Gaff-Rigged Schooner Boat for Sale

• Price: £20,000
• Location: Swansea
• Year: 1940
• LOA: 50'0" (15.24m)
• Colour: Black
• Beam: 11' 0'' (3.35m)
• Berths: 4
• Draft: 1.52
• Keel: Long keel
• ID no.: 051186

• Cabins: 2
• Heads: 1
• Showers: 1
• Watertank Size: 80 Gallons
• Engine Make: Ford 2710
• Drive Type:
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Fuel Tank Size: 80 Gallons

Broker Remarks

‘Paradox’ is a beautifully crafted 1940 motor supply vessel, originally built in Malaya from rare native hardwoods including chengal and balanocarpus heimii — timbers renowned for their exceptional strength, durability, and long lifespan. Rich in character and maritime heritage, her design combines classic European influences with traditional Malaysian craftsmanship, creating a truly distinctive vessel.

After arriving in the UK in the late 1960s, Paradox was carefully restored and transformed into an elegant schooner, with quality oak decking, handcrafted cabin structures, and custom rigging designed in Brightlingsea. She has cruised extensively around the North Sea.

A rare opportunity to own a unique piece of maritime history with proven seaworthiness and timeless appeal. 

'Paradox' was built of native hardwood (chengal, balanocarpus heimii sp.) in Malaya in 1940 as a motor supply vessel and worked in that capacity until c.1968 when she was brought as deck cargo to the UK.  The hull shape (e.g. the vertical stem) suggests that she was designed by a European, but some elements of the workmanship and some features (e.g. the form of the stern:  elliptical from an upswept counter) suggest a native Malaysian input.  Traces of navy grey paint revealed during cleaning and strengthening of the beam clamp/shelf in the engine compartment in 2005 may have been the first paint applied to the hull soon after commissioning (which raises the interesting point as to whose navy?)  The local tradition seems to be to use fish and like oils only on hulls built in chengal.  Balanocarpus has a class 1 hardness rating and has a life expectancy in use of >40 years above ground and >25 years in the ground.  There are 100 year old examples which have been used as railway sleepers and it is described as being commonly used for structural members requiring high strength and durability, railway sleepers, wharf and bridge constructions, poles, piles, mining timbers etc.  Knox-Johnson's Suhaili, the first vessel to be sailed single-handed non-stop around the world, was built entirely of this timber.  The tree is now practically extinct in some areas in which it was formerly common but it is still in strictly controlled use in Malaysia itself.  

Survey reports show the substantial nature of her construction, this timber only seeming to have been used throughout the original hull.  There was though an oak-for-chengal plank replacement to the stern of the vessel by Alan Williams at St.Osyth Boatyard in 1992.  There was too replacement of a small (60mm x 300 mm between lands on adjacent ribs) damaged section of 35 mm. hull planking), under Williams' supervision in 2005.  This work suggested that the hull between frames, planking, and ceiling midships had been lined with a cork/pitch (or similar) compound, so it may be that he vessel had been used to carry fish or other goods needing insulation at some point in its career.

After arrival in the UK, the vessel became the subject of a writ served on the then owner.  This was subsequently redeemed and the vessel lay at Woodrolfe's yard, Tollesbury for some years.  The oak decking and teak/oak cabin housings/superstructure were made by Aldous of Brightlingsea and at some point subsequently she was converted to schooner rig (the original pre-SSR DOT registration papers describe her as a ketch.)  She was rigged to the design and under the supervision of James Lawrence at Brightlingsea who also made the sails.  The present owner has added a flying jib, foretopsail, and fisherman's topsail to Lawrence's original inventory (jib, forestaysail, foresail, main staysail, mainsail, main topsail).

Accommodation

Flavell Vanessa two ring and oven gas cooker in galley
Paloma PH-5-3F [Mark V] shower water heater in head, both serviced from LPG bottle on deck
WC pedestal, with manual pumping via a swan neck through hull
80 gallon stainless fresh water tank in engine compartment
Chart table with overhead red lighting
Other lighting serves in all areas via 12v ring
Lister 240 v diesel generator in lazarette, not currently mounted
One diesel-burning Refleks heater in saloon, serviced from header tank in engine room
Double bunk in saloon, two singles in focsle
Single tailored mattresses (4) in blue upholstery to fit

Mechanical and Rigging

Ford 2710 series, 6 cylinder 5.8 litre
Gearbox is a NewAge PRM 302.
Both cooled via manufacturers’ raw water heat exchangers. 
Main fuel tank 80 gallon & auxiliary 5 gallon tank both galvanised, gravity feed to lift pump on engine block, both in engine room. 
Bronze propellor, stainless steel prop shaft through hull via a packed gland. 

Sails

In Duradon, weight as appropriate, with galvanised fittings. 
Made traditionally by Lawrence, Brightlingsea unless otherwise stated. 
1x gaff mainsail, triple reef points
1x gaff foresail, double reef points  
1x main staysail
1x main foresail
1x jib with Wykeham Martin furling gear
1x main topsail, modern material, also by Lawrence, with jack spar
1x fisherman’s staysail
1x fore topsail
1x outer jib all of modern material, provenance unknown
Metalwork galvanised or stainless steel

Spars

Mainmast by Nielsen, Gloucester, 2020
Foremast original
Both of larch
Remaining spars various dates and materials
Awaiting replacement of damaged bowsprit
Mast stays are of plastic coated galvanised steel with bottle screws

Remaining standing rigging is of galvanised steel, regularly treated with preservative
Running rigging (forestay, backstays and runners, bobstay, whisker stays etc.) of galvanised steel is adjusted via tackles
The bowsprit and the associated gear can be pivoted vertically to clear the stem

Inventory

Deck Fittings

Mushroom deck vents in stainless
Anchor winch and smaller pieces galvanised or stainless steel
Anchors: one 50 lb. plough anchor set to 50 m. 2 inch chain coming in to a winch at the bitts, two fisherman’s anchors 50 lb. stored in the lazarette
There is a manually operated bilge pump to starboard of the engine hatch cover
Stanchions are of galvanised steel from stem along the length of the vessel

Steering 

Manual wheel steering, or autohelm
SeaTalk 100/300 Autohelm/Autopilot, an ST50 PLUS Steering Compass, and a Raytheon ST6000 Control Unit
The hydraulic machinery by Wagner is in good working order
There is a tiller alternative, tiller included

Navigation/safety equipment

VHF
GPS
Autohelm (complete and in fault-free recent use), disconnected awaiting connection to GPS

Miscellaneous 

One overall canvas cover, in 4 sections, condition fair.
Two rail level canvas dodgers for afterdeck
Covers for focsle (condition poor) and saloon clerestory
Sail covers for deck use and bags for storage
Some ~1000m of line in all sizes likely to be used, mostly in traditional styles
2x galvanised boathooks.

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