DESCRIPTION:
In Yachting Monthly May 1935 issue, on page 74, it is announced that OENONE of 16 T designed by Fredrick Shepherd and built for Mr Wardrop by the Berthon Boat Co. shipyard on Lymington slipways was launched on 6 April and already rigged awaits work to be completed...
In 2005, OENONE entered the yard at Del Carlo for her "restoration of the century", which was completed in 2014. Her elegant interior and furniture, original as well as the deckhouse and skylight, were carefully restored. The now over-worn deck was replaced as well as parts of 20 frames. The floors are new (stainless steel) and very strong and the planking is now solidly bolted with bronze fastening to the frames.
The engine, rig and rigging are new.
Between January and March 2024 OENONE is back in the yard at Del Carlo's, 10 years after her total restoration, for a general hull check according to the golden rule of scheduled maintenance: brought to bare wood, the hull received a complete new caulking, seems filling, check and verification of the optimal condition of planking. Complete cycle of painting, antifouling and new anodes.
HISTORY
In 1936 Yachting Monthly launched a competition for the best design for a 30' waterline boat for a couple - a man and a woman - with no professional sailors, but room for 2 friends. The boat must be able to be sailed as a couple, but also have a good chance in regattas with a crew. 29 designs are submitted. Among them, many were inspired by OENONE and Amokura, both Shepherd's latest successful creations: the stern, the rig, the doghouse and cabin, and the interior layout are reminiscent of the great Fredrick's last designs.
The judges for that competition were Harrison Butler and Laurent Giles. The editor of the magazine was Maurice Griffith.
Yachting World in the same year published an editorial on OENONE.
Her little sister is Lively Lady, the famous boat with which Sir Alec Rose sailed around the world in the 1960s. Her big sister is Amokura and, on her lines, Glaramara is also a very similar boat.
In the summer of 1938 OENONE participated in several regattas in the Solent (Yachting World).
In the following years we find the boat again across the ocean.
From 1947 to 1953 she was registered in the Lloyds Register, owned by Jean Combescot and based in Buenos Aires. In 1954, owned by Eric Coupey, OENONE is in New York where she is still registered in 1960, but her home port is Naples and her owner is James C. Ray, as reported by American Lloyds.
In 1963 the boat under the name Union was owned by the engineer Roberto Garolla di Bard, a great sportsman, sailor, rower and former president of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela of Naples. Union remained in the Garolla family until 1968 and Marcello Garolla di Bard, Roberto's son, edited a delightful video reconstructed from Super8 footage and donated the boat 50 years later.
In 1968, Union belonged to Emilio Fede, a RAI journalist at the time, and its home port was Anzio. Since 1972, traces of this yacht disappear from Lloyds Registers.
Since 1977 the boat has been in Sicily. The owner is Giuseppe Filippone, an avid sailor. In the 1980s Union made a brief entry into the newly-born world of classic boat racing and proved to be fast.
In good condition until 1985, she was registered with the AIVE at the time. The hull has pitch pine planking and English white oak frames. The actual mast was built in 1989 by Cantieri Sangermani on Fredrik Shepherd's original plans. The Honduras mahogany interior and bronze fittings are largely original. From the late 1980s onwards, she began a gradual decline that led to her abandonment on a concrete yard in Palermo in 1998.
After its participation in the first gathering organised in Viareggio by the VSV in 2005, OENONE entered the Del Carlo yard for her "restoration of the century". Her elegant interior and furniture, original as well as the deckhouse and skylight, were carefully restored. The over-worn deck has been replaced as well as parts of 20 frames. The floors are new and strong and the planking is now solidly bolted with bronze hardware to the frames. Engine, rig and rigging are new.
Finally, in the summer of 2013 OENONE took to the sea for a short test cruise and participation in the 9th meeting of historical boats, Vele Storiche Viareggio. The following year the new sails arrived.
In 2014 she received the AIVE award for the best restoration in Italy.
The latin motto Festina Lente ( hurry up slowly )and the sailing turtle found as a logo on OENONE's blocks are perfectly suited to the long period of its meticulous restoration.
Restoration history of OENONE https://www.zacboats.it/yacht-restoration/oenone-4
CONSTRUCTION AND ACCOMMODATION
Pitch Pine planking originally riveted in copper nails to oak frames and fastened with bronze screws. Approximately 2400 silicon bronze screws of various sizes with diameters between 4mm to 8mm for both exterior and interior were replaced or added during restoration.
Frames in English white oak. Keel in English elm, reinforced beams in oak and general beams in Columbian pine. Teak deckhouse and superstructures.
Deck: 32 mm thick, 16 mm teak planks glued to 2 layers of 8 mm marine plywood screwed to beams.
Mahogany and teak interiors.
Stainless steel floors.
INTERIOR
Frederick Shepherd, as later Alan Buchanan are known for creating comfortable and unexpectedly spacious accommodations even in small boats.
OENONE allows comfortable cruising for 4 people in great comfort: 2 in the spacious saloon and 2 in the two beds in the center cabin; or 6 people including a couple in the forward cabin, formerly the foc'sole. The backs of the settees of the saloon are hinged and become 2 cribs for children.
Only one bathroom, a very convenient small galley.
EQUIPMENTS
ENGINE
Yanmar 4JH4AE 39.6 KW engine. Year of manufacture 2007. First ignition in 2013. Engine hours to June 2022 1100 hrs approx .
Max Prop 3 blade propeller. High efficiency, at 1300' the speed is 6 kt , consumption 2 lt /h .
Max speed by motor 7.5 kt, consumption 6lt/h.
1 stainless steel diesel tank endorsed by RINA of 175 lt.
SAILS
- Mainsail, yankee, 2014 very good condition
- Foresail, 2014 good condition
- Gennaker, 2016 very good
- Jib topsail, 2016 like new
- Jib at 7/8 on roller jib, 2018 good
- Code zero on roller, 2019 very good
- Storm jib, 2020 never used
- 4 original Gibb bronze winches in cockpit
- 5 halyard bronze winches at mast
- 18 wood and Xantal bronze blocks custom made by Solimar
- 14 custom made Xantal bronze aluminum eyebolts made by Solimar
SYSTEMS and MACHINERY
- Raymarine Autopilot 2019
- Water maker Shenker Zen 30 l/h 2019 associated with drinking water filter capable of providing fresh water independence for 4/6 people for 3 months cruise without going to the crowded and busy marinas of the mediterranean summer season, due to powerful Mastervolt alternator charging services batteries and enabling simultaneous water production.
- 2 stainless steel freshwater tanks totaling 330 lt
- Mastervolt Battery charger, Power supply, Inverter 2018b Mastervolt Alpha compact 120 AH service alternator with 3 phase regulator 2018
- Alternator for engine's batteries 12 V 80 A
- Water pressure system
- Seawater pump in galley and chain washer
- 2 electric bilge pump, 1 manual, 1 mechanical on engine .
- Hot and cold water system with electric boiler and with heat exchanger on engine
- 2 refrigerators
- Raymarine navigation electronics (navigator, wind speed and direction, speedometer and speedometer, sounder)
- Lofrans anchor windlass 1200 W
- 70 m 10 mm chain + line
- Spade anchor 25 kg
- Inflatable boat Zodiac 2021+ 4 HP Mercury 4 stroke engine
- Ropes and sheets