Astonel is a Solway ketch, built 1977, with seven possible berths, walk through aft cabin, huge storage under bunks.
Most recent survey is 2019 and a copy is available.
Astonel’s dimensions are (from the WOA website):
Designer: | Laurent Giles | |
Keel: | Twin | |
Cockpit: | Centre | |
LOA (feet): | 35′ 9″ | |
LWL metres | 9.3 | |
Beam metres | 3.4 | |
Draft metres | 1.42 | |
Displacement/tonnes | 7.87 | |
Ballast/tonnes | 3.63 | |
Berths: | 7 | |
Heads: | 1 | |
Rig: | Sloop/Ketch |
Astonel has a number of technical additions:
Wind generator, replaced 2023, originally installed 2012, featured in PBO.
Rudder bearings replaced 2012, featured in PBO
Mizzen standing rigging replaced 2013
Mainmast standing and running rigging and electrics replaced 2019
Rail and stanchion rail rigging replaced 2019
Two solar panels, one for the engine battery, one in parallel with the wind generator.
Four batteries: 1 bow thruster, 2 house batteries, 1 engine starter. Engine has 125 amp alternator, load sensitive diode for the bow thruster, and switch board for engine and house batteries.
VHF with MMSI programmed for Astonel.
Astonel is Part 1 registered at Falmouth.
One electronic flare, others out of date
4 person life raft overdue for service, due for service within the next month.
CO, CO2 , gas detector.
Shower controls replaced 2023.
Blakes toilet pump.
Sea/Tank switch over for black water tank, pump and seacock for blackwater tank, deck pumpout on deck.
Wallas 2000T cabin heater replaced 2021. Ducting to aft cabin.
Vetus bow thruster installed 2020, to replace very redundant Volvo bow thruster .
Rope cutter on drive shaft.
Mercedes engine replaced with Beta 38hp, 2018, approximately 680 hours at this time.
New roller foresail 2016.
Main, mizzen and foresail currently at Jeckells for wash and tidy, new battens and sail cover repairs.
Cruising chute.
Ratsey and Lapthorn Number 2 jib.
Original mainsail
Original mizzen sail
A foresail that has been used as a mizzen staysail
Toilet window dismantled, bead blasted, mended, cleaned and epoxy coated 2022.
Has AIS transceiver (look up “Astonel” on http://MarineTraffic.com), NASA weather, Shipmodul NMEA 0183, (converts NMEA0183 toNMEA 2000 and SeaTalk and for recently installed NMEA200 backbone) wi-fi multiplexer, B and G plotter (with iPad link and built inGPS)) small portable Garmin GPS. Raymarine ST4000+ Autopilot, Belt replaced 2022. NASA: Battery Monitor, NMEA0183 log, NMEA0183 masthead wind, Depth sounder and chart table depth sounder repeater.
Furuno radar, approximately 1998 model, not often used but occasionally very useful
Barometer
Clock with Frankfurt connection (i.e sets the correct time all day, or when changing the batteries)
13kg CQR anchor, fisherman’s anchor, 1 Fortress anchor
Spare service parts: Engine intake air filter, oil filters, fuel filters, engine anode, alternator drive belt.
Heat exchanger and exhaust manifolds replaced 2023
Hot and cold pressurised water, heads, galley and aft cabin, from electric shore power, and engine.
Three burner Dometic gas stove with oven and grill.
Work top fridge.
Approximately 35gallons water under the forepeak bunks, 30 litres in the hot water tank, and 25 litres under the navigator’s bunk in flexible tank.
Approximately 125 litres of diesel. The tank is the original tank.
Sestrel binnacle steering compass.
All cabins have lights (diode) and USB adapters.
Recent antifouling, but has coppercoat underneath (coppercoat couldn’t cope with the lower Thames barnacles, so antifouling was applied).
All equipment have their instruction manuals
No current fuel invoices. Fuel is usually 60%/40%.
Astonel has cruised with us since 2010, to the south coast, French west coast, the Channel Islands, Belgian coast, Dutch coast and canal system up to Leeuwarden and the islands, the UK east coast to Scotland, Caledonian canal, Scotland west coast, Crinan, Ireland Belfast, Strangford, Dunlaoghaire to Arklow, Wales, Somerset, Scilly Isles.
This is a lovely yacht design to be comfortable at sea – some of which we have seen.
Apologies for the duff photo – I can’t get the website to behave.