Latest News

“Kate” is being converted to yawl rig. After four seasons racing as a cutter dreams from ten years ago of racing other Twelve Metres are no longer. More appropriate, to race the classic yacht circuit in the Caribbean, the US East Coast and Northern Europe and to cruise. The 46 foot long boom will be no more. That will be a relief. The smaller mainsail and new mizzen will permit much easier handling and offshore sailing. Overall we expect the boat to be faster with the new rig.

---- “Kate” was designed by Alfred Mylne in 1908 and built by Philip Walwyn and his small team of woodworkers in St. Kitts. Launch date was December 2006.
Copies of Mylne’s drawings and calculations were used. Displacement is as designed, as is ballast ratio and rig. Construction, engineered by Ian Nicolson with plan approval from the Twelve Metre Class is wood, epoxy, bronze fastened throughout and glass sheathed using two layers of 300gsm biaxial. Walwyn has used this method over the past 30 years to build a number of boats for himself. Epoxy, additives and glass cloth are from SP Systems in the Isle of Wight. Coatings are by Awlgrip.

Frames are laminated mahogany as is the centerline structure. Planking, screwed and glued to the frames is 35 mm Oregon pine, a 2mm veneer of Okoume covers the interior planking. Deck beams are laminated Oregon pine. Decks are two layers of 10mm Bruynzeel ply with a laid deck of Oregon pine of 4mm glued over. The spars are Sitka spruce, made hollow. Sails are cream Dacron by Gowen of West Mersea. The keel of 11.5 tonnes is lead with 18 bronze keel bolts. Rigging is by Spencer of Cowes using Sta-Lok terminals and rigging screws. Ten bronze, Meissner, self tailing winches handle halyards, runners and sheets. Bronze and steel hardware is by Classic Marine in Woodbridge.

With experience gained building half a dozen boats up to 23 metres on deck engineered in wood/epoxy, “Kate’s” interior and furniture is designed to be both functional and add strength and it makes for a particularly stiff structure.

There is no engine, no tanks and apart from a masthead tricolour, no electrics. Handheld GPS and VHF are on board. The boat is a symphony in simplicity.

Accommodation is traditional with two quarter berths aft, chart table on starboard, galley top on port, settee berths and pilot berths port and starboard in the saloon, marine head on starboard and vanity opposite on port by the mast with a double cabin forward. The anchor locker and stowage is forward of a watertight bulkhead. A small lazarette is between two watertight bulkheads aft of the tiller.

___________________________________________________________________

---- When we spent time, money and emotion building "Kate" we were not thinking about anything except bringing the job to a finish.Since her launch an extraordinary amount of interest has been shown in
the boat. Unwittingly we have touched a nerve or perhaps struck a cord. People seem to love classic boats and for six months in the Caribbean wherever we have sailed every camera has been pointed our way and "Kate"has had endless positive comment (apart from those whose favourite colour is not yellow). This has been very rewarding for all involved in making "Kate" sail and as the owner I am both grateful and somewhat humbled by the attention given to us.
To top it all the July issues of both Classic Boat magazine from the UK and Wooden Boat from the US show "Kate" on their covers, with extensive articles inside.

Please see magazine preview images below.
CLICK IMAGE TO SEE LARGER VERSION

One day soon we hope this enthusiasm will translate into our building the 19 Metre.

Contact us for sailing in 2011

Website: www.1906-TwelveMetre.com

Email:sailingstkitts@gmail.com

Telephone: 869 465 7740 - Fax: 869 465 4555

Airmail: Pleasant Boats Co Ltd., St. Pauls, P O Box 342, ST. KITTS, West Indies.

Ian Nicolson C.Eng. F.R.I.N.A. Hon.M.I.I.M.S. telephone 01436 84 22 24 (UK)

Link to the other Kate - Kate Spencer Art
Email:sailingstkitts@gmail.com
Web: www.katedesign.com

Archive Holders
www.mylne.com