Iseult

Iseult is a historic vessel, a gaff rigged yawl of incredible strength and beauty, listed on the National Historic Ships register. She has an amazing history, even being a film star once and sailing in the 1975 Fastnet yacht race.

http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/756/iseult

She was built in 1909, has recently had extensive repairs carried out on the structure. To date £48,000 was spent on renovating the hull and oak frames by a well known ship yard, a further £25,000 was spent on floating her after caulking and making good seams, decks and engine, with a coat of paint to protect her whilst she plimmed out after 4 years ashore. A new aft deck was fitted, 2 tons of ballast found, cleaned and laid & new bulkheads installed making her internal plan as close to original.

Presently afloat and not leaking but a further £28,000 is needed, £18,000 here, to fit her out & to a standard for training, cruising & racing and to make her the vessel she once was. We have shipwrights with extensive knowledge that are guiding time served, well to do hands, so it keeps repair, renovation & labour costs down and keeps the standard high so that she is being rebuilt to last. As a part of our maritime heritage she needs to be back out on the water where she will be used to encourage people from all walks of life to go sailing.

We have an extensive programme for events to consider for 2019. We intend to form a society that will help with her well being for the years to come whilst also engaging and giving an equality to all, the less fortunate, less-able kids and adults from all backgrounds to experience the so called "elitist" sport of sailing in perhaps what looks to be an elitist vessel. Iseult will give back life changing moments aboard, at sea & ashore too. In my youth I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with youngsters from all backgrounds either hard and harsh, tenement "latchkey" or middle class kids but the leveller was sailing. After a couple of times afloat it gave them a fresh perspective where confidence was gained & anything was felt possible & I feel that is missing in our society today. I'm still deeply involved with sailing and I see this on a weekly basis. Sailing does flick that switch and it changes the mindset for the better. An awareness of all, a love and respect of nature, fellow crew, togetherness and all things elemental to life. Giving a deeper understanding of ones self and feeling that there is a place in the world for all.

Anything you can spare will be put to very good use. We could offer button hole pins or mounted pieces of plank in return but we want to spend any monies raised appropriately. If you should happen upon us anywhere then you are always welcome aboard for a brew, a chat and if the timing is right & winds are good then possibly a sail too....

*Update

Donations - Iseults payback

Any donation received and the person will be added to the passenger list toward a choice of any voyages and trips in 2019. Once the Itinery of voyages has been agreed by the owner and society then everyone will be made aware. In the first year bookings will be on a first come, first served basis but if theres a demand then the trips will be repeated! Iseult will accommodate 10 people but for comfort we'll cap that to 7 / 8 on shorter cruises / legs.

We intend to sail around Britain later on in the summer, so there will be certain legs that may interest you from Old Bill to Newlin or Newlin to Padstow, Cornwall or further around the Coast from Liverpool to Belfast or onwards to Troon and the Inner Hebrides. Or sail down the East Coast !

There is something magical about sailing into places you have seen before but you see far more when onboard a yacht!

Also sailing around the Isle of White, Iseults stomping ground for the Old Gaffer races. There are many races throughout the year so we'll have a calendar of events to choose from. Iseukt started the 50th anniversary race, she us well known and eould be most welcome and so too would the crew.

Anglesey, through the Straits with Whale and Dolphin watches.

To the Isle of Mann on the "Midnight Race" an age old blast across and perhaps a few leisurely jaunts there too!

The German bight, through the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic - now there's an adventure.

The world awaits...!

There will be shorter trips initially around Poole bay and eventually the River Mersey to include everyone and all their capabilities. So even if sailing distances isn't for you then perhaps a romantic evening voyage with your loved one enjoying a fantastic dinner onboard, might suit instead.

On all voyages persons on board, can be as involved as they would like, learn the ropes and be part of the crew, whether thats being guided on passage planning, taking the helm, pulling ropes or relaxing on Iseults deck space watching nature and finding peace, contemplating the pace of life you left behind, whilst the wind rustles the sails and the sea gurgles along the beam - weather allowing! Should the wind get up then its oils on and an exhilarating time can be had! * Please see conditions of sail

Early Bird offer

As a thanks for your help every Pound donated will equate to 1 (one) nautical mile (nm) of passage and you will be presented with a voucher to redeem against this. Vouchers are not time restricted but certain trips will be dependant on availability. It will be a first come first served basis but if enough interest is there then similar voyages/ trips will be repeated as often as requested!

For example, If you donate say £100.00 that would cover a return trip from Liverpool to Conwy or the Isle of Mann, (approx 90 - 120 nm ) for one person or the voucher can be optimised to be used by a couple or family. Eg £100 would cover 2 persons for a 50 nm trip or 4 persons for a 25 nm trip

Food, drink etc are not included but will be provisioned at cost on Iseult. Obviously once ashore all parties pay their own way.

Or if you're sea legs are a little unsteady then an afternoon in Port for tea & cake & chat, at a variety of locations around the U.K. The gangplank will be open to anyone who aids Iseults return to sea.

Future bookings outside of this donation period will be around £2.00 per nm (nautical mile)

Friends of Iseult.

The "Friends of Iseult" society is a joint venture, repeated yearly and only ceases when you decide that you wish to opt out. Once in you can choose where and when you'd like to join her adventure without the cost of maintaining a beautiful sailing vessel. Places will be limited to 40 persons over an initial 4 month sailing period from mid April to mid September. 4 society places would be available for any leg with a further 2 / 3 (dependant on distance) being crew. Society members could always take the place of one crew, experience allowing and another 2 places being offered to the community of the UK as a free dream adventure, a giving back to society.

It will be based on a charge of £2.00 - £2.50 (TBC) per nautical mile. For instance, to quantify : Averaging approx 50 nm a day, no doubt time will be spent ashore as a day off from sailing to discover why we're there :0) £500 would be a weeks sailing for one person...

The beauty of the society is that a years worth of voyages can be discussed and agreed amongst all. Going to places that you would like to see on what would be your vessel for the duration, as long as you convince the Society & the skipper approves and the weather is good then with careful planning and pre-positioning, all is within reach whether it be France and Brittany, the Channel Islands, classic regattas at the Isle of White or Benodet in Brittany, the Scilly Isles or the Hebrides. There will be a calendar of events that, as a group, Iseult could attend & if peace and quiet is your remit then that could be accommodated when moving the vessel to her next port of call.

Working Parties

Everyone is welcome to be involved as much or as little as they wish, whether thats just for sailing or hands on, as a working party helping to keep her looking splendid for another century. Always a good get together with great learning curves of new skills or passing on yours and a wonderful way to be involved in Maritime history.

Nominate someone or put forward your name & your story.

We offer the free places to deserving folk, from any area of society, giving back something & growing from it. There will be initially around 15 places but it will increase as soon as we are able to accommodate more people.

Sailing has a way of levelling people, crossing boundaries and making friends with perhaps some of the most wonderful, smartest, sometimes the oddest, yet most amazing people. You only have to be involved to be humbled and feel the sense of pride & strength that Iseult gives back.

Thank you for your interest - Please be involved!

Jan

Iseult a 1909 Edwardian Gaff rigged Yawl.

Thank you so much for reading & thanks too if you donate - Iseults history is below. See you aboard soon - Jan

caulking the seams before floating

Floating Iseult

Topsides primed & painted to protect whilst plimming up

Aft deck on the counter stern being restored and replaced

worth the effort - August 2017

Interior - from bare to the bulkheads & ballast going in to balance the vessel & separate and support the cabin areas.

Please see updates for the ongoing fitting out as I've run out of space for pics here.

A brief history

"Built for Norman Deakin in 1909 Iseult (formerly Prudence) was designed for extended cruising and in her first season afloat Norman Deakin cruised over 4,000 miles winning the RCC's Challenge Cup for the log of his voyage around Britain.

In 1911 she was sold to Professor F W Lanchester, who being a Wagner enthusiast renamed the yacht Iseult after the opera Tristan & Isolde. Colonel A Gage became the third registered owner in 1921 and fitted the yachts first engine in 1923, although the original design made provision for an engine one was never fitted.

In the winter of 1926 Iseult was laid-up at George Martin's yard in Cowes where a counter stern and a mizzen mast were added. In 1928 Colonel Gage sold Iseult to Major B C Windeler who sold her a year later to Sir John Holder. Air Marshall W S G Mitchell became the next registered owner in 1938, Iseult probably spending the War on the Hamble at Moodys.

After the war she was sold to Kevin O'Riordan before being sold again in the mid 1950's and taken to the Hamble for a major re-fit. In 1960 Mr T Taylor acquired Iseult followed by Aubrey Pickwoad in 1962, he took her to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight which became her home port for many years. In 1964 Iseult changed hands again and soon featured in the film Danger Route and in 1975 took part in the 50th Fasnet Race.

Iseult remained in the same ownership for nearly fifty years before being passed on to a family member in 2013. During that time she played host to Sir Robin Knox Johnston, Dame Ellen Macarthur, Sir Edward Heath and Mr Alan Titchmarsh.

During the past eighteen months Iseult has been the subject of a refit in a specialist Poole Boat Yard, work which included some re-framing, keel repairs and preparing the interior for future accommodation. To date £76,000 has been spent on the hull bringing it up to a high standard indeed. New suit of bespoke handmade sails by Sanders of Lymington made at a cost of £13,500

60hp four cylinder Yanmar diesel engine, installed new in 1994 and recently refurbished. Wheel steering with Vetus hydraulic ram drive to original bronze Reed steering mechanism. 
Teak cockpit coamings, teak deck house and cockpit. 


1.5 inch pitch-pine carvel planking, bronze nail fastened to replaced large oak frames. Oak keel, stem and stern post. Lead ballast keel with bronze bolts. Two tons internal lead trimming ballast. Wrought iron strap floors fastened with bronze bolts. Pitch pine deck over half inch marine ply sub deck. Teak king plank, toe rails and covering boards. Massive deck structure with wrought iron hanging knees."

She is also admired by Tom Cunliffe who has her as the model for yawls in his book "Hand, Reef and Steer" and he has sailed her many times...

Thanks again for reading - a web site is under construction for Iseults Itinery for 2019 events. Any donations received can be used as credits toward any bookings in the future. For every 4 persons onboard at any one time there will be two extra places to be offered free to the wider community - Jan

Thank you again for your interest...