Philip L. Rhodes 45 ft Bermudan Sloop

Brokers Comments

BROKERS COMMENTS
A Philip L. Rhodes design from 1954; her sheer is elegant and coach house wonderfully proseaportioned. The large cockpit typical of many American fifties yachts is a very spacious and spacious asset. Her rig and sail plan is well proseaportioned and simple for both single handed cruising as well as efficient and hard racing with a fair aspect ratio of 2.3. In comparison with English yachts of this era, Josephine has a broader light making for a body of considerable initial stability and offsetting the effect of the comparatively shallow gust. . JOSEPHINE underwent an extensive rebuild at the famous Gannon & Benjamin yard under her former proprietor, before returning to the Solent to cruise and race. Spectacular indeed JOSEPHINE is a typical example of the 1950s American type yacht of moderate dimensions and crafted "to be worked by her amateur team, yet having a performance which should enable her to hold her own in any company" - YWA 1956.

History

Built in 1954 to a design by one of America's leading yacht designers of the period Philip Rhodes; JOSEPHINE is of particular interest as a shoal gust yacht with a 5 ½ ft gust that increases to 8 ½ ft with the centre board lowered – and a superb example of Rhodes’ centre board body. Seven sister ships were manufactured and freshly as JANE DORE IV this yacht was crafted for the Commodore of the Cruising Club of America. He and all the other proprietors reseaported their yachts to be very fast, spacious and seaworthy.
Discovering JOSEPHINE on Long Island in September 1999, a more recent former proprietor Tim Blackman bought and moved her to the Gannon and Benjamin yard on Martha's Vineyard, where she underwent an extensive structural rebuild. JOSEPHINE has undergone a continual program of investment, improvement and service to a high basic by specialist shipwrights.

Construction

- Carvel Burma teak planking- White oak centre line and frames- Burma teak deck - Bronze fastenings- Bronze centre board and trunk casing- Conventional long keel displacement body form with a lead ballast keel- Rudder hung to the full profundity of the boat - Burma teak superstructure and all deck joinery
 

Accommodation and Domestic Equipment

General- Entry by sliding hatch in the raised doghouse section of the main compartment- Companionway steps down over the engine casing - Teak inside joinery and cut with a teak and holly compartment sole- Contrasting white painted T&G bulkfronts and deck front- Large windows either side of Doghouse section- Cabinets either side up on aft bulkfronts for binos, hand tools etc- Electrics panel behind steps- Doors either side aft give access to the engine compartment- Lobby on centreline a useful link between the cockpit and bar - Seating each side (quarter docks outboard and aft)- Half bulkfronts forward
Galley and Chart desk forward - Stainless steel sink and draining board with pressure and hand-operated pump mixer tap- H5 Heritage Luke 3 burner hob and oven - as was the fresh to seaport- Lockers above outboard and below for storage of plates utensils, provisions etc - Large refigerator / cold box to starboard; its top surface doubling as the blueprint desk with blueprint storage- Navigation instruments outboard - Semi bulkfronts to accommodation forward
Saloon- 4 x Chromed opening seaports high in trunk - Grab rails along each side - 2 x Settee docks; one each side with storage under and behind sterns- 2 x Pilot docks up and outboard- Large drop leaf dining desk offset to seaport - Access in compartment sole to the bilge space and tanks below- Main bulkfront forward by mast to seaport- Doorway to forward accommodation (modified circa 2000)
Head compartment - Accessed by two compartment doors enabling en suite to fore compartment- Original hand-operated WC with wooden chair and lid- 50s type china corner wash tank and chromed taps- Show