McGruer 42 ft Twin Screw Motor Yacht 1950/2023

James McGruer drew few motor yachts, but when he did the result was bound to embody all the elegance, personality, and ability one would expect from one of the masters of 20th Century yacht design. JORVIK was built by his yard to a high spec for a discerning owner whose grandson has recently rejuvenated and sympathetically modernised this characterful yacht in the skilled and experienced hands of John Buckley’s Harbour Marine Services, Southwold, Suffolk. With all necessary structural work done, all new systems and services, a delightfully conceived and executed aft cockpit re-modelling - and a reputation for superb handling - JORVIK is a very attractively priced and presented classic motor yacht that’s ready to go. On the sale of this vessel, JORVIK's owner will donate 5% of his net sale proceeds to RNLI.

2020-2023 HARBOUR MARINE SERVICES, SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK
- Topsides 75% replanked in iroko
- 75% new oak frames, bronze fastened
- New beamshelf in larch
- New carlins in Larch
- New deck beams in larch
- New wheelhouse deck beams in oak
- New aft coachroof deck beams in oak
- New wheelhouse roof in ply with WEST cloth painted
- New aft coachroof in ply with WEST cloth painted
- New apron
- New breast hook
- New stern post
- New floors and engine bearers
- New shaft logs inside and out
- New stern tubes, glands and shafts; mostly new drive trains both sides
- New rudder tube, post and steering gear
- New bilge keels
- New oak blockings to sheer full length to stiffen her sheer
- New ply deck, tongue and grooved Robbins Elite
- 2 x Layers 12 mm ply laminated and West cloth covered
- New teak deck throughout
- New aft cockpit
- New gratings, coamings, bulkheads throughout
- New engines
- New wiring
- New electrinic navigation aids
- New galley, heads and internal fit out
- New deck fittings in chromed bronze including new stanchions, bollards, fairleads, courtesy lights, mushroom vents, deck fillers, cowl vents all by Davey and Co.
- New windlass and self-stow bow roller with stainless delta anchor and chain
- New stainless steel diesel tanks
- New Stainless water tanks
- New standing and running rigging
- New lights throughout all by Davey and Co.
- New portlights and windows with new toughened glass and frames
- New fuel system
- New pumps throughout
- New upholstery and covers
- New fenders and assorted gear

MCGRUER & CO LTD. YARD No. 557
JORVIK = The Viking name for York

The two famous 20th Century yachtbuilders of the Gareloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland - McGruer & Co Ltd., Clynder, and James A Silver Ltd., Rosneath - generally stuck to their respective niches: McGruers for sailing yachts and Silvers for motor yachts. But very occasionally it wasn't so.

JORVIK's first owner, W. Rowland Ingle - whose family tannery business in Leeds was once the largest leather works in Europe - had been a pre-Second World War client of Silvers, purchasing the John Bain-designed 30 ft twin screw 'Silverette' class EL ÚLA from Rosneath yard in 1937 (she was probably named after the historical site in Saudi Arabia from his First World War experiences with the Army Service Corps - possibly a driver for Laurence of Arabia). But for his next motor yacht Ingle moved along the loch to Clynder. Perhaps he wanted something more individual than the mainly production line (albeit very high quality) output of Silvers, or they could have been too busy. In James McGruer he found a highly talented designer working with his family's famously skilled workforce. The result is indeed something different, with all the elegance, presence and ability one expects from a McGruer boat.

Although listed in Lloyd’s Register of Yachts and by her builders as a 1950 build, it seems that JORVIK wasn’t commissioned until the spring of 1951, launched originally with a pair of 30 hp Coventry Godiva 4 cylinder diesels. The May 1951 issue of Motor Boat and Yachting gave particular mention to the fingertip control offered by her Bloctube dual controls and oil-operated reverse gears - well tested during the maiden voyage via the Forth & Clyde canal to Scarborough - and to JORVIK’s seakeeping qualities during the open north sea passage from Leith which, of course, pleased her designer.

JORVIK remained in the Ingle family for many years, cruising the rivers of Yorkshire and beyond. She was re-engined in 1966 with twin Thornycroft diesels and enjoyed refit and restoration work at the hands of her original builders before and after the Millennium. In 2020 she returned to Ingle family ownership and a three-year programme of major winter restoration and upgrading by Harbour Marine Services at Southwold, Suffolk, sandwiched around summertime use.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Larch and iroko planking on oak frame
- Varnished iroko rubbing strake
- Teak straight laid decks over 2/3 x layers plywood
- Upper rubbing strake
- Varnished teak superstructures

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck
- Varnished covering boards
- Chromed bronze stanchions

FROM AFT
- Chromed ensign staff socket
- Chromed mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Chromed bollard type mooring cleats port and starboard

LARGE SELF-DRAINING AFT COCKPIT
- Solid teak coamings
- Teak bench seating port and starboard
- Teak sole gratings
- Cockpit sole access hatch to fuel tanks
- Hatch access aft to steering flat
- Companionway fwd to aft accommodation

AFT TRUNK CABIN
- Aft sliding companionway hatch
- Double teak doors
- Washboard
- 2 x Chromed mushroom vents
- Varnished wood and chromed handrail
- Lifting bench seat

UPPER HELM POSITION
- Fold down helm seat
- Fold down navigator seat
- Helm position
- Chromed Brown Brothers ship's wheel
- Kobelt throttle controls
- Side-Power bow thruster control
- Beta engine panels
- B&G V12 GPS plotter
- 2 x Simrad repeaters (incl autopilot)
- Chromed binnacle w. Sestrel steering compass
- Mast tabernacle
- Chart table to port

SIDE DECKS
- 2 x Chromed bollard type spring mooring cleats port and starboard
- Gates in guard rails adjacent deckhouse port and starboard

DECKHOUSE
- Horn
- Wood/ chromed hand rails port and starboard
- 2 x Chromed mushroom ventilators
- Companionway to port

FORWARD LOW PROFILE TRUNK CABIN
- Stainless steel hatch
- 4 x Chromed dorade type ventilators on varnished boxes

FOREDECK
- Attractively raised capped toerail port and starboard
- Stainless steel stiffening knees
- Varnished butterfly skylight hatch
- Chromed mooring cleats port and starboard
- Chromed Panama fairleads port and starboard
- Custom self-stowing bow fitting
- Lofrans Tigres 1200 W anchor windlass
- Warping drum and chain gipsy
- 2 x Foot switches

GROUND TACKLE
- 40 kg Stainless steel Delta anchor
- 100 m Stainless steel anchor chain & warp
- Custom self stow bow fitting

MOVING FORWARD FROM AFT COCKPIT COMPANIONWAY

DOWN 3 x STEPS TO GALLEY PORT AND STARBOARD
- Minerva top surfaces with stowage to port and starboard
- Stainless steel inset sink with Quooker mixer tap
- GN Espace 3 x burner hob and oven with glass door to starboard
- Isotherm draw fridge under bar to port
- Bottle stowage under sole
- Semi bulkheads fwd port and starboard
- Stainless steel grab pillars port and starboard

FORWARD TO SALOON
- Sideboard to port with drawer and lockers
- Settee berths port and starboard
- Stowage lockers behind
- Original saloon table
- Wood and chromed fittings grab rails port and starboard
- Semi bulkheads fwd port and starboard
- Stainless steel grab pillars port and starboard

UP 3 x STEPS TO DECK SALOON OVER ENGINE SPACE
- Settee berth to port
- Opening window sash to port
- 3 x steps companionway with double teak doors to stbd side deck
- Ship's electrical panel
- Engine space access hatches in sole
- 1 x Hatch with gas struts
- Companionway down to fwd accommodation to starboard

DOWN 2 x RECESSED STEPS TO FORWARD ACCOMMODATION
Full beam WC/ shower compartment
- Planus electric toilet to port
- Washbasin unit to starboard
- Planus shower; teak grating; shower tray under to sump pump
Forward Cabin
- 2 x Single berths
- Hanging locker
- 5 x Stowage lockers
- Teak slatted ceilings outboard
- Mirror door access to chain locker and bow thruster

MECHANICAL
- 2 x Beta Marine 60 hp diesels (2020)

ELECTRICAL
- TBA

HYDRAULIC
- Steering

TANKAGE
- 2 x Diesel tanks under aft cockpit sole
- Water tank in galley
- Calorifier
- Pressure water system
- Deck wash fwd & aft

RIG
- Single spreader mast in galvanised tabernacle
- Navigation lights, down lighters, Lopolight trilight, vhf aerials

CANVASWORK AND UPHOLSTERY
External
- Windlass cover
- Skylight cover
- Bridge cover
- Helm cushion
- Navigators cushion
- Cushion port side of dash
- Cushion on ply fold down bench to stainless frame
- Two cushions to cockpit
- Cockpit cover

Internal.
- Forward berth cushions
- Deck saloon cushion
- Saloon seats and back rests
- Carpet throughout
- 24 x Scatter cushions

- Sestrel steering compass in chromed binnacle
- B&G V12 GPS plotter
- 2 x Simrad repeaters (including autopilot)

- Gas alarm and solenoid at Galley
- Bilge pumping TBC
- Fire fighting TBC
- Lifebelt with light float

- Teak/ stainless steel boarding/ swim ladder with grating
- Fenders
- Warps

- Many images c/o Harbour Marine Services, Southwold