Hartley 32 Ferro Cement Sloop

2008-05-01T17:32:00.045+03:00

S/Y CRYSTAL

Price £13,500

Contact us at crystalhartley32@gmail.com

An extremely pretty, traditional, sea-kindly, comfortable vessel: Crystal is a Hartley-designed, 32ft ferro sloop. She was professionally built and surveyed in the UK in 1978; fitted out and sailed by her original owner until 1985, when she was bought and sailed out to Greece by her second owners. We purchased her there in early 1998 and from Jan 2000, to Jan 2010, she was our sole liveaboard home. Crystal is SSR registered and is VAT paid. She is lying in Porto Heli, Peloponnese, Greece, which is served by a regular bus and hydrofoil service from Athens.

Construction is ferro-cement hull and deck, with cabin sides, cabin top and cockpit in fibreglass sheathed plywood, over hardwood beams. The ferro decks have an upstand to which the superstructure is bolted, giving a very strong and dry vessel. Dimensions are; L. 32ft 2”, (9.81m.) B. 10ft 2”, (3.11m.) LWL. 24ft, (7.32m.) D. 5ft 8”, (1.72m.) There is a full inventory at the bottom of this page.

Crystal has undergone a complete re-build, undertaken by us, which lasted over 3 years. She was re-launched in 2007 and is now in quite remarkable condition. This was an end to end, inside and out, refurbishment. Everything – and we do mean everything, was rebuilt, re-conditioned, or replaced. Some of the equipment quoted in the text as new was in fact purchased and fitted earlier as work progressed, but was unused before 2007. The re-build comprised:

All new stainless steel work on deck – Bow twin roller, bollard, pulpit, pushpit, stanchions and guardrail wires, winch mounts, mainsheet horse, chainplates and stern gantry.

New Lofrans electric anchor windlass with circuit breaker, hand-held bow remote and remote switches in cockpit. Control box and all electrics located in dry forepeak.

Starboard cabin side, cockpit coamings (inside and out,) and all windows replaced. Forehatch frame, lazerette hatch and frame, cockpit sole and drain, main hatch garage/ sprayhood coaming, main hatch track and runners - all replaced. New laminated tiller.

Port and starboard rubbing strakes were re-fastened. Forehatch, main hatch and dorade boxes refurbished – the latter with new scoops.

Fore, mid and aft cleats re-bedded on new plinths with serious (6mm thick,) stainless backing plates – ditto stanchions.

The original wooden rectangular mast and boom replaced with a second-hand oval section aluminium mast and boom. The mast was stripped of all fittings to check for corrosion, and then re-wired and items refitted, using monel rivets and bedded on Lancote anti-corrosive paste. At the same time, a new mast cap, stainless mast steps, spreader caps, Windex indicator and Glomex VHF aerial were fitted. There is a designated track for a trysail.

The Furlex roller reefing unit was dismantled, cleaned, fitted with new bearings and a new wire inner stay and masthead toggle.

All standing rigging renewed – forestay, backstay and cap shrouds in 8mm, and lowers in 6mm diameter stainless wire. All stays are fitted with toggles top and bottom to allow articulation in both directions. There is a removable babystay with an adjuster on which to fit a storm jib.

The Heino Hasse (top quality German,) furling 150% Genoa has a padded luff giving 3 reef positions that correspond to the 3 in the main. The sail was new in 1998, has a tiny professional patch (From a mouse gnawing in storage.) and had a new UV strip in 2007. The main is a top-spec battenless, slab-reefed, long-distance cruising sail from Crusader. New, it was first fitted in Nov 2007. Main and Genoa halyards are new pre-stretched polyester. Genoa and mainsheets, new. Mainsheet track and fittings are all new. Reefing lines, stainless shackles, thimbles, etc, all new.

Rudderstock tube replaced and rudder fittings refurbished – no play, but can be moved with one finger – essential for effective self-steering. All seacocks renewed using either Banjo or Marelon fittings – these are the best that money can buy. Every piece of hose in the boat renewed, with every hose connected to a skin fitting having double stainless hose clips.

Engine beds refurbished with a watertight glass/epoxy sump created beneath. This is one of two water catchment areas in the boat (the other is in the heads,) the deep bilges are used for dry storage.

Engine overhaul comprising: cylinder bores honed and new piston rings, new valves, valve guides and valve seats re-cut. All cooling water passages extensively cleaned out and Top End assembled with all new gaskets. Injectors reconditioned. Starter reconditioned. Sump removed and cleaned together with oil pump strainer, refitted with new gaskets. New Speedseal easy-fit cover to impeller housing and new impeller fitted. New 65 amp alternator (Replaces original 35amp.). Gearbox drained, flushed and oil renewed. Engine repainted, refitted and aligned to new coupling, new shaft, new Volvo flexible seal, new Vetus cutlass bearing and new Varifold 2-blade folding propeller.

Emergency back-up cooling system comprising; electric water pump with diverter valves to bypass impellor. New Vetus water strainer for cooling water inlet. New Vetus exhaust hose with watertrap and swaneck – all fitted with ‘Mare’ 316 stainless spanner-type clamps – not jubilee clips. New Vetus exhaust overheating warning system. The engine has done less than 300 hrs since overhaul, starts instantly and runs like a watch.

A new diesel tank of 134 Litre capacity was installed centrally beneath the cockpit. It is fitted with a sight gauge, and a draincock at the lowest point, allows any water/sediment to be easily drained off. In addition, there is a combined diesel filter/watertrap midway between the tank and the engine, with a secondary diesel filter on the engine itself. Last but by no means least, the tank will gravity-feed the engine – a huge bonus in the event of lift-pump failure, and which simplifies bleeding the fuel system.

The boat has been completely re-wired with good-quality 12v sockets (7 in all,) throughout. New reading lights on either side of forecabin. New halogen spotlights in dinette. All other lights refurbished, with bulbs changed for halogen for lower power consumption. All cabling is of appropriate size/quality, and a new fuse board was fitted.

The engine charging system is fitted with a new Sterling booster. The batteries are 2 Elecsol 220ah carbon fibre giving a massive 440ah capacity. These are state of the art (expensive,) units and were new in Sept 2005. They are unique in that you don’t use a separate engine battery and come with a 5 year guarantee. Both batteries are fitted with fuses. A new (2008,) battery control switch has been fitted. There is an audible (deafening,) warning that goes off in case of low oil pressure, charging failure or exhaust high temperature and this has coloured repeater lights in the cockpit to indicate which has occurred – all components new. There is a new 220v inverter, modified sine wave of 600w/1500w capacity. In addition, a good quality CD/Radio sound system was also newly fitted.

Below decks, the open-plan layout makes the boat appear much bigger than she actually is. There is over 1.80M (6ft,) headroom throughout. She could sleep 6 – a double in the forecabin, the dinette folds down to make a second double and pilot berth either side of the engine box – but we have set her up as a liveaboard for a couple. There is a proper galley all down the port side of the saloon, an ‘inglenook’ with a wood-burning stove, a chrome copper kettle and a tiled surround on the port side of the keel-stepped mast, with a good sized heads on the starboard side. Forward of this is a surprisingly spacious forecabin, with good sitting headroom and a large (1.94M long,) double berth. Everyone finds the interior delightful – if modern production boats look like contemporary hotel rooms – Crystal is like a country cottage.

During the rebuild, 75% of the interior was renewed. From the bow section back to the saloon bulkheads the entire area was stripped out, insulated, lined and rebuilt. All 4 sections (Forepeak, forecabin, stove area and heads.) were screwed, not glued together. This means that if for whatever reason it was necessary to need access to the inner hull, each area can be dismantled and then replaced. It was the lack of this facility that led to it being stripped out in the first place – access was needed to replace the steelwork on deck and re-fix the rubbing strakes. The photographs give a better view of the various areas. The renewals are as follows:

Forepeak has glass/epoxy chain locker at base. This is fitted with a drain from which a pipe takes water to the heads sump, from where it can be pumped out. A massive laminated ply plank runs the length of the under deck and through this are bolted the electric windlass and bollard – again on substantial backing plates. There are hanging rings for warps, the windlass control units and a fitted inspection light. All items are new.

Forecabin has top lockers down each side, a 12v socket and reading light on each side and lower lockers each side at the head end. The width at the head end is 1.55M – the width of a queen-sized bed. Extensive storage areas under the berth. All in here new.

Stove area has heatproof lining behind the tiles. The woodburning stove is economical (free) to run and keeps the boat warm and dry throughout. That it boils the kettle is a bonus. Within reach is a fire extinguisher. There are a multitude of lockers and storage bins behind and under the stove. All new, except the stove which I made in 2002.

The heads compartment has a glass/epoxy sump which drains the chain locker, mast base and is also a shower sump if need be. A Henderson hand pump clears the sump and can also be used as an emergency bilge pump. A vanity unit has lockers, sink and hand pump tap. Above this is a brass porthole mirror. There is a Jabsco manual flush toilet with siphon breaks on both inlet and outlet. Best quality hoses and seacocks are used. There are storage lockers at the rear. A sliding door saves space. Everything except the sink was new.
The galley is mostly original, though rebuilt and much improved with extra storage facilities. There is a Taylors 029 paraffin cooker (Two burners and warming oven.) that has a new tank, pipework and burners. Note: This has now been replaced - see update below. A new chest fridge was built into the forward end of the galley, which uses a 12v compressor and cooling plate. A 12v computer fan is wired into the fridge and extracts warm air from around the motor and discharges via trunking to the back of the cooker (i.e. Warm area.) and thence out through the bronze mushroom ventilator above the cooker. This, and massive insulation around the fridge box, means a very economical and efficient unit. The galley sink is served by a new manual footpump. There are 4 deep, and 2 shallow bilge storage areas under the saloon sole, accessed via lift up lids. We store canned and bottled food in the deep ones (Weight central and cool afloat.) – proving that the designated wet sumps do actually work.

Opposite the galley is the dinette with seating on 3 sides around a swivelling varnished table. All upholstery is new. There is storage behind the outer (back,) seats and under all 3 sides. Further outboard are the book and music storage areas and the radio, tape and CD players. The music system is new, as are the halogen spotlights and paraffin lamp on the bulkhead.

Aft of the dinette, is the navigation area. This has a fold-out chart table, with two chart storage lockers under. The nav area has its own power supply with double 12v sockets and houses the following: VHF radio – new in 1998. New LED chartlight. New Navtex weather/nav warning system. New NASA Target echo sounder. Raytheon ST400 (Top of the range, fluxgate compass, separate control head.) Autopilot – was new in 2001.

On the port side opposite the nav area is a good-sized hanging locker. In between these are the companionway steps with the 12v distribution board. This board, with its 15 fused switches, is the front of a shallow locker containing wiring terminals – all new. Various other switches, the Sterling booster, engine instruments, solar regulator, etc, are located above and around the fuse board. Engine instruments are original Volvo. The Sterling, battery selection switch, warning device, engine hour meter, battery voltage meter and make or break switches for the fridge and inverter are all new. The solar panel dates from 1998.

The steps rest on top of the engine box. This comprises of 4 panels which can be removed in about 1 minute and give unrivalled access to the engine. On either side of the engine box are the forward ends of the pilot berths. Under these are the battery compartments. There is storage around the battery mounts and the inverter is located in the port side compartment. All these areas are newly built. There is a second new fire extinguisher and a fire blanket within reach of the cooker. The batteries were referred to earlier; the inverter was new in 2007.

The after ends of the pilot berths run under the bridgedeck bulkhead on either side. These, together with the area under the cockpit sole, (between the rear of the engine and the front of the fuel tank,) are boarded in, affording a spacious flat stowage area useful for the stowage of large items. Both the boarding and the framework supporting it simply slot together and can be lifted out easily. This gives open access to the gearbox, coupling, shaft, stern tube seal, exhaust watertrap, tank drain and fuel filters. Apart from the gearbox, all items mentioned are new. Port and starboard outboard of this area, against the hull sides, there are long capacious stowage shelves, with deep fiddles. The whole area was rebuilt.

Aft, and outside in the cockpit, are 2 deep cockpit lockers, the starboard one housing a manual bilge pump which drains the engine bilge sump. There is also an electric bilge pump, giving belt and braces security. The manual pump was reconditioned with all new parts and the electric pump new. All hoses and clips new. The cockpit sole was rebuilt giving an improved fall to a massive 50mm drain, and thence via a reinforced short hose to a large (and very expensive,) Banjo seacock – all new.

The stern part of Crystal comprises an afterdeck, under which is located a truly enormous lazerette locker. Stowage in here is organized by detachable staging and hanging hooks and eyes. The lower part is glass/epoxy sheathed and drains forward into the engine sump. A large lid gives excellent access. The afterdeck also houses a gantry which carries the (tilting,) solar panel, Navtex antennae, and supports the wind generator pole. There is a New (2008,) folding boarding ladder.

Below the waterline, the substantial stainless rudder hangings were new in 1998. The engine, shaft, stern tube, and rudder fittings are all electrically bonded to the 4 anodes. The system is that as recommended by M.G.Duff, for use on a ferro vessel of Crystal’s type. After 14 months afloat, the anodes were approximately 30% wasted – proving that the system is working, but with no problems. As mentioned earlier, all seacocks are new, non-metallic types that were fitted in the correct manner for a ferro vessel.

To sum up: What we intended as a 6 month refit, stretched out into a nearly 4 year rebuild. We rebuilt her using a belt and braces philosophy, using keep-it-simple techniques. Examples of this are in the removable nature of all that we have constructed; fittings, furnishings – even the diesel tank.

The attention to detail during construction is worthy of note: The shaft/gearbox coupling bolts are secured with Loctite, then drilled and wired. The batteries have 150amp fuses and covers across the terminals to prevent an accidental short. The mast sits on a plinth that has a catchment and drain to the heads sump – I’ve seen too many corroded bases on keel-stepped masts. The chain locker drain has an internal stainless chain so that it can be cleared, in-situ, if (when) it gets blocked. Similarly, the engine cooling water, and cockpit drain can be rodded out if blocked. The emergency engine cooling system as a get-you-home back up, for when the impellor fails. The holes through which the tubing for toilet, bilge pumps and exhaust runs, have plywood rings glued either side of the hole, and the whole thing smoothed and radiused to prevent chafe.

So why is this fully-sorted boat for sale? Well, in the time we’ve had her and in particular, the time spent during the rebuild, we’ve outgrown her. We’re getting older, our family has grown. We need more space for us and for guests this is our home remember. We could have, and would have coped, but the boat of our dreams (There always is one, inevitably bigger.) has come along and only needs a little work ……….

The engine box is not sound-proofed. This was deliberate - the theory being that the noise would encourage us to sail more and use the engine less - it was however, a mistake, albeit an easily rectified one. Note: Now done, see update below.

Whilst the photographs give a good impression of Crystal, to fully appreciate her viewing is essential. We can advise on travel and accommodation ranging from low budget, but clean and adequate, to a top-class hotel. The area is well worth seeing and there is watersports, mountain biking and walking. http://www.poseidon-sports.com/

If you are really serious about buying her, we are prepared to allow you to stay on board overnight, to get the feel of living aboard. We would stay ashore and daysail her with you the next day. For each 24hr period we would charge 150 euros and for this you would get bed and breakfast for up to 2 people, and a light lunch whilst out sailing. If you then buy the boat, all money would be refunded. Crystal is our home and we want to discourage people who are only interested in cheap yacht charter.

Crystal can be viewed up to the first week of June 2011, and from late September 2011, onwards. We will be away during the intervening period. The surest way of initial contact is via email; crystalhartley32@gmail.com - we can the supply a telephone contact number that relates to where we are. Information on the locality can be found on the website www.portoheli.net/ .

INVENTORY

DECK EQUIPMENT.
Stainless stemhead fitting with twin rollers (Rope and chain.) and security pin.

Kemp Furlex roller reefing gear, 150% Genoa, genoa sheets, track/genoa cars and turning blocks.

Stainless pulpit, fore-bollard and aluminium fairleads.

CQR 35lb bower anchor, attached by YM stainless swivel connector to 55m of 10mm chain. Danforth 25lb kedge anchor with 10m of 8mm chain and 50m of rope.

Navigation lights; tricolour masthead, masthead anchor, steaming light, bicolour bow light, decklight and stern light.

Sestrel-Moore steering compass

Lofrans 1200w electric anchor windlass, with rope and chain gypsies.

Port and starboard midship cleats.

Anti-chafe fitting on spreader caps and rigging turnbuckles.

Stainless stanchions, stainless guardrail wires with pelican hooks for boarding access aft.

Folding clip-on boarding ladder. Folding swim ladder.

Mainsail with cover, reefing lines, reefing winch, kicking strap, mainsheet and mainsheet track with car and stops.

Spray dodgers, harbour sun awning/rain cover, smaller sailing sun awning, cockpit cushions.

Mooring lines, various warps and fenders.

20w solar panel and regulator.

Aft gantry with solar panel tilting mounts, stayed pole for a windgenerator and Navtex antennae.

Aft cleats on plinths with fairleads.

Stainless pushpit with barbeque and outboard mount.

Avon inflatable dinghy with floorboard and outboard mount – old, but serviceable

Deck brush, boathook, and two winch handles.

MECHANICAL.
Volvo-Penta MD11C inboard diesel of 23hp @ 2500rpm. Volvo gearbox 1:9 reduction.
Stainless shaft 30mm dia. Varifold coupling, Volvo flexible seal. Vetus cutlass bearing. Varifold 2 blade folding propeller 16”X 10”.

Fuel consumption; 1.42 ltrs/hr @ 1500rpm (4 knots,). Usable tank capacity; 130 ltrs giving 92 hrs or 360 miles under engine. 65amp alternator controlled by Sterling Booster and directed by battery selection switch charging two 220ah Elecsol carbon fibre batteries. Engine spares, filters, etc.

BELOW DECK.

Instruments: Shoreline VHF radio. NASA Target depth sounder with keel offset and dual alarm. Navtex weather/nav warning system. Raytheon ST400 auto pilot. Chart table light. Various navigation instruments.

2 manual and 1 electric bilge pumps.

2 Fire extinguishers and fire blanket.

Gas cooker with 2 burners, grill and oven.

Solid fuel heating stove.

Chromed copper kettle.

Gimballed paraffin lamp.

Radio/tape/CD music system running through a Creative Systems sound unit.

Brass porthole mirror in heads.

Brass ships bell.

Plans and design details available on Hartley website: http://www.hartley-boats.com/32

NOTE:

Most items shown in the photographs are included, a few personal ornaments, pictures etc, are not. The 2 items of value that are not included, are the clock and barometer and the Silva inclinometer – these were presents and have sentimental value.

UPDATE:
This blog was originally posted in May 2008. Since then we have been enjoying sailing Crystal and making a very half-hearted attempt at selling her. She is now seriously for sale and in view of this, we have reduced the asking price from £18,000, to £16,000, - and now (March 2011) to £13,500.

In the intervening period, we have kept up with the maintenance and have been carrying out updates/improvements where necessary. Examples are; In 2009, we fitted four new Vetus engine mounts - we'd had one break, but replaced all four at a cost of 170 euros. The tiller and forehatch had new canvas covers, plus a small canvas sunshade for the forehatch. In 2010, we sound-proofed the engine and battery boxes. Quietlife panels from A.S.A.P were used. These are the best available and set us back £150. Also, the Taylors paraffin cooker has been replaced with an as-new Flavel gas cooker, new gas piping and a purpose-made gas locker. New sailing sunshade.

The above shows that we haven't skimped (in either time, or money,) in keeping Crystal in pretty much the same condition as in the original photos. We have included a few more photos - the ones taken in the boatyard (red anti-fouling,) see below - taken in May 2010, showing her present condition. The boat is in what the Americans term 'turn key order'.

S/Y Crystal

Hartley 32 Ferro Cement Sloop