Description

Caroline is a Heard 28, built in 1977 in Mylor, Cornwall by Terry and Martin Heard. She has a GRP hull built on the lines of the famous Falmouth Working boats which still fish for oysters under sail today. Caroline was built as a yacht with gaff cutter rig. If you are looking at this advert you probably know about these boats and their legendary sailing ability. She is both beautiful and powerful and always turns heads. She has been in current ownership for the last 30 years and has always been enjoyed and maintained to a very high standard. With a 28 foot long hull and an overall length of 40 feet she carries about 650 square feet of sail which is enough to challenge many modern boats.

She benefits from being epoxy treated below the waterline in about 1996 undertaken by Falmouth Boat Construction. She enjoyed an extensive refit in 2005 which included a new epoxy sheathed deck and coach roof, new solid iroko bulwarks, cockpit, and cabin structure etc etc. She was re engined in 2010 with a new 30hp 3 cylinder Perkins diesel which will drive her at 6 knots and has low hours. She has twin stainless steel fuel tanks which give plenty of endurance. More recently she had all her standing rigging replaced in oversize stainless steel by Mylor rigging in 2020.

Last winter she went back to her original builders at Gaffers and Luggers where Sam Heard undertook extensive works which has ensured that she remains in extremely sound condition. These works included removal of the external ballast keel and rebedding. The keel bolts were in perfect condition and were re used. She had a new stem timber fitted, new rudder, new hollow wooden bowsprit and new iroko belting around the hull plus a professional hull repaint. Her engine was removed, serviced and reinstalled on new mountings and properly realigned. Her rig was also removed and her hollow wooden mast revarnished and all fittings checked.

Caroline has mainly been used for day sailing for the last 30 years and has a charming but relatively basic internal fit out with headroom of around 5’10” in the main cabin. She has four single berths, a sea toilet in its own compartment, and galley space (oven not connected at present) with a gas locker aft. There are two flexible fresh water tanks under the saloon benches which are not currently connected but could easily be reinstated.

She carries a CQR anchor and a very long all-chain anchor rode plus a fisherman’s style kedge with spare chain.
She has an Icom dsc vhf linked to a Furuno gps. She also has a fitted winter cover for use with the mast down, and a good pair of beaching legs.

Caroline must be one of the very best early Heard 28’s out there, following very considerable recent investment with all the tricky and expensive jobs taken care of. Her generous self draining cockpit and wide side decks give a sense of confidence, and make it easy to move around while at sea. Her powerful gaff cutter rig can be worked single handed with ease and her deep long keel gives excellent balance and directional stability. She is a very capable and robust boat and is ready to go with the confidence that she has been very well maintained and recently very comprehensively refurbished.

If you are looking for classic sailing with the benefit of a very beautiful and robust fibreglass hull then Caroline might be for you. She is based on the River Fal in Cornwall and can be viewed by appointment. A 2024 survey and valuation can be made available for those with a genuine interest.

Specifications

Accommodation

Accomodation comprises of four generous berths, two in the forward cabin and two in the saloon. Head is a manual sea toilet in a compartment starboard side ahead of the mast, with hanging locker to port. Galley space with cooker to port which is not currently connected, and sink to starboard. Headroom in the saloon under the coach roof of about 5 foot, 10 inches. Deck painted cabin sole boards.

Looking after internal

Galley space

Starboard berth

Fore cabin

Construction

Very substantial grp hull built to commercial specification. Professional epoxy treatment below the waterline in 1996. New deck in 2005 in epoxy sheathed marine plywood. New bulwarks, cockpit, hatches and cabin in solid iroko in 2005. New hull belting, rudder, bowsprit, internal timber stem, external ballast keel removed and rebedded following keel bolt check, rig check and re varnish, professional hull repaint, all in spring 2024. Structurally and cosmetically in lovely condition.

On beach berth

Keel refitted

Professional hull repaint

New deck paint

New rudder

New hollow bowsprit

Freshly antifouled

Equipment

Caroline has substantial beaching legs. She has a bespoke winter cover. Selection of ropes and fenders.

Cover and legs

Navigation Equipment

Icom fixed DSC VHF radio linked to a Furuno fixed GPS.

Engine(s)

Excellent 30 Hp 3 cylinder marinised heat exchanged Perkins diesel engine installed new in 2010 and low but unrecorded hours since. Removed serviced and reinstalled on new mounts spring 2024.

Sails & Spars

Gaff cutter rigged with hollow wooden mast, solid wooden boom, new hollow wooden bow sprit and alloy yard and alloy top sail mast. Sails are regularly serviced and in good order. Four slab reefs on the main, two staysails, working jib, big jib, and storm jib, topsail. All standing rigging renewed in oversize stainless steel in 2020 including new chromed bronze rigging screws.

Safety Equipment

Good CQR anchor and long all chain rode. Fisherman's style kedge with some spare chain.

Location Map