Alfred Mylne 56 ft Sloop 1926 - Sold

Designed by Scottish legend Alfred Mylne and built in 1926 by A.M. Dickie and Sons, CHICANE’s beauty and sailing qualities have kept her in a one family ownership since 1958 and moreover inspiring them to commit to her restoration. Of the quality of this there have been very few comparable in the classic yacht arena - indeed the names of those contributing read like a who’s who of experts in this field and their achievement is a boat you could not build for three times the listing price. The late Olin Stephens considered the CHICANE restoration the finest he had ever seen and some of the most respected shipwrights have likewise been left spellbound by it. A masterpiece therefore but at 56 feet on deck CHICANE is a useful size, practical and an awesome sailing boat waiting for the next chapter.

VAT is unpaid on this yacht

Early history is still being researched but Peter Nicholson once told her current owner he remembers CHICANE at moorings on the Solent from his boyhood years. There are numerous Beken photographs recording CHICANE's history pictorially, one of which in 1934 shows her original gaff rig while another in 1948 has her sporting a Bermudan rig. Throughout she has remained a cutter with elegant bowsprit and three lofty headsails.

In the 1950s CHICANE underwent several radical changes. Her bowsprit was removed and boom shortened. Her doghouse was moved aft and lowered in profile. That not only removed a signature Mylne feature but effectively cut the cockpit in half. Moreover as all access below was that way any privacy of the owner's aft cabin was lost. Notwithstanding she was still a beauty to behold - and during her subsequent restoration and rebuild all these changes were put right.

In 1958 William Kempe sailed CHICANE to Bermuda, where she has remained ever since. His nephew Reid bought her in 1975, proudly carrying his new bride Lucia aboard over the gunwales in 1976 – to live aboard for their 1st year together - so CHICANE has remained there with only 2 owners now for well over half a century.

CHICANE has recently undergone a full restoration information on which is provided below.

- Carvel topsides with the original Burmese teak planks traditionally caulked with cotton
- Below waterline planking with additional caulking layer of oakum over the cotton
- Fastenings to the double sawn frames are half silicon bronze screws and half copper rivets
- Screws to ensure a snug attachment and rivets to facilitate future replacement
- Copper rivets fastenings to alternating steam bent frames
- Composite wood / bronze floors
- Bronze 1.25 inch central keel bolts and 0.75 inch side pocket bolts
- Teak rudder blade attached to stern
- Black locust wood deck beams
- Quarter-sawn 1.5 inch Burmese teak deck planking optimally sealed and considered watertight
- 3 x Original bronze portholes each side in the topsides open and close easily with a tight seal
- Bilge graded with pure pitch for any fresh water entering to percolate to the bottom
- Interior bulkheads of ¾ inch plywood faced with decorative wood panelling
- Cove stripe with emblematic thistle; the mark of the great Scottish yacht designers, aft
- Interior bulkheads ¾ inch ply covered by decorative wood panelling as detailed

Skylights
- All style and rail joints in skylights double tenoned for strength and temperature stability
- The windows have large gauge bronze threaded lock downs; one for short 2 for longer skylights
- Rubber gasket in the hinged leaves close on bronze bars in base for totally water-proof seal
- All skylights have tempered shatterproof glass
- Parallel ribs in glass panes allow light but are not see through - for privacy below
- All skylights have teak framed guard panels with bronze rods between to protect the glass

From aft
- New Burmese teak deck furniture
- All bronze deck hardware and fittings
- Passerelle drops into massive fittings enabling rotation each side
- Bronze cleats
- Main sheet horse
- Mushroom vents either side
- Lazarette abaft helm wheel box
- Helm wheel on wheel box aft end of cockpit to rack and pinion to rudder post
- Cockpit with high coamings and teak grating sole
- Robust table assembles and dismantles with threaded bolts easily into a canvas bag
- Seating for up to 10 persons sitting around the portable cockpit table
- Brass compass binnacle
- 6 x Bronze Meissner winches; 3 each side worked very easily from the cockpit
- Butterfly skylight hatch over Owners stateroom cabin
- Raised Mylne dog house with hand rails and skylights port side; sliding hatch fwd stbd
- Deck box forward with dorade vents stbd side
- Butterfly skylight over saloon
- Hatchway over galley deck prisms either side
- Forehatch
- Muir bronze anchor windlass; rope and gypsy
- Bowsprit assembly
- Bruce anchor 65 lb, 400 ft of Muir 7/16th inch high test galvanized chain

There are seven sections of the yacht each with their own unique moulded panelling. The joinery and furniture is of the highest quality and true to period. Ventilation is provided by windows, hatches, companionways and deck cowlings.

Semi spiral companionway stairs down
- Companionway and nav station in rugged and functional teak panelling
- Stiles and rails are thick and robust, withstanding salt water, wear and tear
- Douglas fir cabin sole rock steady firm and creak free
- Numerous lift-out sections edged with hard white oak on both lift-out and sole prevent fraying
- Navigation station to port, engine room to starboard

Forward to saloon
- Traditional mahogany ornamental panelling with thin and delicate stiles and rails
- Settees in Chesterfield bamboo anti-bacterial fabric upholstery, convertible to berths each side
- Shelving and lockers to port
- Fold down berth behind panelling screen to stbd
- Tight grained Cuban mahogany drop leaf table easily mounted to cabin sole and demounted
- Hand made Scottish thistle style cabin lights with hand-blown crystal shades and bronze stems

Galley forward
- Galley athwartships in decorative and functional butternut panelling with port light stbd
- Fridge under worktop to port
- Sink and 3 burner hob in worktop to stbd

Head compartment fwd of galley and mast step to port
- Bermuda cedar ornamental panelling and port light
- WC and oval porcelain period basin in Bermuda cedar counter top with hot and cold 1920s taps
- Hand held shower mounted on the bulkhead
- Grate in cabin sole drains into grey water tank; can be emptied electrically and manually

Forepeak cabin
- Varnished Longleaf yellow pine; rugged and functional
- Large 7 ft 6 in fixed berth to port
- Pipe cot berth to stbd
- Chain / rope locker fwd

Coming aft through the saloon and corridor aft
- Navigation centre right after saloon to port side of companionway
- Engine compartment offset aft to stbd with a utility work shop and port light

Corridor aft to owner’s stateroom aft in white oak traditional ornamental panelling
- Double berth to stbd
- Substantial wardrobe and locker stowage aft amidships
- Single berth to port
- Oak sideboard locker opens to reveal period wash basin in a classic white marble counter top
- Exit forward to owner's head compartment in rugged and functional Longleaf yellow pine panelling
- WC with Pullman washbasin that folds down and tips up to empty into fibreglass lined reservoir

- 1x Bowsprit with dolphin sprit
- Standing and running rigging not yet installed

- Main engine aft midships offset on starboard side
- Yanmar 4JH-UTE1 110 HP 4 cylinder fresh water cooled turbo Diesel
- Hydraulic transmission gear
- Approx 8 to 9 knots
- Electro mechanical fuel pump
- Dual Racor filters
- 12 V Engine alternater
- High Output Lestek 12 V 160 A alternator
- Kobelt - direct link engine controls
- Bronze Max prop folding propeller and cutless bearing
- 12 V flooded storage batteries
- Batteries in battery boxes and tray; engine compartment and under stbd dinette seat
- 1 x Promatic 50-3 battery charger
- Heart Interface inverter
- Marine grade circuits new; wires uniquely numbered each end with sealed protective labels
- Custom anodised aluminium switchboard, marine circuit breakers and meters
- 130 gallon Diesel fuel grade aluminium tank under cockpit
- 140 gallons total in welded polyethylene fresh water tanks under cabin sole and under bunks
- LPG gas tank on deck in caddy

Steering compass in binnacle

- 1 x Jabsco Water Puppy 380 GPH bilge pump
- 1 x Rule 2000 bilge pump
- 1 x Johnson crash emergency bilge pump 200 GPM belt driven off main engine

CHICANE has been lovingly restored - principally by shipwrights Joe Postich and Wendy Bliss, themselves alumni of the first Apprenticeshop in Bath, Maine, brainchild of the legendary Lance Lee. One of the first ‘woodenboat’ institutions the Apprenticeshop led the wooden boat renaissance in the US if not World wide.

Methods and materials have been traditional with the use of modern materials when appropriate. The work has involved tens of thousands of silicon bronze fastenings, thousands of feet of cotton and oakum caulking and a traditional laid teak sprung deck.

The process has effectively renewed most of the yacht. What remains of the original is essentially her shell; half the stem, keel, the stern post and all of the original Burmese teak planking. The planks were left in place during the re-build with frames being renewed from the inside. All the rest is new.

All floors are new and of mixed construction
Fabricated silicon bronze
Composite; part wood - 200 year old long leaf yellow pine - and part silicon bronze

All frames are new
Black locust double sawn (double futtocks bolted with silicon bronze bolts) alternate with steamed 2 x 2 inch white oak. The bases of all double sawn frames are dovetailed into the keel to ensure security. The laminated teak bottom sections of all dovetailed frames are glued with Resourcinol

The rig
The rig and sailing gear have been designed with the combined efforts of Tom Cunliffe, Paul Goss and Don Costanzo using the original rig drawings by Alfred Mylne. Reverting to the original rig requires a taller mast, which has not yet been completed. The bowsprit however has been and is a thing of beauty.

Fittings
All bronze bowsprit and rig fittings were designed and manufactured by the late Harry Spencer – the last job he did before he died.

Systems and electricals
All systems are of the highest quality and are worthy of particular mention. Electrical systems are often problematic or not substantial enough – not so in this case. Wendy Bliss who worked alongside Luther Goff designer of the entire electrical system, has written up detailed manuals of the system; the quality of which has impressed visiting boat owners and builders alike.

Team input
While the skill, dedication and aesthetic sense of shipwrights Joe and Wendy have been key to the quality and authenticity of this restoration, early advice and expertise was forthcoming from Ian Nicolson and David Ryder-Turner of A. Mylne and Company and Gordon Swift and Giffy Full also of Woodenboat School fame.

Further input, support and advice came from a host of wooden boat and system experts including Paul Goss, Tom Cunliffe, Theo Rye, Donn Costanzo, Harry Spencer, Bob Snow, Duncan Walker, Mark Ratsey, Mike Toomer, Mark Webby, Jeff Law, George Moffett, Joe Liener, Luther Goff and John Ford. Most of this input was given free of charge because the project was so admired !

In addition to this cast, CHICANE has been visited over the years by a 'Who's Who of Yachting'; Elizabeth Meyer, Olin Stephens and Ross Gannon to mention a few. An article in WoodenBoat (July/Aug 2009) reports the legendary Olin Stevens to have stated the Chicane restoration was one of the finest he had ever seen!