1961 Concordia Yawl Sold Boat in Stonington, CT US

The traditional cabin plan of DAME OF SARK is typical of the class, with four comfortable berths. Two folding canvas pipe berths in the forecastle with setee lockers under. In the forepeak is a sail bin with slatted floor. The forward cabin also has reading lights and butterfly overhead hatch for ambient light and ventilation (hatch can also act as a wind scoop). To port and abaft the forward cabin is the head with Raritan toilet, vanity athwartships, medicine chest, linen hamper, locker space and opening port. When the panelled locust door to the forecastle is closed two hanging lockers are assessible on the starboard side.

In the main cabin the Pullman-style berths port and starboard keep the bedding stowed and out of sight and double as backrests when up for the comfortable settees. The upholstery is green corduroy. Outboard of the berths are shelves, book shelves and lockers. The drop leaf table is just-to-port of centerline. The knotty pine panelling gives the Concordia a dinstictive New England feel, the joinerwork and trim is locust. On DAME OF SARK the teak sole has been kept natural and bare. Interior 12 volt lamps and brass oil lamp. The cast iron Concordia heater (forward bulkhead, rebuilt 2001) burns either wood or coal. Cooking on top is possible with fiddle rails. The galley is aft with a two burner Force Ten gimballed CNG stove and oven to starboard, stainless steel sink and Sea Frost DC powered/engine driven reefer (new in 2004) to port. Large lockers to starboard. One port off the aft bulkhead opens into the cockpit. The butterfly opening main hatch/skylight is oversized to provide ample ventilation and ambient light. The Yanmar diesel engine is located partly under the bridge deck and partly under the cockpit deck. The engine can reached when required by means of removable pine panels and cover. The companionway ladder leads out into the cockpit. A Furuno radar screen is mounted to port on a swinging bracket in the companionway and Raymarine speed, depth and winds instruments are on the starboard bracket.

The self bailing cockpit is finished in bare teak. Cockpit cushions are forest green. Mahogany coamings, with hinged (up and against mizzen) tiller, folding locust slatted seat backs at aft end of cockpit. Portside locker contains fuel tank, starboard locker contains manual bilge pump. Cockpit seats taper aft, sheets are easily handled from the helm. Aft lazerette for storage. Starboard locker in cockpit has dedicated CNG box.

Continually maintained by Dodson Boatyard since 1991 to the highest standards, DAME OF SARK has been completely rebuilt since 1995 and had the definitive Concordia refit in 2000-01.

DAME OF SARK (hull #86) was built in 1961 at Abeking and Rasmussen Shipyard, Lemwerder, Germany (originally incorporating laminated oak frames that were stronger than the unsuccessful steam bent frames of earlier Concordias).

The hull is planked with African mahogany upon laminated white oak frames. The hull has been extensively reinforced (2001) allowing rigging loads to be correctly distributed throughout the structure of the yacht. DAME OF SARK was refastened with over two thousand silicon bronze screws in 2001 along her entire length. The original oak floor timbers (that were fastened with steel) were replaced with white oak secured with silicon bronze bolts (for increased resistance to corrosion). The frame heels were reglued from the bilge stringer down in 2001, and also reinforced with bronze strapping.

The white oak floor timbers beneath the mast step were reinforced with bronze weldments to resist bending loads imposed by the mast and rigging. The mast step is an improved design of white oak reinforced with bronze plate that is longer, deeper and much stiffer than the solid oak original.

As part of the re-engineering of this area, a bronze truss beam was installed which bears against the underside of the mast step. The outboard ends of this beam are connected by bronze rods to bronze weldments spanning the chain plates. This arrangement prevents the compression loads from the mast and rigging from compromising the floor-frame connection in the bilge(see engineering drawing among photos). The tie rods take the load from the mast and transfers it to the outer clamp reinforcement. By containing the mast and shroud loads within the shroud/tie/rod/truss system, the tendency of these loads to deform the shape of the boat is eliminated. Many Concordias suffer from a chronic garboard leak that is caused by the mast pushing through the bottom of the yacht. This will not occur in DAME OF SARK. The only noticeable changes inside the boat are a slight increase in sole height at the passageway adjacent to the head, and the very dry bilge. The overhead was repainted in 2004.

The original cast iron ballast keel with its iron bolts was removed in the 2001 refit, sandblasted and epoxyed before being refastened with Nitronic-50 stainless steel keel bolts. A new rudder was fabricated in 2004 of African mahogany with Garolite 10 splines and bronze rods utilizing original bronze heel fitting and gudgeons.

The house sides are varnished mahogany, the cabin top was rebuilt with painted Dynel over biaxial weaved glass fibre in turn over pine. The handrails on the coach roof are varnished locust, those underside and below on the cabin overhead are varnished mahogany. Atop the cabin house there is a bronze Charley Noble flue for the cabin heater and bronze dorade ventilator. The decks were replaced in 1995 with Dynel over biaxial glass fibers and epoxy, in turn over mahogany. The yacht's finish topsides is varnish (the standard seasonal regimen has been at least three fresh coats). In 2005 her topsides were stripped and refinished with 15 coats of varnish. White boot stripe, Pettit Trinidad SR green bottom paint.

Decks are grey Awlgripped biaxial fiberglass cloth and Dynel (1995) over wood. The Sea hood was new in 2004. Solid locust wood cleats, bronze chocks, original bronze stanchions and stanchion bases. Double lifelines (new 2006). Bronze bow and stern pulpits. Anchor rode pipe in foredeck for easy access and utilization.

• Bower: 35lb CQR anchor on custom anchor roller with chain rode and nylon leader.
• Kedge: Danforth 20HT anchor with chain rode and nylon leader.
• Wooden boathook
• Fortress FX 23 anchor
• Fortress FX16 anchor
• Hatch covers
• Fenders
• Life-sling
• Fire extinguishers

DAME OF SARK is a mast-head rigged Concordia 39 yawl, the rig that Waldo Howland considered "optimum". Well constructed hollow varnished Sitka spruce spars. The spars include a spinnaker pole and self tending jib club. DAME OF SARK has an extensive sail inventory with cruising and racing sails in good to excellent condition. Mainmast is keel-stepped on bronze laminated oak step(fabricated at Dodson Boatyard in 2001), which unlike oak alone will not deform and will retain longitidinal load distribution (See construction description). The bending stiffness is twice as much as original. SNOWY OWL (#91) is the only other Concordia 39 with this significant upgrade. The standing rigging was replaced in 2001.

SAILS:

• In total, Dame of Sark as an extensive 16 sail inventory
• 2005 mainsail (Doyle Manchester, excellent condition)
• 1998 mainsail (Nat Wilson, very good)
• 1991 mainsail (Manchester, good)
• 2005 mizzen (Doyle Manchester