Apollo Duck category: Sailing yacht

Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this 1964 E.G. Van de Stadt Pioneer 9 Masthead Sloop

The Pioneer 9 is a robust, seaworthy classic yacht designed for serious cruising and blue-water sailing, often praised for its solid build quality, stability in rough seas, and manageable sailing characteristics. While it offers a secure and dry cockpit, its interior may feel cramped compared to modern yachts, lacking large living spaces but featuring practical elements like a large heads and a handy wet locker. Reviews highlight its strength, good performance for its size, and ability to handle heavy weather, making it a reliable choice for offshore voyages despite its age.

The Dutch 9.10m Pionier 9 – often spelt Pioneer 9 in English – was designed by van de Stadt and the first production GRP yacht in Europe. More than 600 were built after the first was launched in 1959. UK versions were moulded by Tylers and finished by Southern Ocean Shipyard in Poole.

The capabilities of the Pionier 9 were proven beyond doubt 12 years after it was first launched, when Nicolette Milnes-Walker became the first woman to sail single-handed across the North Atlantic, completing the voyage from Pembrokeshire, Wales, to Newport, Rhode Island in 45 days.

This example has sailed cross channel to Guernsey, Sark and Jersey. To St Malo and along the Coast. To the Solent and many occasions South West

Surveyed and Coded in 2017 for CAT 4 Daysail training in her locality, kept in code to 2019 before moving to Teignmouth.

Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this Golden Hind 31

Designed by Maurice Griffiths, these GRP versions of this popular family cruising boat were built by Terry Erskine yachts.  This boat was launched in 1976.

The Golden Hind was originally designed for amateur construction using plywood, the hard chine hull was relatively easy to construct using plywood sheets and made for a cost effective family cruising boat. Latterly a plug was made the design was built in GRP with many produced by Terry Erskine of Plymouth.

With only 2 owners in all her years, this has been a well loved and used yacht, in present ownership for 26 years.  Sadly due to the owners advancing years she has been put up for sale.

In the first few years of the current ownership she had a major refit including a new engine and a re-modelled interior creating a comfortable and spacious cabin with 5 berths and over 6’ headroom.

This yacht has the ketch rig which makes her more adaptable for short handed cruising with more sail plan options.

A good honest cruising boat with a lot of volume for the length and sensibly priced.

Length on Deck                      31’6” / 9.6m

Length Overall                        35’5” / 10.8m

Length Waterline                    26’9” / 8.15m

Beam                                       9’ / 2.74m

Draft                                        3’8“ / 1.12m

Displacement                          11,600lb / 5262kg

Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this Laurent Giles Vertue V131

Laurent Giles Vertue No. V131 built by Robertsons of Woodbridge in 1965.

This is another example of a long voyaging Vertue, yet again proving their worth as superb offshore cruising boats.  Her second owner set sail from the UK for Cape Town via the French inland waterways and Suez Canal.  She reached her destination but not after being hit by extreme weather in the Indian Ocean.  She changed hands in South Africa, bought by a Ron Atkinson in 1071 who cruised and raced her extensively up and down the east African coast up to Mozanbique.  He renamed her Zingela after a Zulu warrior.

In South Africa her rig was changed for an alloy mast to a more conventional masthead Bermudan sloop configuration, differing to the usual Vertue slutter type rig.

She was then sold back into UK ownership and shipped home in 1993 where she has remained, being cruised around the south coast.

Length on Deck                          25’4”

Beam                                             7’4”

Draft                                              4’6”

Thames Tonnage                       5TM

Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this Buchanan Saxon Class Sloop

The Saxon Class was designed by Alan Buchanan as a development of his very successful Vashti as a smaller more manageable yacht but with many of the same attributes.

This boat was built by RJ Priors and Son of Burnham in 1962 to Lloyds 100A1 and was kept in class until quite recently.

The dimensions and volume of the Saxon make her an ideal size for many owners, easily single handed, but with 5 berths and space for a good size crew when racing, she is large enough to take some nasty weather if required without being unmanageable.  The current owner has carried out some significant repairs including rebuilding the aft deck and transom.  She is now looking smart and ready to be commissioned by a new owner in the spring.

She comes with a very smart fitted all over cover, keeping the winter weather away from the bright work and allowing the hull to breathe.

A very attractive boat with lovely sailing qualities, nicely presented and ready for the coming season.

Length on Deck                      34’6″

Length Waterline                   26′

Beam                                       9’6″

Draft                                       6′

Thames Tonnage                    10TM

Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this Arthur Ransomes Fred Shepherd Yacht

SELINA KING is a Fred Shepherd designed Bermudan cutter built by Harry King & Sons in 1938 for the author Arthur Ransome.  She was the largest boat commissioned by Ransome.

Passing through various owners, she was bought by a gentleman from Bermuda in 1972 who set out to sail her home and was caught in a nasty north Atlantic storm.  Rescued by the navy, she eventually made it to Bermuda where she remained for some time before being sold again and cruising to the Caribbean and the States.  Found abandoned and in a poor state in Florida, she was sailed back to Bermuda and eventually bought by the current owner in 2011.  There started a major refit, culminating in her launch in 2023 at the very yard where she had been built at Pin Mill, Suffolk.

Now after spending a lot of years, effort and money rebuilding the boat, the owner wishes to pass her on to someone who can appreciate the good work and use her properly.

Photo Credits: Nic Compton.

Length on Deck                      35’10”

Length Waterline                   28’4”

Beam                                       9’10”

Draft                                       5’

Thames Tonnage                    12TM