GL Watson 55 ft MFV Motorsailer 1960/2019

DAWN HUNTER is a remarkable motorsailer, robustly built to a GL Watson design. The maintenance regime she has enjoyed in her last three ownerships has left little to chance, while the potential options for usage of this vessel are seriously exciting: a motorsailer with enough sail area to be an effective sailing boat is a rare thing; deck space is extensive and incredibly well protected; interior finish and fit out is to a standard one would simply not expect on this style of vessel; and with three double, en-suite cabins and eleven berths in all. DAWN HUNTER is an impressive vessel that could go almost anywhere. In fact, in current ownership during a major refit by Stirling & Son, she has been prepared for high latitude exploring. This is a vessel you feel you could spend a lot of time on with very few sacrifices.

2022-2023: NETHERLANDS
- New galley equipment
- Painted wood lining to lower accommodation bulkheads
- New navigation equipment
- New communications equipment
- New CCTV equipment on deck and in engine room
- New Eberspächer Hydronic heating system
- 80% of on deck brightwork re-coated
- Rig check

2018-2019: STIRLING & SON, PLYMOUTH, UK
MAJOR REFIT

SHIPWRIGHT/ CARPENTRY WORK
- 30% of topsides planking replaced in oak
- New topsides rubbing band
- Galvanised spike fastenings
- Topsides recaulked
- Covering boards and fillers between stanchions replaced
- All bulwarks replaced in utile
- New knightsheads
- Every second bulwark stanchion removed
- New utile capping rail
- Revised bulwark sheerline
- Stem repairs
- Some frame repairs
- New Douglas fir bowsprit

FINISHING
- Repainting and revarnishing

MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL/ SYSTEMS
- General service of Gardner engine
- New Webster's electric windlass fitted
- New hawsepipe
- Bilge pumps overhaul
- Grey and black water system overhaul

JONES BUCKIE SLIP & SHIPYARD LTD. YARD NO. 101

It’s not unusual for a classic yacht to have an interesting past life, often in quite another guise. But how many yachts can claim three very different lives? DAWN HUNTER can.

This striking ‘converted MFV’ type motor-sailer began life in 1960 as the Inshore Fisheries Research Vessel RV TELLINA, commissioned by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to work from their Directorate of Fisheries Research laboratory at Lowestoft on the east coast of England.

The fishing industry at this time was increasingly introducing new technology, both in trawling techniques and in fish-finding, and it was important that fisheries research kept up with this. So RV TELLINA as launched in 1960 by Jones of Buckie was equally at home as a floating laboratory as she was working gear.

To authentically achieve her remit, she had to be a bona fide fishing vessel; the massive White Fish Authority structural scantlings her illustrious designers, G.L. Watson & Co., had to follow assured this - and her longevity, together with the work of one of the most respected of builders, Jones of Buckie on Scotland's Moray Firth.

It was in her post-commissioning second life from the early 1980s as a working trawler, based at various east coast ports including Whitby and the River Tyne, that RV TELLINA became DAWN HUNTER, occasionally returning on charter to operate again as a research vessel. Her last commercial role was for Belfast Marine.

By 1991 her commercial lives were over when she was purchased for conversion to the unique and world class motorsailer we now know. She's been a very comfortable cruiser, a floating home, and in current ownership has enjoyed a major refit in the capable hands of Will Stirling at Plymouth, who from deep personal experience prepared DAWN HUNTER for high latitude cruising. Her owner’s plans changed, but she is still ready to explore.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Pitch pine and oak planking on oak frame
- Utile bulwarks, covering boards, and capping (2019)
- Mahogany superstructure
- Teak laid deck

FROM AFT

AFT DECK
- Simpson S250 electric stainless steel davits for tender
- Mainsheet for mizzen to taffrail
- Large raised varnished lazarette with detachable upholstery
- Bronze mooring fairleads at rail
- 2 x Barient ST winches for yankee, 1 x each side
- Large painted iron mooring cleats on teak chocks port and starboard
- Varnished teak stairway to cabin roof top
- Door into deck saloon

DECK SALOON/ WHEEL HOUSE/ SIDE DECKS
- Deck saloon and wheelhouse combined in fishing boat style
- Wide side decks; waist high bulwarks with varnished rail
- 5 x Large cleats mid deck for staysail
- Yankee jib cars fixed to side of hull
- Staysail car through Tufnol blocks on forward teak capping
- Wide varnished hand rails
- Fender baskets both sides
- Varnished cleat; 1 each side

DECKHOUSE ROOF
- Mizzen mast position
- Stainless steel pin rail
- Liferaft stowage
- Solid fuel stove Charlie Noble
- Engine air intake
- Engine exhaust
- Searchlight

WINCHES
- 2 x Barient 36 primaries
- 2 x Arco 48 main mast halyards
- 2 x Arco 44 main mast halyard
- 1 x Meissner 58 main sheet
- 2 x Arco 40 mizzen mast halyards
- 1 x Enkes 22 ASC for mizzen

FOREDECK
- Mainmast position
- 2 x Barrels of mooring lines
- Raised butterfly hatch over forward cabin and head compartment
- 4 x Ventilators
- Bowsprit through varnished bitts with stainless steel fittings
- Large iron mooring cleats on varnished teak chocks each side
- Stainless steel Panama fairleads port and starboard

GROUND TACKLE
- Webster's No. 3 Heavy Service electric & manual windlass (2019)
- Chain gipsy to starboard; warping drum to port
- 1 x Stockless bower anchor stowed in hawsepipe
- 1 x Stockless spare anchor stowed on deck
- 400 ft / 122 m galvanised chain
- Engine driven deck wash pump; deck connection for 10m flex hose

GENERAL
- Rosewood, chestnut, oak, mahogany, teak finish
- Lower accommodation bulkheads white painted lining
- Eberspacher heating system to all cabins

DECK SALOON/ GALLEY
- Accessed from aft deck and wheelhouse
- Polished table; seating for 9 persons
- Cream hide upholstery
- Neff electric induction hob (2023)
- Neff oven (2022)
- Fridge
- Hotpoint deep freeze

FORWARD TO WHEELHOUSE
- Seaglaze toughened glass opening windows
- Navigation instruments as detailed
- Traditional ship's wheel
- Helm stool
- Chart table to port
- L-Banquette to starboard
- Doors each side to side decks

VARNISHED STEPS TO LOWER ACCOMMODATION

PASSAGE FORWARD TO OWNER EN-SUITE
- Engine room door to port

OWNER ENSUITE CABIN
- Butterfly hatch over
- Double berth; drawers and lockers under
- Sofa to starboard
- 4 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Reading lights
- 2 x Full length hanging lockers
- Doorway fwd to en-suite WC compartment
- Electric WC
- Basin with hot and cold fresh water
- Large shower area with varnished teak grating
- Radiator
- Ample stowage
- Access to chain locker

AFT IN PASSAGE TO AFT ACCOMMODATION

PORT EN-SUITE GUEST CABIN
- Double berth
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Reading lights
- Dressing unit with drawers and light
- Full length hanging locker
- En suite WC/ shower compartment
- Blakes manual WC
- Basin, hot and cold fresh mixer tap
- Shower area with varnished teak grating - - - Lockers
- Access to engine room

STARBOARD EN-SUITE GUEST CABIN
- Double berth; drawers under
- Deckhead lights
- 2 x Reading lights
- Full length hanging locker
- En suite WC/ shower compartment
- Doubles as day head
- Electric WC
- Basin, hot and cold fresh mixer tap
- Shower area with varnished teak grating - - - Lockers

Starboard cabin

AFT 'CREW' CABIN
- Light oak joinery with Burgundy upholstery
- 5 x Pilot style single berths
- 2 x Child berths under
- Mess style table with U shaped sofas
- Flat screen TV
- 9 x Deckhead lights
- Access to aft deck via deck head hatch
- Extensive and ample stowage

RIG
- Cutter-headed ketch rig
- Proctor spars
- Double spreader main mast
- Custom in-mast furling
- Norseman stainless steel standing rigging
- Profurl genoa and staysail furling
- Mainsail sheeted via Lewmar traveller
- across cabin top to Meissner 58 winch

SAILS
- Total over 1,500 sq ft/ c 140 sq m
- All sails by Jeckells
- Genoa 721 sq ft / 67 sq m
- Staysail 215 sq ft / 20 sq m
- Main 441 sq ft / 41 sq m
- Mizzen 13 sq m

MECHANICAL
- Gardner 6L3 114 hp @900 rpm diesel
- Fully rebuilt by Gardners 1997; low hours
- Maintained by Gardner engineers
- 1,300 nautical miles range motoring
- @ 3.5 Gal per hour @ 8.5 knots
- 3,150 nautical miles range motorsailing
- @ 1.5 Gal per hour
- Clutch and gearbox driven variable pitch propeller
- Workbench in engine room
- Complete set of professional snap-on tools
- All spares for engine service
- Lombardini 3 cyl 240 V 13 kVA generator

ELECTRICAL
- Transmotor A VC155 24 V 140 A alternator
- 2.4 kW inverter
- 50 A charger
- Electric water boiler
- All deck head lights are now LED
- 4 x Mast spreader deck lights

TANKAGE
- Fuel: 550 Gal / 2,500 L
- Racor fuel filters
- Water: 506 Gal / 2,300 L in 2 x tanks
- Main and auxiliary pressure water sets
- Black water 150 Gal / 692 L
- Shore and sea pump out
- Sight gauges for fuel and fresh water tanks
- In corridor fwd and engine room

OTHER
- Wiels Ridley electro-hydraulic steering
- Celtic 35 HP bow thruster controlled at wheelhouse
- Eberspächer Hydronic heating system

NAVIGATION
- Furuno TZT9F 9 in Timezero Touch 3 multifunction display (2022)
- Time Zero navigation and radar software (2022)
- Time Zero Vector or Rastor MM3D Megawide charts (2022)
- Furuno DRS4D-NXT non-magnetron Doppler radar (2022)
- Vesper Marine XB-6000 AIS transponder with AIS splitter (2022)
- Airmar P617V IDST810 speed/ temp transducer (2022)
- Airmar 44-858-1-01 Weather Station 120WX (2022)
- MiniPlex-3 series NMEA multiplexer (2022)
- Alizés II Central Unit PC 250GO; Windows10 PRO 64 BIT IUC36A (2022)
- 2 x Dell 24" FULL HD 1920 x 1080 S2421HN PC Monitors (2022)
- Robertson AP40 autopilot

COMMUNICATIONS
- Sailor SSB T124 and R110 Tr / Rx
- Sailor RT144 VHF radio
- Icom MC-M58 VHF radio
- Pepwave 3G/4G worldwide router pack with wifi (2022)
- Associated antenna and scanners (2022)
- Satellite internet hotspot (2022)

OTHER ELECTRONICS
- AX8 E70321 thermal camera in engine room (2022)
- 2 x Raymarine CAM220 IP Marine deck cameras (2022)

- Engine room fire protection system
- Engine driven bilge pump
- Ocean Safety 8-person canister life raft
- 4 x Life rings

- Avon R3.41 RIB tender with 4-stroke Mariner 15 outboard motor
- Teak and stainless steel boarding/ swim