Jarl Lindblom/ Åbo Båtvarv 59 ft Yawl 1943

MARJATTA is a very fine example of the American influenced work of one of the Baltic Sea's most accomplished mid-20th Century offshore yacht designers, Finland's Jarl Lindblom. His easy on the eyes lines have enchanted a select group of lucky owners over the years: MARJATTA is a hard boat to part with, a rendezvous of looks, comfort, power and speed - instantly recognised for that and her blue hull on the Mediterranean classic regatta circuit for the past 30 years. The opportunities to own this wonderful family cruiser/ racer have been few over the years. This may be the chance of a lifetime!

- 1989 Major hull and deck refit, Cantiere del Tigllio
- 1990 Mainmast Refit
- 1996 New Mizzen and Main booms
- 1999 New deckhouse roof at C.N. dell'Argentario
- 2007 Toilet and cockpit seats refurbishment
- 2013 Waterline hull planks
- 2015 Rudder restoration
- 2015 New propeller shaft
- 2015 New refrigerator and compressor
- Standard maintenance every year
- Boat lifted every year

MARJATTA: a beautiful name for a beautiful yacht that had a good start in life at a time when, in a world gone mad, few yachts were being built anywhere. The name is after commissioning owner Finnish/ Swedish paper and glass industrialist Hans Ahlström's wife Marjatta Sibelius - yes, the composer was her uncle, her father's brother. The architect was Finland's leading designer of offshore yachts, Jarl Lindblom, and the builder, at Turku, was one of the Baltic's leading yards, Åbo Båtvarv.

A post-graduate period of extensive travel in Europe and the USA prior to establishing himself as a pleasure and commercial vessel designer in Turku, Finland, seems to have deeply informed Jarl Lindblom's yacht design work, helping to explain why much of it doesn't look particularly Scandinavian - although of course there is the old argument as to whether or not Finland is in Scandinavia. But there is no argument about MARJATTA - she is simply one of the best looking yachts of her size and type and era, with in particular the most elegant of overhangs. And she's fast.

Lindblom's background, and good timing, combined to take advantage of a 1930s flourishing of interest in Finland for cruising and racing further afield, and in purpose-built boats instead of converted inshore racing yachts. But MARJATTA's conception coincided with turbulent times for Finland which spent most of the Second World War fighting the Soviets. Despite her completion date of 1943, photographs of her sailing that year with Hans Ahlström at the helm were published in the Finnish yachting magazine Frisk Bris, but one imagines few lengthy opportunities until after hostilities had ceased. There are stories of the local community working together to hose her down four times a day to prevent drying. The first suit of sails Lloyd's Register of Yachts lists dates from 1947, supplied by A/B Sport Artiklar, better known as sporting goods manufacturers, but also wartime manufacturers of tents for the Finnish army. Her original engine was a Swedish 2-cylinder diesel by Bolinder-Munktell. Interestingly, MARJATTA's second, 1958, suit of sails was by the American Hathaway loft of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Ahlström, a member of Nyländska Jaktklubben and Svenska Kryssarklubben and considered one of the forefathers of Finnish offshore sailing, would keep MARJATTA for the rest of his life, after which, in 1963, she was purchased by Genoa, Italy-based English-national, Yacht Club Italiano member and shipping agent, Astor William Norrish, who was stepping up in size from his previous David Boyd/ Cantiere Mostes 42ft sloop BAGHEERA, and Uffa Fox/ Medina Yacht Company "Flying 35", FLYING FOX.

The present owner acquired MARJATTA at Genoa in 1989. Few yachts enjoy such stable periods of ownership, and MARJATTA has been part of life around the YCI's Porticciolo Duca degli Abruzzi for 60 years - except of course when she's been the sweetest imaginable family cruiser on regular four-month family holidays in Italy, Greece and Spain; and impressing at classic regattas. She's also provided a training ground for one of Italy's finest offshore sailors, a key member of Giovanni Soldini's team for many years.

MARJATTA has been a constant at Mediterranean classic regattas for more than two decades, with notable results including 2nd in class at Imperia 1998; 1st in class Imperia 2000; 2nd in class Argentario 2002; 1st at Imperia 2002; 3rd at Argentario 2006; 1st at Argentario 2007; 2nd at both Argentario and Imperia 2008; 2nd at Porto Rotundo 2009.

She's a true all-rounder - just as envisaged by Jarl Lindblom - and is ready to keep being so.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Larch planking on oak frame
- Galvanised hanging knees and floors
- Diagonal galvanised hull strapping in way of mast
- Teak laid deck
- Mahogany deckhouses, rails, coamings, hatches
- Mahogany bulkheads

FROM AFT
- Wide taffrail with no pushpit
- Bronze mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Stainless steel lifeline and mizzen backstay anchor points P & S
- Bronze Panama fairleads through transom port and starboard
- Passarelle socket
- Padeye for mizzen sheet
- 2 x Bronze and teak bar mooring cleats
- Lazarette hatch
- Stainless steel bracket for outboard motor stowage
- Headsail and downwind sail sheet leads at rail port and starboard

MIZZEN MAST

- Separate aft steering well type cockpit
- Traditional ship’s wheel
- Rudder angle indicator
- Engine throttle control
- Grating sole
- Binnacle and chromed bronze mainsheet track
- Stowage under accessed from fore and aft doors
- Forward sunken cockpit
- Slotted mahogany bench seats port and starboard
- Grating sole
- Raised cockpit coaming
- 4 x Non self-tailing mixed period sheet winches
- 4 x Traditional wood cleats

DOGHOUSE/ CABIN TRUNK
- 2 x windows in aft bulkhead
- 2 x sets of concealed instrument readouts above each window
- Companionway with sliding hatch and slot for washboards
- Stainless steel main boom gallows
- Grabrails port and starboard
- Bronze horn & GPS antenna
- Doghouse roof slopes down fwd to coachroof
- 4 x Bronze ports port and starboard
- Butterfly skylight over aft cabin
- Grabrails port and starboard
- Dorade box with large cowl vent central fwd of skylight
- Offset to starboard companionway hatch to lobby
- Bronze mushroom vent to port
- Liferaft stowed fwd of Dorade
- Butterfly skylight over saloon
- Grabrail port and starboard

FORWARD CABIN TRUNK
- Over galley
- Butterfly skylight
- 1 x Bronze port port and starboard
- Gas bottle cover aft

MAIN MAST
- Bronze pin rail port and starboard of mast at deck

COMPANIONWAY SLIDING FOREHATCH
- Over forward cabin
- 1 x Bronze port port and starboard
- Bronze side vents port and starboard
- Spinnaker pole stowage chocks port and starboard

FOREDECK
- Bronze and teak bar mooring cleats port and starboard
- Port and starboard nav lights at fwd stanchions
- 2 x Bronze Panama fairleads through knights heads
- 2 x Bronze mooring fairleads either side of stem
- Anchor chain roller/ anchor stowage offset to starboard
- Windlass slightly offset to port
- Horizontal chain gypsy and warping drum
- Telephone cable type control
- Anchor stowage chocks
- 2 x CQR anchors
- 100m Chain for main anchor

MARJATTA's mostly original interior offers spacious and comfortable accommodation for 5 in two dedicated sleeping cabins and the saloon pilot berth, or 7 including the saloon settees. The galley is a maritime cook's delight.

ENTRY VIA COMPANIONWAY FROM FORWARD COCKPIT
- 2 x steps down into doghouse.
- Teak and holly sole with engine access under
- Upholstered settee to port
- Stowage under
- Fold-down table forward
- Forward-facing chart table to starboard
- Stowage under and signal flag pockets
- 220V sockets at side
- Instruments and communications equipment at fwd starboard bulkhead
- Fire extinguisher
- Chest of drawers to starboard
- Fold-down navigator’s seat at aft doghouse bulkhead
- Bulkhead light at chart table
- Deckhead light

3 x STEPS DOWN TO AFT CABIN
- Teak and holly sole
- Bronze and teak grab rails
- Tall fwd-facing hanging lockers to port and starboard of stair
- 1 x Single quarter berth type sea bunk port and starboard; stowage under
- 1 x Fold down bunkside table port and starboard
- 1 x Coat hanger port and starboard
- 1 x Opening bronze port light port and starboard

FORWARD TO LOBBY
- Teak and holly sole
- Companionway ladder and hatch to starboard
- Oilskin locker and hanging locker outboard to starboard
- 1 x Opening bronze port light
- Head compartment to port; sliding door access
- Orvea electric WC
- 1 x Opening bronze port light

FORWARD TO SALOON
- Teak and holly sole
- Chest of drawers sideboard to port aft
- ‘L’ Sofa to port with stowage under and outboard
- Book shelf outboard
- Folding saloon table offset to port
- Settee to starboard with stowage under and outboard
- Pilot berth outboard
- 2 x Opening bronze port lights port and starboard
- Speak boxes under deckhead port and starboard
- Double sideboard forward, to starboard of mast
- Stowage under and outboard
- Ship’s clock and barometer at house fwd bulkhead
- Deckhead lights
- 2 x Gimballed bronze electric lamps at aft bulkheads

PASSAGE FWD TO GALLEY OFFSET TO STBD
- Teak sole
- Forward facing double stainless steel sink to port
- Bulkhead mounted mixer tap
- Shelves above
- Work surface and shelf outboard
- Stowage under
- Crockery racks above
- Outboard facing gas cooker
- 3 x Burner hob with fiddles
- Oven
- Frigoboat refrigerator to starboard
- Galley trunk and skylight over
- Deckhead light
- 2 x Bronze opening ports

DOOR OFFSET TO STBD TO FWD CABIN
- Hanging lockers port and starboard
- Double ‘V’ bunk
- Stowage under
- Forehatch over
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
- Access hatch to forepeak/ chain locker
- Reading lights

RIG AND STANDING RIGGING
- Douglas fir masts and spars (original)
- 3 x Winches at main mast
- 2 x winches on main boom
- 2 x Winches at mizzen
- 2 x Alloy spinnaker poles
- Stainless steel shrouds (2016)
- Stainless steel running backstays
- Stainless steel main mast backstay

RUNNING RIGGING
- All by Gottifredi Maffioli
- 2 x Laurent Giles type Highfield levers for main running backstays
- Tufnol blocks

SAILS
- 1 x Mainsail
- 2 x Mizzens
- No 1, No 2 & No 3 foresails
- 1 x 100% foresail
- 1 x Yankee
- 2 x Spinnakers
- 2 x Gennakers
- 1 x Gennaker sock
- 2 x Mizzen staysails

MECHANICAL
- Perkins 93 hp Diesel engine
- Traditional drive train to aperture
- Prowell ("Maxprop type") 3-blade feathering propeller
- Lombardini Kohler 4kW generator

ELECTRICAL
24 V Electrical system
- Shore power charger 60 A
- Inverter 300 W
- 2 x Engine batteries 200 Ah
- 2 x House batteries 200 Ah

DOMESTIC
- Schenker watermaker 60 L/h
- Hot water boiler
- Gianneschi fresh water pump

TANKAGE
Fresh water tanks
- 1 x 150 L
- 1 x 200 L

Diesel tanks
- 1 x 100 L
- 1 x 280 L

- Ritchie steering compass
- NKE Wind instruments
- ICOM VHF
- ICOM handheld VHF
- Nexus handheld VHF
- Garmin GPS
- HF receiver/ communicator for PC connection
- Navigation lights

- Liferaft - 8 person
- 2 x Horseshoe lifebelts
- 8 x Lifejackets
- Compressor form
- 2 x Electric bilge pumps
- 1 x Manual bilge pump
- 3 x Fire extinguishers
- Emergency tiller

- Zodiac 310 inflatable tender
- Mercury 4-stroke 9.9hp outboard motor
- Pasarelle
- Boarding ladder
- Metal shore storage cradle

- Sailing images MAIN, 02 and 03 by James Robinson Taylor
- Archive drawings and photo thanks to Pirkka Leino