Theodora
A 45 foot traditionally built auxiliary yawl
Sharing the hull lines of the originally designed yacht of the nineteen forties this is truly a modern day classic.
Designed for an Australian business man as a fast cruising yacht for day sailing and general cruising on the Australian East Coast, Theodora certainly turns heads when ever she is on the water.
The utmost care was taken by the Franklin Team to capture the elegance and grace of mid 20th century sailing vessels.
In keeping with the finest traditions of wooden yacht building, quality of construction was of paramount importance.
The hull construction is triple skinned NZ Kauri, with timber featuring through the whole boat including the interior and decks.
With a combination of timber, modern adhesives and technologies this classic 1945 design is assured to live on for many years in the new Theodora.
The photos at the end of the photo slider show Theodora undergoing sea trials in the Marlborough Sounds.
The Marlborough Sounds are located at the top of New Zealand's South Island and are home to Franklin's of Waikawa, the marine maintenance facility.
Theodora carries her sail well and is a delight to sail and while It takes a lot to impress our hardened yacht racer, Ian Franklin, he is enthusiastic as to how nice she is to sail.
If you have a new boat classic buld in mind, contact our sales office
Use the slider below to view a range of photos. Click on any image in the slider to see enlarged photos.
| |
Theodora - The Designer's Comments
SPARKMAN & STEPHENS DESIGN NO. 602-C1
45'-3" LOA CLASSIC YAWL
Classic looking yachts never go out of style.
Well known for its classic designs, Sparkman & Stephens was approached by an experienced sailor looking to build a new yacht with a preference for the gracious overhangs and timeless sheer lines of S&S yachts of the 30's and 40's era.
Additional criteria included a ketch or yawl rig and a maximum draft of 5 feet. The yacht will be used for short-handed family cruising off the East Coast of Australia.
While purchasing and refitting an S&S yacht from the 30's or 40's was an option, the client preferred to have the "look and feel" of a "classic wooden yacht", but not the maintenance demands of an "old wooden boat".
He also desired systems and features typically not found in yachts of his preferred era. For these reasons he chose to build a new yacht using modern construction methods and customized for his needs.
The result is Theodora,, a classic centre board yawl, built by Ian Franklin Boat Builders, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Design
Of the preferred era, various S&S designs were considered as a starting point for the new yacht. Given the overall desired dimensions, rig preferences, draft restriction and intended use, the client and S&S Design Team selected for the basis of the new design, S&S Design No. 602, Revonoc, a centerboard yawl originally built in 1945 at the Nevins yard on City Island, New York.
The name Revonoc is an anagram of the original owner's name, Harvey Conover. The new design, Theodora, has the same Lines as the original design, but construction, systems and rig are updated to modern standards.
Construction
The original design had a double planked (Honduras Mahogany over white Cedar) hull on steam bent White Oak frames.
As it was desired to retain the aesthetics of a wooden hull, the new design features an epoxy glued combined strip planked and cold moulded Kauri Pine hull laminate over laminated Kauri Pine frames. This has result in a stronger yacht with less long term maintenance. For extra protection and strength, the exterior of the hull is covered with a light E-glass skin.
A major improvement over the original design is in the centerboard trunk construction, which is built from fibreglass.
All deck beams are laminated Kauri Pine or Western Red Cedar, depending on location and strength requirements, and covered with an integrally glued marine grade plywood deck.
Cork decking was chosen for its light weight and comfort under foot; the original design having canvas covered decks.
The deckhouse sides are laminated and finished varnished as the original.
Interior and Cockpit Layout
With her ample beam for the period, as a result of the centerboard hull shape, the interior is relatively spacious for a classic design. The long deckhouse also allows for unrestricted headroom throughout the interior.
Much of the interior layout of the new design is similar to the original. The original layout featured a double stateroom forward of the main mast, aft of which there was a head with shower to port and bureau with lockers to starboard.
Midships, the layout is classic with central folding table under a butterfly skylight with transom seats and berths outboard. Changes to the original interior are aft. The original full beam galley aft was modified to a galley to port and a new navigation area with additional quarter berth aft, as it suited better the client's needs.
The cockpit was slightly increased in size and layout to make room for the wheel steering and to allow for better seating, ergonomics and access to the winches. The wheel is mounted on a classic pedestal with binnacle.
There is ample room for sail storage in the forepeak as well as in the watertight sail bin to port under the cockpit and the lazarette aft.
Mechanical and Systems
The equipment list features a 50 hp Kubota Nanni diesel auxiliary engine, driving a 3-blade feathering propeller.
The galley has a gimbaled stove, double sink and built-in icebox with refrigeration system.
There is provision for two LPG bottles in a dedicated sealed locker to port, accessible from on deck.
There are two large fresh water tanks connected to a small fresh water pressure system for the galley, head sink, shower and deck shower. The hot water heater has double built-in coils for connection to the engine raw water loop. A large improvement over the original is the 12V DC vacuum toilet which is connected to a small type I MSD.
Local regulations also required the fitting of small black and grey water tanks.
Rig, Deck Layout and Sails
The deck plan of Theodora is much improved over Revonoc, designed for easy handling by a short-handed crew. An inner forestay with self tacking club jib is included for easy work to windward in a breeze. Aesthetical considerations resulted in a choice of stainless steel wire for the standing rigging. For added safety and ease of handling, the runners will be Kevlar aramid fibre.
Both masts and booms will be made of aluminum. Theodora carries a suite of sails cut from the specially developed Cambria fabric by Doyle. All sails are cut and assembled from narrow 18" panels, with classic corner look, stitching and finishing. The cream colored Cambria Dacron fabric gives a classic appearance but with modern performance and durability.
Dorade cowls are installed for improved natural ventilation. All deck hatches are custom built and all deck hardware is polished stainless steel.
In a departure from the original, the cockpit coamings are now flanked by 3 polished stainless steel self tailing Andersen winches. There are additional winches on the deck house, and on both the main and mizzen masts, all by Andersen.
Summary
Although based on a proven design from the forties, the new Theodora is a classic cruising yacht in her own right. With skilled craftsmanship, elegant details and a well laid out interior, the design experience, naval architecture and solid engineering of Sparkman & Stephens, the owners of Theodora now have a truly graceful yacht. The modern cold moulded wooden construction will allow them to enjoy the yacht for years to come as a reliable cruising and offshore boat, while maintaining the design integrity and aesthetics of a classic era yacht.
As for the original 1945 design 0602, which was the base for this new yacht, S&S keeps all the drawings and technical files of the now 2725 designs in its archives. Most of the classic S&S designs are available and can be considered as a start for a new yacht for interested Owners.
Particulars for THEODORA
LOA 45'-3 _" 13.80 m
LWL 32' - 0" 9.75 m
Bmax 12' - 0" 3.65 m
Draft - centerboard up 4'- 4 3/4" 1.34 m
Draft - centerboard down 7'- 2 _" 2.20m
