1939 Upham’s Waterbug (Deep Keel)
General Specification
Construction
- Wooden carvel construction
- Painted finish
- Timber sheathed and painted decks
- Self draining cockpit
- Wintered ashore annually
Mechanical & Electrical
- Bukh DV10 – 10hp diesel engine (last serviced 2024)
- Full engine service 2024 including new cylinder head gasket, fuel injector service, exhaust elbow, fuel and oil filters.
- Plastic fuel tank – 50lts
- 3 bladed bronze propellor
- 2 x batteries (1 engine & 1 leisure battery for cabin lights and instruments)
Rigging & Sails
- Cutter Rig
- Keel stepped mast
- Main mast in Douglas Fir with Douglas Fir boom (good condition, re-varnished 2024)
- Galvanized steel wire standing rigging with galvanized steel turnbuckles
- Stainless steel chainplates
- Traditional braided running rigging throughout running on wooden and Tufnol blocks
- Mainsail (roller reefing)
- Jib
- Stay sail
- All sails from Quay Sails of Poole in brown sailcloth and in excellent condition
- Tufnol winches
- Galvanised steel cockpit sheet horse
Accommodation
- 4 berths in 2 cabins
- 2 single berths in saloon
- 2 pipe cots either side of focsle
- Waxed teak and oak panelling with exposed unvarnished deck beams and white painted close boarding to the soffit
- Cream coloured PVC seat and back covers
- Galley with Taylors 2 burner paraffin stove with bronze water pump and steel washing up bowl (cold only)
- Original Baby Blake sea toilet (no holding tank) in focsle
- 50l stainless steel fresh water tank
Equipment
- Storage/yard cradle available with berth
- All over tarp
- Swinging compass surface mounted in cockpit
- Garmin GPS
- TackTick wireless depth and boat speed indicator
- Teak forward hatch to the focsle
- Galvanised steel pulpit & twin shrouded safety rails each side to transom
- Bronze wind scoops mounted to coach roof either side of the mast step
- Iron manual windlass
- CQR deck mounted anchor
Remarks:
Fitted with an eminently reliable Bukh DV10 she makes for a very comfortable cruising boat affording two good sized berths in the salon and two pipe cots in the fore peak. Her interior is charming, simply panelled out in waxed timber to reflect the unvarnished teak coach roof sides which are perforated by original bronze portholes. A small galley includes a Taylors two burner paraffin stove. Also, in the saloon is a chart station and ships instruments. An original Baby Blake is in the forepeak along with sail lockers and a small wash hand basin. A Garmin GPS and Icom VHF radio are located above the chart table. Depth gauge and boat speed are provided wirelessly by Tacktick to the cockpit.
She is furnished with a suite of three sails, main, jib and staysail all manufactured in brown sailcloth by Quay sails of Poole. The two foresails are a hank on type. Most of the running gear is either in wood or Tufnol including the cockpit winches.
This beautiful classic sailing yacht has a wonderful pedigree. In her very early years, she was attributed to Harrison Butler (and appears on the Lloyd’s register as such), most likely mistaken for a Z4 tonner. Although similar in design her length overall is a little longer. She has benefited from not only a cutter rig but an extended backstay (Bumsprit) which affords her a lovely masthead mainsail on standing backstays. All of which contribute to a wonderful sailing experience from another time.
Night Wind is the pre-war prototype of the Waterbug One Design built at Uphams after the war. In all, sixteen Waterbugs were built and Night Wind was one of the six boats available for charter from the Classic Sailing Club at Pin Mill in Suffolk.
Having been lovingly maintained by the current owner for the past twenty years, she is in good condition (exceptional for an 85 year old boat), dry and leak free from the elements and retains many of her original features. Now for sale owing to a general retirement from sailing. She is currently ashore at Rye and is available for viewing at any reasonable time.
Topsail Marine Yacht Brokers is acting as brokers (or in the case of classified adverts, advertising medium) only and unless stated otherwise the vendor is not selling in the course of business. Whilst every care has been taken in their preparation, the correctness of particulars is not guaranteed and they are intended as a guide only. Prospective purchasers are strongly advised to check all particulars and where appropriate employ an independent qualified agent to carry out a survey and/or sea/river trial. Vessels are offered subject to prior sale, amendment or withdrawal without notice.
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