Description

Specifications:

Year: 1935
LOA: 13.7 m
Beam: 3.8 m
Draft: 1.5 m
Construction: Oak /
pitch pine
Hull/Keel: Displacement
Reg: 125369

Description:
‘Sheemaun’ is a registered National Historic Vessel and a has a huge amount of significance within the historic maritime world. She served throughout World War II with the Royal Navy as HMY Sheemaun – an armed Thames Estuary patrol boat based at Cliffe Fort and Sheerness. ‘Sheemaun’ was appointed Flagship of the National Historic Vessels Fleet for the year 2010. Sheemaun’s history, and that of each of her owners, from her build in 1935 through to her time in the Royal Naval Thames Auxiliary Patrol Service as HMY Sheemaun during World War II to her attendance at the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant in 2012 are brilliantly told by Rodney Pell, the penultimate owner of Sheemaun, in his book Little Ship, Big Story (published by the Conrad Press in 2019).
She has been maintained regardless of cost including a haul out & running repairs carried out in June 2025. She was also surveyed at the same time, and a copy is available on request.

Engine(s) & Electrical:
ENGINES - Two Beta Marine 75hp (new May 2009) driving through PRM hydraulic gear boxes. When sailing let the 4 bladed propellers rotate freely in neutral but remember to turn the stuffing box greasers afterwards. Removal of the cover on the PRM boxes will reveal a plate which can be slid to engage permanent forward drive should the hydraulics fail. Seacocks – 2 Portside fo’rard. Oil coolers are fitted to both engines and gear boxes. Check each time before setting out that there is no oil leakage at any of the fittings or from the pipes.
ANODES - one & three quarter inch shaft zinc anodes are fitted on each shaft. Two hanging zinc anode wires are bonded to stanchions on after-deck which connect to bonding straps on the propeller shafts located under the floor-boards in the Heads and Small Cabin.
FUEL TANKS x 4 - Total 1,040 litres. Starboard – for’ard GRP 50 gal (250L) tank and aft steel 60 gal (270L) tank. The same arrangement on the port side. BATTERY BANK – On the floor at forward end are two banks of 2 sealed 110 Amp batteries (Numax XV31MF) one bank for each engine. They can be put in parallel by the Red Key switch between them.
DOMESTIC & NAV BATTERIES - In the port wing are 3 x 90 amp/hr sealed 12v batteries (HanKook XV27 sealed Leisure Batteries). These power all the domestic services, radar, chart plotter, etc. and are charged from the Sterling Mains charger which is on the for’rd bulkhead and must always be switched on. The Sterling charger is mains powered and so when moored it is powered by the shore-mains and when at sea it is powered from the ship’s mains generator.

Accommodation & Below Deck:
FOC’SL - Two full length berths to port. Sail locker forward. Hanging locker to starboard with access to forward manual bilge pump to stb’d in locker, fishing rods. Forward access and escape hatch. Mains socket low down at aft bulkhead. Ladder for top bunk access is stowed under the deck-head. Forward part of the Foc’sl provides stowage for the sails. Also holds the 12v sealed 110 amp/hr battery that supplies the Winch Motor. This battery is on constant intelligent charge via its own dedicated 12v charger.
GALLEY - To port is the sink. Two taps supply pressurised hot & cold water. Drinking water is stowed in 5L bottles in the locker beneath the stove and under the aft cabin bunks. On the for’ard bulkhead above the tiled work surface there is a Cool Cabinet which works fine for drinks, butter and even milk.
MICROWAVE COOKER - Located above the stove. The microwave and kettle can also be run from the ship’s generator.
SALOON - Good locker space under the seats. Mains electric sockets are 1 at floor level starboard side, 2 at the starboard galley work surface and 3 at the port side. There is a ‘hidden’ locker behind the re-curved part of the portside seating, accessed under the triangular lid. The Avtex TV /radio/CD player is mounted on the port side and should be secured with its strap when putting to sea. The immersion heater switch is located below the saloon companionway stairs. There is a manual bilge pump located under the seat just to the port side of the companion way stairs. The inertia/fluxgate sensor is the ‘black box’ mounted on a stbd oak frame at back of setee.
AFT COMPANION WAY - down from wheelhouse. Under the floor boards are: Aft auto/bilge pump, shower and wash basin sump with electric pump-out.
SINGLE CABIN - to port side with good sized pilot berth and ample lockers and hanging. The floor lifts to give access to the propeller shaft. Mains electric socket located behind door.
HEADS /WASHROOM - To Stbd. The heads is a Lavac Sea Toilet. Inboard of the heads a panel lifts up to give access to the stbd stern gland and the floor lifts up to access the propeller shaft and anode bonding straps. The basin and shower drain to the sump box and the contents are automatically pumped out. At side of the Lavac is a lifting panel which gives access to the port prop shaft stern gland.
OWNER’S STATE ROOM - Two comfortable cots with folding tea-tables. Seats with stowage under. There is plenty of further stowage under and behind the berth drawers if these are pulled out. Access to the port stern gland is under the lift out panel at foot of the hanging wardrobe. Mains socket opposite. The mirror above the dressing table lifts out to access the lazarette and also provides the aft emergency exit.
LAZARETTE - The emergency iron tiller is located in the lazarette, also the ships vacuum cleaner, toolbox and ring spanners, spare electric bilge pump with hoses, electric wander lead and clips and the deck chairs.
EBERSPACHER HOT AIR HEATER - This is mounted above the port engine, its fuel supply is taken off the for’ard portside steel tank and the electric pulse fuel pump is mounted on the for’ard bulkhead. The control panel is mounted on the saloon aft bulkhead port side.
DOMESTIC WATER TANKS x 2 – A reserve GRP 30 gal (60L) tank is mounted in engine room on stbd side. Mounted on the tank is the Jabsco electric water pump this is fed via two gate valve taps. The aft tap controls the supply from the 30 gallon reserve tank. The forward gate valve allows water to be drawn from the 60 gallon (300L) Main tank located under the fo’csl.
CALORIFIER - 5 GAL (25L). This supplies the hot water and is located to stb’d at head of stb’d engine and is heated by the stbd engine. There are isolating gate valves. The shore-mains immersion heater is 0.75Kw and the switch is located under the saloon companion stairs. Do not switch it on when the ship’s 230v is being supplied by the engine generator as anyway the water will be heated by running the Stbd engine. The calorifier has no expansion overflow.

Deck & Canvas:
Built to Lloyds A1 specification in 1935. Elm keel and oak keelson. The frames, deadwood and fore and aft stems are of stout Oak. The planking below waterline is one and three-quarter inch Pitch Pine and above the waterline it is one and three quarter-inch Larch and British Columbian Pine. The original fastenings are by way of wrought-iron four-inch spikes and eight to ten-inch bolts. In the past thirty years a number of planks have been replaced, the new ones fastened with stainless steel screws and stainless-steel bolts. The removed iron spikes were found to be in good condition. The beams are of massive Oak, set into Oak Beam Shelves. Oak hanging and lodging knees give added strength and rigidity by way of the Main and Mizzen masts. The planking is one a half inch British Columbian Pine set fore and aft and in good condition. In 1990 this was ply sheathed and epoxy sealed and is now secure and leak-free. Bollards and fairleads are all cast-iron and secured with heavy bolts. The stanchions are cast-iron zinc plated. They are all individually cast in Port and Starboard pairs. Her deck is British Columbian pine (1¼ inch) set fore and aft. In the 1990s this was sheathed in epoxy and is leak free, laid on oak deck beams. All teak deck/wheelhouse. Outside helm position at aft end of wheelhouse. Included in the inventory is a purpose made all round winter wheelhouse cover.

BOWSPRIT – This can be hove in to reduce overhang and marina charges There are two cleats on the after end, the forward cleat takes the Topmast Stay tackle and the after cleat takes the Foremast Stay Tackle both need to be let off before pulling in the bowsprit and can then be re-tensioned. There is also a cleat on the port side for tensioning the bobstay down and a cleat for bowsing the bobstay away from the anchor chain.
ANCHORS - A 75lb CQR emergency anchor is stowed in chocks on starboard side. For general use 45 lb CQR anchor is in the self-stow bow-roller secured by a lashing.
ELECTRIC NECO WINCH – This can be operated manually with the winch handlebar located in the forward wheelhouse locker. The hand-held wander switch is in the forward wheelhouse locker and plugs into the socket at the base of the winch, there is a toe switch on the winch base. The winch battery is in the fo’csle. The red isolation switch on the for’ard bulkhead (under the fore hatch) must be turned on for the anchor winch to function. The winch battery is charged by the Sterling charger mounted on the starboard planking in the fo’csle. There are 75 meters of ½ inch chain.
BOW DAVIT – This mounts into its deck socket but is otherwise stowed secured to the stb’d rail and its greasy base covered by the slip-on guard so as to prevent grease getting on the sails. Great for hoisting bags and the outboard but not strong enough for the big anchor.
GRAPPLING HOOK – Is stowed under the ‘bridge deck’. Very helpful when coming alongside a pontoon against the wind
SAILS - The main and mizzen sails are bent on during the season and must always be in their covers when not set. The jib and stays’l are hanked on to their stays and stow along the side rails in their covers, the jib on the port side and the stays’l on the stb’d side. Out of season the sails are kept ashore or in the sail locker.
MAIN MAST - This can be lowered aftwards in the tabernacle using a tackle made up and tailed to the winch. When hauling halyards don’t stand on the lantern hatch glass! The gaff crutch is kept greased with Vaseline or lanolin.
SQUARE SAIL YARD - Looks good at festivals and the sail can pull the ship but is seldom used. The yard is stowed at the starboard rail and is hanked on to and hoisted on a pulley up the forestay using the staysail halyard. There is no topping lift, canting is done from below. In season the square sail may be kept bent on the yard under its cover. Before hoisting the yard the stay’sl sheets are unbent and rove into the square’sl clews. The braces are led from the aft shrouds and clip on to the yard ends.
MAIN SAIL - This is hoisted on its gaff by the topping lift and throat halyard. The main sheets are led aft to the bridge-deck helm position. When sailing the windward running backstay should always be tensioned, the lee running backstay let slack, and the boom lift slacked off.
FORWARD WHEELHOUSE LOCKER – This contains one gas bottle (there are spares under the bridge deck aft). The winch wander-switch, shore-power input socket and TV aerial socket, the anchor ball and motoring cone and various warps. Always release any residual pressure in the gas system by loosening the gas bottle connector after the gas has been turned off. The locker lid flaps up to make a seat. People should not obstruct the helmsman’s view and not lean against the windscreen wiper. The gas bottles are steel and may affect the compass and so are best stowed aft when under way and using the main compass.
OUTSIDE HELM POSITION – This is on the bridge-deck. The engine throttle allocation-control handle needs to be set (inside the wheelhouse beside the Autopilot controls to port of the wheel), set it vertical to enable the outside controls and back to horizontal to enable the wheelhouse controls. Use a gas canister horn when on the outside helm.
MIZZEN MAST - Can be lowered aft on its tabernacle but needs two men or a tackle from the mainmast. The mizzen is gaff rigged and the sail is straightforward to set. The gaff crutch is greased with Vaseline or lanolin.

Miscellaneous:
HULL TOPSIDES - These were sanded off to bare wood in 2022, all iron spike fastenings were revealed, rust treated, varnished and epoxy filled. Several coats Dulux Weathershield Quick Dry white primer/undercoat applied followed by 3 coats Dulux Weathershield 16 yr Quick Dry White Gloss. Waterline and rubbing strake painted with 16 yr Quick Dry dark blue. This has so far weathered much better than the traditional oil based paints but plastic fenders need to have socks as the plastic reacts with the paint.
UNDERWATER HULL - Found in excellent condition. Standard anti-foul applied. Shafts and props burnished, and shaft anodes renewed.


Disclaimer:
The particulars detailed herein are intended to give a fair description of the vessel, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. These particulars are supplied on the understanding that all negotiations shall be through Highway Marine Ltd who are acting as brokers for the vendor. The vendor is not selling in the course of a business unless otherwise stated. The prospective purchaser is strongly recommended to check the particulars, and where appropriate, at his own expense, to employ qualified independent agents to carry out a survey, and/or any mechanical and electrical checks.

Specifications

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