Sparkman & Stephens 56 ft Ketch Motor Sailer 1958 - Sold

To many, a motor sailer was a motor boat with a sail - or even an under canvassed sailing boat with large auxiliaries. By the 1950s this was not what Sparkman and Stephens had in mind however ! KARMA ex EGRET does not carry her masts for decoration and the original coffee grinder winch on her counter is further indication of her designer’s intentions for the yacht’s performance. The testimony of her racing record is proof she is no slouch !

Thus lively under sail, she cruises under power at better than 8 knots and is fun to handle. Heavier and beamier than an auxiliary, she nevertheless sails to windward remarkably well – and while not at her best short tacking, more than holds her own on a reach or a run. In her cruising role she is of course spacious, well rigged and equipped for some real comfort. She remains in impressive and original condition.

Please note that pictures have been taken partly while the Vessel has been under cover so we regret they a bit mixed to make the best of those available until new can be provided

Norman L Skenes the noted author of “Elements of Yacht Design” pays homage to the design of EGRET / KARMA, by virtue of his having sailed the Caribbean islands and a couple of winter cruises on her sister ship BARAKA – and with that experience under his belt devotes some pages to it in the book. Meanwhile there are some records relating to KARMA’s racing career worth mention.

In the 1960 One hundred mile East Coast (USA) Skipper race, she finished above the middle in a fleet of 33 crack ocean racing yachts. In 1961 she raced again – this time in the Miami – Nassau race. This was run in a Force 6 nor easterly with the first 2/3rds on the wind in heavy going. Nevertheless in these less than ideal conditions she finished the race 14th of 16 in her class. In the same year she finished 10th out of 17 in Class A and 33rd in the fleet of 49. In the 30 mile Nassau Cup race she enjoyed a close reach out and broad reach back in a F 4 – 5 South easterly to finish 2nd in the fleet - only 2 ½ minutes actual time behind the 73 ft TICONDEROGA and on corrected time 4th in the fleet of 33 yachts, most of which would be deemed the best collection of ocean racers to be seen for years on the East Coast.

- Mahogany hull planking double above the waterline
- White oak frames
- Bronze fastened
- Awlgrip off white hull and Awlgrip egg shell topsides
- Solid teak deck originally 37 mm; now gauged 34 mm
- Varnished teak toe rail
- Minimum 10 coats Spinnaker clear varnish on bright work

Bridge deck
- Varnished spoked helm wheel on centreline – vessel can also be steered from below
- Engine instruments and gauges
- Morse controls including pitch, forward, neutral, sailing and reverse
- Auto pilot controls
- B&G repeaters for wind speed and direction, boat speed and depth
- Manual centreboard lifting control port side of helm
- Seating abaft helm
- From bridge deck, sliding hatch and folding doors take 3 steps down

Saloon
- Wind down double glazed side windows, large window to port with 2 opening panes
- White painted deck head
- Immaculate varnished elm joinery
- Teak and holly cabin sole
- Signal flag locker aft to stbd
- L shaped dinette to port with option to convert to double berth
- Gimballed saloon table
- Many stowage drawers to stbd
- Full size chart table fwd and drawers large enough to keep full size charts
- Built in filing cabinet to port
- Instruments and controls to port; radar, autopilot, B&G Wind and depth
- 2 x 1950s deck head lights
- 4 x 1950s bulkhead lights
- Forward and down 3 steps to forward accommodation

Guest cabin accessed by sliding door on port side and dorade vents hatch over
- 2 x Large single berths above and below
- Hanging locker
- Tallboy chest of drawers
- Mirror
- 1950s Period deck head light
- 2 x Reading lights

Galley to stbd with hatch and dorade vents over
- Luke Heritage gimballed 3 burner hob and oven with extractor fan hood over
- Brushed stainless steel worktop
- 2 x Deep sinks
- Hot and cold mixer tap
- 2 x Chromed hand pumps
- 2 x Fridges
- Locker amidships with good stowage
- Deep freeze built into bulkhead American style
- Hatch in deckhead over
- 4 x 1950s deck head lights

Head compartment accessed by sliding door access fwd to port
- Manual WC
- Shower over teak grating sole
- Ceramic basin with hot and cold tap mixer
- Bulkhead fitted radiator

Doorway fwd to Forecabin
- Half heath oilskin locker
- Single berth to stbd
- Stowage open fronted lockers above and opposite to port
- Stowage below to port
- Anchor chain stowage and stowage for lines etc fwd
- Ladder to booby hatch in deck head
- Stainless steel folding basin with hot and cold tap on port bulkhead facing aft
- Coming aft via the deck saloon and bridge deck sliding hatch, doorway


Aft owner’s cabin
- Small double / large single berth to port
- Larger double berth to stbd
- Chest of drawers aft between berths
- 2 x Opening port windows in aft elevation of trunk cabin
- 2 x Opening ports port side of trunk
- 2 x Opening ports stbd side of trunk
- 2 x Reading lights
- 1950s deck head light
- Large hatch in coach roof
- En suite owners head compartment to port with opening port window
- Manual WC, large shower fixed window and ceramic basin with hot and cold mixer and radiator
- Walk-in wardrobe to stbd with stowage for bridge deck table

Ketch rig Sail area 1,361 sq ft
- Sitka spruce original spars
- Stainless steel standing rigging with bronze turnbuckles
- Bronze track renewed
- Harken special custom made tracks on main and mizzen masts for HD roller batt slides
- Additional bronze track for trysail
- Harken foresail roller furler

All Dacron sails
- Elvstrømsails Denmark; small Genoa - very good
- Reckmann; fully battened main sail, Genoa No 2 and mizzen sail
- Ratsey & Lapthorn; trysail, storm jib and 2 x staysails

- Merriman chromed bronze fittings generally
- Bronze fairleads port and stbd over canoe stern
- S&S coffee grinder winch for staysail, spinnaker and mooring lines
- Aft deck circular hatch access to lazarette containing steering gear
- Aft trunk cabin
- 2 x Lewmar 48 headsail sheet winches; 1 each side
- 2 Chromed Genoa cleats
- Chromed main sheet winch
- Chromed mizzen sheet winch
- Large hatch over aft cabin
- 2 x Varnished teak dorade boxes with white painted ventilators
- Wide side decks
- Teak hand rails port and stbd
- 3 x Deck prisms
- 1 x Lemon squeezer style deck light
- Bridge deck with original Perspex shield
- Deck saloon with varnished teak handrails each side
- Sliding side windows
- Opening window fwd on centreline
- 2 x Panama fairleads; one each side
- 2 x Bronze mooring cleats; one each side
- Chrome mooring cleats
- 2 x Hatches; over saloon and guest cabin
- 2 x Dorade vents fwd of deck saloon
- Varnished teak gas bottle locker and deck stowage locker
- Varnished teak booby hatch over focsle
- 2 x White painted dorade vents on varnished teak boxes
- Stowage for life raft canister
- GHWPC windlass by Ideal Co, Greenwich RI rebuilt with new engine and gipsy 1993
- CQR anchor and 100 metre 13 mm ss chain
- Admiralty anchor on deck chocks and eyes for lashing
- 2 x Chromed mooring cleats
- Bronze stem head with Panama style fairleads

- GM Detroit Diesel 151 HP at 2,300 rpm
- Cruising speed 7.8 Knots at 1,300 - 1,400 rpm
- Steering stainless steel wire controlled part hydraulic to quadrant from helm via bronze sheaves
- Lifting keel
- 24 V 100 A Alternator
- 1 x Power amp Falcon 12 V battery charger
- 3 x Power amp Falcon 24 V 30 A battery chargers
- Westerbeke 7 Kw generator
- Trace 2,000 W constant, 4,000 W intermittent – inverter incl 24 V 100 A battery charger
- 2 x 24 V 360 A domestic gel batteries
- 3 x 12 V 200 A each total 600 A engine start sealed batteries
- 220 V Shore and Power control and voltage
- Kabola 13.5 Kw heating system to radiators throughout
- 2 x Additional 220 V, 2 Kw heating units with circulation pump connected to rads
- 1,370 litres total fuel capacity in 2 x steel tanks
- 1,000 litres fresh water total in 2 x stainless steel tanks

- Simrad CP 42 GPS and chart plotter with sun view screen installed 2010
- SEL Globus 2000 Commercial spare GPS with separate antenna
- Technautic autohelm
- B&G Hydra Wind speed etc
- Furuno radar
- SEAL We-fax 501 weather decoder
- Sailor RT 4822 VHF / DSC
- Steering compass in chromed binnacle by helm
- Ship’s clock and barometer

- Givens Buoy 8 Person life raft inspected 2015
- Halo fire alarm
- 2 x 24 V electric bilge pumps
- Horn on coach roof
- Air horn on spreader
- 1 x 60 lb Danforth high tensile steel anchor
- 1 x Fortress FX 55 aluminium stowed in a custom made bag in engine room