1960 Atalanta 26 (Trailer Available)

• Wood (hot molded laminate) construction
• Twin lifting keels
• Retractable rudder
• Centre cockpit
• Aft cabin
• Galvanised keel and lifting mechanism all in very good condition
• Keelbolt nuts modified for adjustment with socket ratchet

• 9hp Yanmar 1GM10 inboard diesel engine
• Shaft drive to 3 blade propeller
• Aquadrive anti-vibration coupling unit
• Sound-proofed engine bay (very quiet installation)
• Single lever gear/speed control
• Hand-start engine handle
• 20l Plastimo fuel tank
• Tiller steering with lines for basic ‘self-steering’
• 2 x 12V batteries (2015)
• Rewired in 2000, plus additional rewiring in 2017 including new engine loom, 12V switch panel with circuit breakers, volt meter, ammeter, USB and cigar-lighter sockets

• Bermudan Fractional Sloop rig
• Hollow wooden mast and boom (very good condition)
• Hinged mast step (wooden frame for mast lowering/raising available if required)
• Stainless steel standing rigging
• Wire/rope main halyard and topping lift led aft to cockpit
• All wire headsail halyard
• Spinnaker halyard
• Bronze mast winches and handles
• Modern sheet winches
• 2 x winch handles
• Barton headsail sheet tracks
• All sails in good condition, by Jeckells in 2000, but only used for about 10 seasons
• Mainsail, loose footed, slab reefing (roller-reefing gear also included in sale)
• Genoa, hanked on
• Working jib, hanked on
• Old mainsail, furling headsail and spinnaker
• Mainsail cover (2015)

• 4 berths in 2 cabins
• 4 inch berth cushions (2000) for all berths
• Galley with gimballed Origo 3000 alcohol/meths stove (2 burners) and hand-pumped water supply
• ‘Corelle’ ceramic plates and bowls, cutlery and cooking pans
• 50 litre freshwater tank
• Chemical toilet (PAR sea toilet, Blakes seacocks & hoses, all removed but available if required)
• Folio size chart table with chart stowage under and book/navigation tools shelf unit adjacent
• Original Fairey curved shelves
• 12V LED cabin lights
• Good sitting headroom forward, with standing headroom in galley
• Sitting headroom in front of aft cabin, lowering to rear

Navigation Equipment

• Plastimo Contest bulkhead compass
• Navico VHF radio
• Raymarine depth and log
• Furuno GPS (not currently installed)
• Navigation lights (anchor, tricolour, steaming, bow and stern)
• Motor sailing cone
• Anchor ball

Safety Equipment

• Stainless steel pulpit
• Stanchions and lifelines (two sets, one full and one foredeck only)
• Jackstays
• Original Fairey Marine boarding ladder, shaped to hull with swimming extension
• 12V auto bilge pump
• Portable Whale manual bilge pump, mount and hose
• 2 x fire extinguishers
• Fire blanket

Deck Equipment

• Bow roller/bitts plus additional bow fairleads
• Midship mooring cleats
• 7kg CQR anchor
• 9kg Delta anchor
• 40m of 6mm chain
• Boat hook
• 6 x fenders
• Mooring warps
• Deck scrubber and rubber bucket
• Cockpit cover
• Full length winter cover (good condition)

Keel/Rudder Fittings

• Two keel raising handles
• Rudder control lines led into cockpit
• Rudder safety line (used when moored)
• Whipstaff tiller bearing and control lines all in good condition

Available By Separate Negotiation

• 3,500kg RM twin axle galvanised road trailer (excellent condition) with shaped blocks for Atalanta (and various chocks and blocks for use with other boats), spare wheel, lighting board and cable, 3 x 3in ratchet straps and extension mirrors for tow vehicle
• Jacks, support frames and beams to raise the boat from the trailer for keel maintenance
• Wooden trestles (for laying up ashore)

The Atalanta 26 was designed as a lightweight cruiser using immensely strong, but light, hot moulded construction, and with her twin lifting keels and retractable rudder, not only is she able to take the ground, but she was also one of the earliest ‘trailerable’ cruising yachts of her size. This example still very much embraces the lightweight cruiser concept and whilst she has everything needed for coastal cruising, her interior fit out has intentionally been kept to a minimum and she hasn’t been weighed down with excessive and unnecessary offshore sailing gear. Her sails and rig are also set up for simple and efficient single-handed sailing. Having been afloat for only 10 seasons in the past 20 years, she is now looking for a new owner who has more time to sail and enjoy her. Understood to be in good sound condition throughout, she has been fully prepared for the 2020 season and is afloat in commission and ready to sail. A very attractive modern classic, with unmistakable ‘Fairey’ styling! Road trailer available by negotiation.

Further History:

Originally based on the south coast (Poole), “Helene” was given a ‘nuts and bolts’ restoration after a period of little use in the 1970s, and subsequently sailed on the east coast. Helene then moved to the River Ribble, followed by Pensarn, Wales, before returning to the east coast in the late 1980s where she was subject to further restoration work and renamed “Rakshi”. She was sold again in the late 1990s and renamed again to “Helene”. In the early 2000s, Helene was again the subject of a further – and expensive – restoration on the River Deben. The work included:

• Cockpit rebuilt including new bottom third to companionway bulkhead
• Deck repairs
• New toe-rails, traditional yacht style rather than the ‘cotton-reels and rail’ original
• Excellent new cockpit coaming – comfortable and effective at keeping the water out!
• Reconditioned Yanmar 1GM10 fitted
• New sails (Jeckells) and rigging including headsail twin luff groove foil
• New 4″ vinyl/foam bunk cushions

Owner’s remarks:

When I bought her in 2007 Helene had been stored in a barn for a couple of years. Her uncluttered, original configuration, without excessive cupboardary, lockerage or inventory made her stand out. The decks were showing signs of distress – particularly the aft deck and the join with the Blister. I started to renovate the decks which were suffering from some delamination. Through a lack of focus and rose-tinted spectacles (and competition from another boat) it wasn’t until 2015, 10 years after she last saw the water, that I relaunched her. I so enjoyed her that year!

2007-2015 Significant Works:

• Aft deck rebuilt with new ‘hoop’ frames and new panels on starboard side
• Foredeck delaminations repaired with new veneer and whole area ‘doubled’ with 6mm ply on the underside, significantly increasing stiffness
• Blister centreline strengthened and repaired
• Blister-deck quadrant join remade
• Engine professionally prepared
• Mast truck to keel bottom repaint/revarnish
• Sails converted from headsail foil to hanked on
• Trailer refurbished
• Interior lighting changed to LED

2016-2020 Significant Works:

• Conversion to loose footed mainsail on original wooden boom
• Full length lifelines removed and replaced with shorter lifelines for foredeck
• Sea toilet replaced with ‘mobile’ chemical loo
• Switch panel replaced, wiring rationalised and tidied, addition of meters and USB sockets