STEERING:
Wheel
SAILS: Various new sails, standard main, heavy genoa, storm jib, spinnakers.
NAVIGATIONAL:
Log, echo sounder, steering compass at wheel, hand bearing compass,
GPS, VHF.
GALLEY: Worktops with a deep sink with fresh and salt water taps, good storage and Gimballed 2 burner stainless cooker with oven. Built in deep chest icebox.
ACCOMMODATION:
Surprisingly well laid out interior for such a vintage with 3 good sea berths in the main salon, (A 4th has been modified to carry TV, video/DVD player and sound
system but could be reinstated as a berth if required) Double or V berths in
the forward cabin and single navigators berth beside the chart table. The galley is in the
optimum position opposite the chart table and below the hatch.
Ahead of the saloon, the heads and shower
compartment is on the port side and the door may be used to either close the fore cabin or the heads.
The Bowman 36 was designed by Holman
and Pye, this is the deep keel version, (there is also a centre-board version). She
was bought as a hull and deck which was moulded by Seaglass at the 1971 Boat
Show and then completed by John Rock of Bournemouth. The current owners bought the yacht
from the Royal Signals Yacht Club in Cyprus in November 1993.
The captain decided on an immediate re-build. Having observed the boat for years
he was aware of her being very tender and quite unsuited for
competitive racing (she was designed as 100/100 motor-sailor) and as
racing was his passion (He was the
offshore champion for many years, in this or any other boat he raced),
he started the re-build by increasing her ballast ratio from
29% to nearer 40%. This was done by removing the fuel tank, which is situated over
the encapsulated cast iron keel, and putting in 925 kilos of lead shot
over the keel. (The procedure was started by first putting the shot in
place in 25kg bags with the boat in the water so that he could be sure
of the proper fore and aft trim. The bags were then removed and 4
baffles were put in place so that the shot did not slide about. The shot
was then poured into the boxes thus created and mixed with 5 gallons of
epoxy resin to create a stable unit. This was then covered with 6 layers
of heavy mat and polyester resin and well bonded into the hull. The fuel
tank was cut and shut to fit the remaining space. Fuel capacity has
been reduced from 50 gals. to about 20 gals, but as one of his
idiosyncrasies was to come in and out of the marina under sail it was
not a serious compromise. The yacht then floated around two and a half
inches below her old waterline but the change in sail carrying ability
was remarkable, very gratifying and well worth the effort. As the
engine was offset by four inches to port of the centre line he placed
75kg of lead shot permanently under the starboard saloon berth.
Mr. David Cooper of Holman and Pye wrote in September 1998 regarding the
displacement of the standard Bowman 36 deep keel version. He reckoned
the displacement as 8.72 tons Imperial, 8,859 kg. When the 1,000 kg lead
was added the displacement came to 9,859 kg. The boat was completely
emptied for the weighing in, (no small task when it is geared up for
cruising), two
skippers were asked to check through everywhere, as was the club
official in charge of the weighing. (Affidavits can be provided if
necessary). The empty weight came to 8,122kg which is quite in line with
the displacement value.
The result of all this hard work was that he not only continued winning,
but would not consider exchanging her for any other yacht, including the
Nicholson 43 which we had previously enjoyed and had the opportunity to
obtain.
She is easy to handle, even without the modern addition of self furling.
Her sea kindliness has been improved enormously as has her speed and
stability.
She is a comfortable and atmospherically warm boat, plenty of wood and
with most mod cons whilst at the same time retaining the necessities for
when the mod cons go wrong.
For example she has manual water pumps to both sinks, sweet and seawater
to the galley.
She has shore power lighting as well as battery power lighting
throughout.
The attention she needs is minimal, (if there is such a thing with any
boat, ) she was professionally maintained for a couple of years however
not sailed at all. I would suggest that her new
owner might like to exchange the huge ice box and home made battery
powered cool box for a fridge freezer, her portable air conditioning
unit to a built in one and her manual bilge pumps (the one aft has
stopped working and I have not examined why) would be easier with the
installation of the electric one that he bought to install but didn't get
around to.
The life raft will either need servicing or replacing, we don't know which
as it hasn't been checked . She has some brand new sails, which have never even been
on her.
She is being offered for sale at a price, which, having researched the
market, will leave whoever buys her quid's in after doing any upgrading
she needs, including a full repaint and anti foul.
