heads compartment) and 1 x hatch
  • Ample storage lockers throughout including 4 draw unit to port
  • Flexible freshwater tank under settee berth
  • 16l calorifier for domestic hot water
  • 2 x calor gas bottles (not full)
  • Blaupunkt radio/cassette player
  • Max headroom approximately 1.83m (6ft)

EQUIPMENT

Navigation Equipment

  • Masthead and deck level navigation lights
  • Brass clock and barometer
  • Plastimo bulkhead compass
  • Stowe log and depth
  • Nasa Clipper wind speed/direction (new transducer cups included in sale but not fitted)
  • Wind vane
  • Nasa Clipper GPS repeater
  • Garmin 128 GPS at chart table
  • Midland Neptune DSC VHF radio
  • Lokata SSB RX radio receiver
  • Nasa Pro-Plus navtex
  • Simrad TP 300c tiller pilot

Safety Equipment

  • Boat Safety Scheme certificate (expires June 2012)
  • Horseshoe lifebuoy
  • Danbuoy
  • MOB lifesling
  • Firdall Blipper radar reflector
  • Henderson bilge pump in cockpit
  • Fire extinguishers (not guaranteed in date)
  • Fire blanket

Deck Equipment

  • 7.5kg Bruce anchor seated on deck mount
  • 30m x 8mm galvanised chain
  • 30m anchorplait warp
  • Stainless steel pushpit and pulpit
  • Stanchions with double guard wires
  • Tan sprayhood

Other Equipment

  • Storage cradle (currently stored at local boatyard)
  • Overall winter cover

REMARKS

The Frances 26 is, without doubt, a modern classic. With her beautiful traditional double-ended design, and her long keel and modest draft, she is everything that a small cruiser should be! The original "Frances" was designed by the American designer Chuck Paine for his own use and was the start of a long and successful line of Frances, Morris and Victoria yachts that now grace seas and ports around the world. Designed to cruise in and around the Caribbean, and to safely survive a gale at sea, the Frances is an easily handled, capable small cruiser with a well deserved reputation. This example is a trunk cabin version with standing headroom throughout the majority of the cabin, and with her shower and chart table, she is better appointed than many much larger cruising yachts. She has cruised the East Coast and made several channel crossings to France and Belgium with her current owner. Currently lying afloat.