Classic Yacht Brokerage Comments on this Harrison Butler Englyn Design
Harrison Butler Englyn design built by the KOK yard, Netherlands in 1934. This boat is actually an extended Englyn design, slightly larger in all dimensions.
Almonde was commissioned, in 1934, as a present for the retiring Captain of the Dutch Royal Yacht, the Piet Hein. Her name has nothing to do with nuts; she’s actually named after the 17th century Dutch Admiral, Philips van Almonde. There’s a lavish memorial to him in Saint Catherine’s church in Brielle, Rotterdam. It is said that the children of the Dutch royal family learned to sail in her.
Almonde is a slightly enlarged interpretation of Harrison Butler’s Englyn design, built in Holland by the KOK yard who planked and decked her with best Moulmein teak. She has 3 berths and a deep sail bin where there was once a 4th berth. And, exceptionally for a yacht of her age, comfortable heads in their own heads compartment up forward. As a consequence of being built by barge builders, all her fittings and scantlings are rather more substantial than is really necessary, but it does make her exceptionally strong.
Inevitably, she has undergone restoration over the years; her deck is now teak laid on marine ply, while the cutter rig, although renewed, is very close to the original with the exception of rolling furling headsail fitted in 2018. Most important is the new lead keel, cast and fitted in 2017. The original disappeared in the 1939/45 war only to be replaced with a steel box holding loose lead ingots. It left Almonde significantly under-ballasted. The new keel has brought her back close to the original displacement and ballast ratio.
Regular maintenance and upgrades in the present ownership, along with good use every summer, have this rather special yacht in very nice condition, turning many heads wherever she goes.
Construction
Hull
All teak planning copper fastened to oak frames.
Grown oak floors across the centreline.
External lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts. The keel itself and bolts were all new in 2017, work done by Ashley Butler in Falmouth.
Decks and Cockpit
straight laid teak deck over a marine plywood subdeck on oak deck beams. New deck 2006.
Teak covering boards with powder coated white stanchions and guard wires made from stainless steel sheathed in polyester rope braid.
Superstructure
Teak coachroof coamings with bronze portlights and a sheathed plywood coachroof deck.
Rig
Bermudan cutter rig on a deck stepped Oregon Pine mast.
Slab reefing Oregon pine boom. Mainsheet sets to a new bronze sheet horse across the aft deck.
Stainless steel standing rigging new in 2006. Internal stainless steel chain plates.
Bamar COT headsail furling system sets to the end of the bowsprit.
Staysail is hanked to the inner forestay. The inner forestay is on a quick release catch and can be triced back to sail her as a sloop.
Jumper struts on the mast support the inner forestay so no need for running backstays.
Standing backstay to a bumpkin.
Sails
Mainsail (2006) Staysail (2018) Genoa (2018)
Winches
2 x Harken 16 bronze self tailing primary cockpit sheet winches
2 x bronze self tailing secondary cockpit sheet winches
2 x Eknes mast non-ST winches
Machinery
Engine
Farymann 30A30 12hp diesel installed in 1977.
Single lever controls with mechanical gearbox to a centreline 3 blade bronze propeller
Tanks
2 x stainless steel water tanks with 50 litre capacity in total. New tanks 2013.
Stainless steel water tank new in 2021.
Batteries and Electrics
2 x 12 volt batteries charged from the engine alternator.
100ah domestic battery and 80ah engine start battery.
New switch panel with RCD breakers 2019.
Accommodation
Berths and Headroom
3 single berths: 2 x saloon settee berths and 1 single in the forecabin
General Description
Largely teak joinery below creating a cosy and comfortable cabin.
All LED interior lights
Steps down over the engine box with galley to port and chart desk to starboard. Chart desk faces aft and lifts to access a large locker beneath. Chart and book stowage space under the lid.
Saloon with a settee berth either side. Low settee backs make for a comfortable sitting position. Backs can be removed to make the berth considerably wider for sleeping purposes.
New saloon table with a stainless steel frame clad in mahogany.
Colin Frake solid fuel cabin heater against port side forward bulkhead.
Passageway to starboard leading forward to the forecabin.
Heads compartment to port.
Forecabin has a single berth to port with a large sail locker/bin to starboard. Could be altered to create a double berth in the forepeak.
Galley
Galley to port with a 2 burner gas hob. Single stainless sink with manually pumped fresh water.
Heads
Heads compartment has a Raske and Meyde Edam manual sea toilet, discharges directly overboard.
Equipment
Standard Horizon Explorer DSC VHF
LED Navigation lights at deck level and masthead
Steering compass
CQR anchor with 30m of chain
Manual anchor windlass
Mainsail 2006 with new tapered battens 2017
Staysail 2018
Roller furling genoa 2018
Mainsail cover 2016
Forehatch cover 2022
Bamar COT roller furling headsail system 2018
4 x winch handles
Auto electric bilge pump
Manual bilge pump 2017
Inflatable danbuoy and horseshoe buoy combination 2017
Radar reflector
Star LED Man Overboard light
Bunk and berth cushions 2016
Raske & Meyde ‘Edam’ sea toilet
Colin Frake solid fuel cabin heater 2020
2 burner gas hob
2 x Campingaz 2.75kg bottles
Galley equipment, crockery and cutlery
First aid box
Fire extinguisher
Boarding ladder with bronze fittings
Boat hook
Fenders
Mooring warps
Anchor ball
Motoring cone
Rubber bucket with lanyard
2 large folding cockpit seat cushions