BROKER’S COMMENTS 

SILENT FLIGHT was built to a design by CR Holman, a designer known as "the man who never designed an ugly boat..." and she is no exception! Referred to as a 'Landfall Ketch', as the first boat built by Claud Whisstock for himself, was named LANDFALL.

This Holman classic design won a reputation as a fast and comfortable passage maker - she really is a superb cruising yacht; the boldly-sheered, short ended hull belies the fineness of the lines beneath - the cockpit is very deep and well protected and the volume below impressive, very comfortably sleeping 6 people.
 

HISTORY 

SILENT FLIGHT is generally referred to as a ‘Landfall Ketch’ based upon the first example built by Claud Whisstock for himself and named ‘Landfall’.

Built in 1972, sold to John Marsh in 1977 – refitted 1997-1999, bought by the current owner in June 2001. Originally called Kerama, SILENT FLIGHT was the last of 7 such yacht built to the designs of C R Holman of Holman & Pye, yacht designers of West Mersea, England. She and her sisters, Pleides Ephemerae 1960, Tammy Norie 1963, Rosa Maria 1966, Talulah 1970, Marisco 1971 (a replacement for Tammy Norie destroyed by fire), were based upon the original boat called landfall 1958. Landfall was built by Claud Whisstock at his yard at Woodbridge for his own use.

The current owners have cruised from Suffolk, up and down the English Channel and as far as the Morbihan in Southern Brittany. She is a comfortable boat, not a racer, but carries sail well and keeps going when the conditions are rough. She is admired by all who see her and referred to “as a proper boat!”
 

CONSTRUCTION 

Hull of carvel construction – iroko planking on close spaced steamed oak frames and copper fastened. Stem, keel, transom, and sternpost of iroko and Oak, massive sawn hardwood timber floors
- Laid teak deck (new 1997)
- Coachroof, coamings and trunkings of iroko – finished in Coelan varnish
- Traditional long cast iron keel
- Keel hung iroko rudder
 

DECK LAYOUT 

SILENT FLIGHT has a very elegant timber bowsprit secured to the hull by a fabricated steel band bolted into the stem – the heel of the bowsprit locates against a very sturdy Sampson post and is secured by a bolt (the Sampson post is fitted through the deck and securely morticed into the apron). The foredeck is equipped with a stainless steel anchor windlass.

The yacht’s side decks are wide and uncluttered, there is a teak laid deck (new 1997). The coach roof, doghouse, trunk cabin and cockpit coamings are all cut from iroko. The coach roof is sheathed in glass fibre cloth and plastic resin. The mainmast is stepped on the coach roof and the mizzen is stepped on a massive log bolted across the adjacent sawn floors under the cockpit.

The cockpit is deep and well protected with exceptionally high coamings; the cockpit sole has a teak grate and there is good seating either side – there is a bridge deck separating the helm position with hatches either side to access x 2 stainless steel tanks located under the side decks. The helm position is excellent, with a traditional ships wheel, steering compass, autopilot and a Simrad unit reading speed / depth / log.
 

ACCOMMODATION AND DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT 

6 berths in 2 cabins.

Leaving the well protected cockpit and entering the main accommodation through the companionway there are 2 pilot seats port and starboard making good use of the elevated doghouse with excellent visibility and protection when on watch or simply reading a book! Forward in the boat, the cabin joinery is made up of various hardwoods and is varnished; the bulkheads and deckheads are painted white; moving to starboard is a full size chart table, with chart storage beneath – this can also be raised to expose a single pilot berth.

The radar, GPS, master instrument repeater and weather fax are mounted adjacent to the chart table. Opposite is the galley fitted with a Flavel Vanessa gimballed 2 burner gas cooker, grill and oven. A stainless steel sink with crockery storage, spice rack and cutlery drawers are adjacent. Pressurised hot and cold water is supplied from a 55 litre hot water tank which supplies the galley. Water is heated by the engine and 240 volt mains electric immersion heater – there is also a back up Rinnai gas fired water heater sited above the galley sink. Isotherm ‘Cruise 49’ electric refrigerator with energy management system, installed in 2003. Electric gas detection alarm with 2 sensors.

The main saloon is surprisingly spacious for a 40’ yacht from this period with a large and comfortable V-shaped settee to port which converts to a double berth with much storage space behind. To starboard is a settee berth also with lockers outboard and drawers below. The saloon table is situated to port and will comfortably sit 6.

Between the forecabin and the main saloon is the heads compartment. To port is the Blake’s sea toilet with Tannoy ventilator overhead. To starboard is a stainless steel sink with vanity mirror, pressurised hot and cold water to taps and shower head – hot water is provided by a Rinnai gas fired water heater sited in the heads.

The forecabin is separated from the main cabin by a sliding hardwood door – there is a large double berth or optional V berth with infill. This space is once again large for a yacht of this size; there are drawers under the port berth and a large bin locker under the starboard berth. There are handrails and bookcases above each berth and access to the foredeck through hatch is deckhead. There are more shelved lockers to starboard.
 

RIG SPARS & SAILS 

- Bermudan Ketch Rig
- Deck stepped main mast, keel stepped mizzen
- Gold anodised aluminium alloy main and mizzen masts plus spinnaker pole, by Sailspar
- Main boom by Z spars 1997
- Standing rigging of 1 x 19 stainless steel (renewed 1997)
- Gas kicker
- 2 x Lewmar 48 primary winches
- Base of mast Lewmar 8
- Z spars main boom and headsail furling system (1997)
- Running rigging of synthetic rope
- Mainsail (1999), Furling Genoa (1997) and mizzen all white Terylene by Suffolk Sails
- Slab reefing to mainsail
- Pale blue mizzen staysail (date unknown)
- White Terylene Genoa – hanked - date unknown
- Mainsail and Mizzen sail covers in dark blue
 

DECK EQUIPMENT AND GROUND TACKLE 

- Simpson Lawrence Horizon 1500 electric anchor windlass installed in December 2000
- CQR bower anchor with calibrated galvanised chain
- Fisherman kedge anchor with warp
 

MECHANICAL ELECTRICAL AND TANKAGE 

- Phoenix 42 (based upon a Perkins 104.19) 4 cylinder 43 hp diesel engine, freshwater cooled via heat exchanger, on flexible mounts (engine fitted new in August 1997)
- Engine number PH42 – KF30266J745364A. Injectors renewed in 2003
- PRM Delta hydraulic gearbox with drive via a flexible coupling to a stainless steel shaft fitted with an Bruntons Autoprop H5 3 bladed automatic variable pitch propeller 450mm diameter, installed in 2002
- Bruntons hydraulic shaft brake (new2002)
- Vetus 80 kw bowthruster (2000)
- Simrad HLD2000 electro hydraulic autopilot (2003)
- 70 A alternator charging three 105 AH batteries (1 engine + 2 ships batteries)
- 2 x 150 amp hr batteries dedicated to the bowthruster
- 240 volt shore power system with ring main and Merlin auxiliary mains battery charger
- Yacht rewired with new switch panel in 1997
- Cockpit mounted engine instrumentation panel with tachometer, temperature, battery state and exhaust temperature gauges
- 160 litres approx fuel in 2 stainless steel tanks fitted new in 1997 with all lines replaced
 

NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT 

- Raytheon R10XX radar
- Simrad AP22 autopilot system comprising of cockpit mounted control unit, fluxgate compass, rudder feedback unit and HLD2000 electro-hydraulic drive unit. The system is interfaced with the other instruments and GPS
- IHS combined weather fax
- Simrad Dataline X system comprising depth sounder, log/speed, wind speed/direction instruments, cockpit mounted with master instrument at the navigation station.
- Garmin 75 GPS interfaced with instrumentation
- Navico Sea Ranger 5600 VHF radio telephone
- Sestrel Major steering compass
 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT 

- Plastimo canister stowed 6 pers life raft in service
- Life sling
- Fire extinguishers
- Fire blanket
- Gas detection system
- First aid kit
- Jackstays
- Twin deck lights
- 2 x manual diaphragm bilge pumps
- Electric bilge pump
- Electric navigation lights
 

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT 

- Rigid GRP tender, rowlock and oars
- Stainless steel davits
- Galvanised pushpit, pulpit, stanchions and stainless steel guard wires
- Stainless steel boarding ladder
- Fenders, and various mooring warps
- Boat hook
- Spray hood with vision panels
- Dodgers with vision panels
- Winter cover
- Cockpit cushions
- Blaupunkt stereo radio/cassette player
 

DISCLAIMER

These particulars have been prepared from information provided by the vendors and are intended as a general guide. The purchaser should confirm details of concern to them by survey or engineers inspection. The purchaser should also ensure that the purchase contract properly reflects their concerns and specifies details on which they wish to rely.