Seascape is a Seadog 30 Ketch. It is a very solid small centre-cockpit
ketch-rigged cruiser - originally marketed as a motor-sailer, but one
that has a reasonably good sailing performance.
The Seadog was first introduced in 1964, designed and built by Reg
Freeman A.R.I.N.A. The design was popular, and production continued for
many years, with very minor design changes. They offer an unusual
combination of qualities - a good tough heavy-displacement sailing boat
to cross oceans, yet relatively shallow draught and the ability to take
the ground if you have the triple keel version. Add in a deep safe
cockpit protected from the worst of the weather by a fixed windscreen
and masts mounted in tabernacles so they can be lowered if necessary
without outside assistance, and you have a genuinely go-almost-anywhere
boat, from ocean passages (at least one has been circumnavigated
single-handed) to travelling the French canals.
Seascape was one of the last to be built in the UK (in 1973) the
remaining few being build in Holland.
We became the proud fourth owners of Seascape in May 2009, two
previous owners having been retired Royal Naval officers. This was
probably the 30th or so boat that we had viewed that were advertised
for sale, many of which should have been dragged off to the scrap yard
long ago. Seascape was, in comparison, in pristine condition and apart
from very minor work on the keel, needed little doing to it.
Since buying her a bit of sprucing up has taken place. All her cockpit
varnish has been stripped from the woodwork right back to bare wood and
several fresh coats applied. A noisy metal drive plate in the gearbox
has been replaced with a quieter plastic one and her hull antifouling
is to be shortly stripped and replaced with an epoxy copper coating.
When completed in May she will be ready for her travels to the
Mediterranean .
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