Dawn 39, built 1986 - Realistically priced at £62,500
“Maia of Dart" is a lovely example of a Dawn 39, moulded by Island Plastics Ltd. of Cowes, fitted out to bespoke standards internally by Mustang Yachts. The Dawn 39 has timelessly good looks set off by beautifully teak-laid decks that are matched within the cockpit while the coachroof is finished in painted non-slip to reduce the heat transmitted below. Teak capped bulwarks/toe rails lend security about the deck.
The design features an encapsulated lead ballasted keel and skeg supported rudder, combining with a keel-stepped mast and just begs to be sailed long distances - quickly!
Well built in the first place, it appears that ‘Maia’ was refreshed significantly in the hands of a cabinet maker from late 2017 until 2022 - certainly the internal woodwork is beautifully presented - before being sold to the current owners, a very experienced couple, who have taken the boat to the Mediterranean and back and have been assiduous in their continued maintenance and upgrading of the boat.
The underwater sections of the hull had been professionally treated for osmosis in 2018 and the rudder was replaced in 2024 as part of a thorough inspection and overhaul of the steering system throughout.
Many more photos are available from our ‘cloud’- based files, contact us for access.
Accommodation Summary
6 berths, across two double sleeping cabins and the saloon berths.
High quality blue upholstery (new foam and fabric in 2023) and teak and holly finished sole boards throughout.
Pressurised hot & cold water system with hot water provided by either engine or 240v immersion heater when connected to shore power.
Diesel-fired warm air cabin heating by Vevor with its control in the aft cabin.
Interior lights have been upgraded to be fitted with LED lamps throughout.
Description of Accommodation, commencing from forward:
Forward Cabin:
Generous V-berth (7’2” x 6’4”) with infilling cushion to form a double berth, all using deep (6”) foam. The floor space extends aft of the berth, providing standing room to change with the door closed. A hanging locker is fitted to starboard and combines with hull-side cave lockers and the under-berth storage. A large opening deck hatch over (new 2021) provides good light and there is a portlight window to the coachroof to starboard. Three LED lights are fitted.
Heads compartment:
A generously sized heads compartment. Jabsco manual Sea toilet with holding tank. Moulded hand basin with mixer tap & integrated pull out shower head, ample storage cupboards
Holding tank (un-used) and a new toilet fitted in 2019. A fixed window to the coach roof’s port side, combining with an opening, overhead hatch provide light and ventilation.
Saloon:
A rigidly mounted, double-leafed table is fitted on the centre-line immediately abaft the keel-stepped mast, with U-shaped seating to port and a straight single berth/settee to starboard. The seating to the portside may be converted to a double berth by means of a drop-in panel of plywood and cushion to suit the footwell to that side of the table. A lee cloth is fitted, to the starboard berth (and to the forward cabin’s berths) to provide comfort and at sea.
Four opening portlights (fitted with new acrylic lens’ in 2024), combine with a large, opening deck hatch sited over the table to provide good light values and cross-flow ventilation and two long, fixed windows toward the aft end of this space.
Closed locker stowage abounds, with closed lockers beneath the side decks, behind the backrest cushions and the beneath-seating locker space being available for bulk stowage, with the main water tank being located beneath the soleboards, within the keel-root.
12V charging sockets & 240V sockets are fitted and a flat-screen television is mounted on the port side of the main bulkhead.
The main seating/dining area is nicely de-marked by half bulkheads - but not isolated from the galley or chart table – featuring large cut-outs and full height grab handles that are nicely incorporated within the laminated cappings to these bulkheads.
Nav area:
Forward facing, generously sized chart table and dedicated seat to starboard with cupboard and drawer storage space below, main electrical switch panel with 12V DC circuit breakers, Battery state and tank level gauges, plus 240V AC distribution breaker panel. Book shelf for almanacs. iPad mount for tablet navigation to bulkhead (iPad NOT included), above chart table.
A hanging locker, intended to be an oilskin hanging space, is provided behind the Navigator’s seat.
Galley:
A U-shaped galley to port with plenty of worktop space. 1½ stainless-steel sinks with mixer tap for hot and cold water. Isotherm top opening refrigerated cool box fitted with an efficient ASU chiller unit (new in 2022) is fitted abaft the cooker chair, while a large, top opening locker is fitted forward of the cooker. The cooker is a stainless steel two-burner cooker with grill & oven (2019) Long, fixed coachroof window, with an opening hatch for additional light and ventilation above. Excellent storage in cupboards and drawers, with the end-of peninsular locker modified to provide a dedicated rubbish bin.
Aft cabin:
Accessed through a doorway to starboard of the companionway this cabin is fitted with a primary double berth that runs to the port side of the cockpit’s well, but then, using infilling cushions to bridge the footwell, can also be used athwartships, utilising the settee seating opposite as well. Good levels of light and ventilation are provided by a combination of no less than five opening portlights to the coach roof sides and to the cockpit.
There are closed lockers to the hull side on both sides of the cabin, with deep and fiddled shelf to the port side, outboard of the berth, while to starboard, abaft the seating, is a cavernous locker that is shelved and capable of accommodating all manner of bulky items and/or clothing.
All lighting is of LED type.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
A Volvo Penta MD2030, rated at up to 29 HP, indirectly cooled marine diesel fitted as a replacement to the original engine in 1998.
Volvo Penta saildrive, with a ‘Flexifold’, three-bladed folding propeller, the latter fitted new in 2021. The Saildrive’s diaphragm has been replaced in 2020.
The engine has been the subject of detailed servicing and maintenance in the current ownership, together with its fuel and fuel delivery system, with the injectors having been removed for independent checking and overhaul; heater plugs checked and replaced, heat exchanger removed, de-calicified and refitted with new seals and gaskets. The exhaust elbow has been removed, inspected, cleaned and replaced and the whole exhaust system renewed taking opportunity to maximise the height of the swan neck.
The fuel tank has been opened and cleaned, with new seals fitted, fuel delivery pipes cleaned through and a new primary filter glass fitted. A new fuel gauge has been fitted.
Electrical:
2 x 12v batteries each of 110 A/hr capacity new in 2025 form a ‘Domestic and Services’ bank.
1 x 70ah engine cranking battery.
Charged by engine-driven alternator, or 2 x 200W P.V. (‘Solar’) panels hinged and mounted on the guard wires, plus 1 x 60 W panel mounted on the coach roof, or by shore-powered battery charger.
A 240v/16a ‘shore power’ input socket is fitted and the shore lead will be left with the vessel.
A 1100W inverter is fitted.
Tankage:
Fuel – 180l /40 Imp. gal. beneath the aft cabin’s berth
Water – HDPE water tank 340l/75 Imp. gal. mounted within keel, beneath the saloon’s sole.
Holding - HDPE holding tank (30l) and un-used to date.
Sails and Spars
Fitted with a keel-stepped, masthead cutter rig on Seldén aluminium alloy spars, badged as Kemp mast and boom. An inner forestay with tensioner is fitted to be able to carry a Stays’l in addition to the roller reefing, outer headsail.
The standing rigging was renewed for 2022.
Profurl roller furling system for outer headsail.
Removable inner forestay with tensioner for stays’l.
Rod kicker.
Vertical pole stowage with a fixed length spinnaker pole.
Mainsail with lazy jacks.
Slab reefed mainsail with 3 reefing lines.
Reefing lines and halyards handled at the mast by a self-tailing winch.
Winches:
Within the cockpit:
2 off Lewmar 46 self-tailing primary sheet winches.
2 off Lewmar 40 self-tailing spinnaker sheet/secondary sheet winches.
1 off Lewmar 40 Self-tailing winch for the mainsheet.
On mast:
2 off Lewmar two speed self-tailing halyard winches.
2 off Lewmar winches for additional halyards.
1 off Lewmar self-tailing single speed winch for the mainsail’s reefing lines.
Sails:
• Mainsail (by Jeckells Sails in 2022) with provision for 3 slab reefs.
• Roller furling ‘Yankee’ genoa by Jeckells (2025).
• Hanked stays’l by Sanders Sails of Lymington.
• Older mainsail by Sanders Sails retained as a spare.
• Cruising chute in snuffer.
Instrumentation:
• Autohelm ST7000 Autopilot control with linear drive direct to rudder head.
• Raymarine ST60 Log, Depth and Wind displays.
• Standard Horizon Eclipse GMDSS/DSC VHF radio.
• Digital Yacht class B AIS transponder.
Deck Equipment
• Main anchor stowed on roller fitting at stemhead, with 45m of chain cable.
• Electric windlass with foot switches (new motor 2021).
• Kedge anchor, chain and warp.
• All guard wires replaced with new in 2023.
• Centre spring cleats.
• Outboard stowage mount on stern rail.
• Stainless steel swim/boarding ladder.
• Sprayhood and Bimini with detachable sides.
• Cockpit cushions.
• Various acrylic protective hatch covers.
• Inflatable dinghy, paddles, seat, foot pump and carrying bag and repair kit.
• Fenders & warps.
Safety Equipment
• Seago 4-person liferaft (new 2022).
• Horseshoe lifebuoy.
• Danbuoy
• Cockpit Harness points.
• Seago man-overboard recovery system.
• Emergency tiller.
• Smoke and carbon dioxide alarms.
• Fire extinguishers.
• Fire blanket.
• Manual bilge pump.
• 12V DC electric bilge pump with auto and manual switching.
General note on safety equipment: Any safety equipment such as Liferafts, Epirbs, fire extinguishers and flares etc. are usually personal to the current owner(s) and if being left on-board as part of the sale of a used vessel may require routine servicing, replacement, or changing to meet a new owner’s specific needs.
Vessel’s History/Background
GRP hull and deck teak sheathed decks, fully encapsulated lead ballast fin keel with a skeg hung rudder, keel-stepped mast. Supplied in June 1986 (statement showing VAT paid held). Six ownerships, including the current, to date.
The current owners bought the boat in 2021 and initially were based in Plymouth, before taking the boat to the western Mediterranean and then returned to the UK in 2024.
Significant renewals and updating carried out by the current owners since 2021, and the previous owner before have included:
• Professional epoxy treatment of the underwater surfaces 2018.
• New standing rigging fitted 2021.
• New mainsail by Jeckells Sails in 2022.
• New roller reefing ‘Yankee’ headsail in 2025.
• Saildrive diaphragm replaced 2021.
• New ‘Flexofold’, three bladed propeller 2021.
• New DZR skin fittings fitted (5) in 2021.
• Steering system overhauled, including the replacement of the rudder 2024.
• Teak decking completely renovated, old caulking removed and re-caulked. Screws and plugs renewed where necessary. Plenty of teak thickness throughout.
• Stainless steel, two burner gas cooker with grill & oven fitted in 2018.
• New diesel fired cabin heating fitted in 2022.
• A new Isotherm refrigeration unit fitted in 2022.
• New foam cushions and upholstery in 2023.
• Holding tank removed and reinstated, a new toilet and all associated pipework fitted in 2021.
• New life raft by Seago supplied 2022.