Here we present a selection of articles from 100-year-old issues of *YACHT*. In issue 1/1926, naval architect Artur Tiller described a boat he had designed, which, as a “compromise cruising yacht for inland waters and the sea”, was intended to meet the needs of its time.
The cruiser yacht shown in the accompanying drawings represents a special type which has gained many admirers and enthusiasts in a relatively short space of time. Based on this drawing, three new vessels have already been built in quick succession under my supervision. All three boats have, over the course of this season, proved to be thoroughly successful in every respect on longer voyages – both on inland waterways and at sea – so that the publication of their plans here will be of interest to many sailors.
I shall, however, refrain from giving the usual description of the plans, as the accompanying drawings are so detailed that the reader will find everything they need by examining them. Suffice it to say that these three vessels also belong to the class of ‘compromise cruiser yachts’ for inland waters and the open sea, a category I have specifically developed. Whilst their lines are perfectly balanced, they display a certain robustness of construction – a characteristic which even the most modest inland cruiser must ultimately possess. They also possess all the fine qualities of an ocean-going cruiser and the elegance of an inland cruiser – both in ample measure. All three vessels have already proved their worth on longer voyages, particularly Mr Zöllner’s boat, fitted with a tall rig, on an extended cruise across the Baltic Sea. Despite the tall mast, which stands some 13 metres above deck, this boat’s behaviour in rough seas was excellent. The chosen generous beam, which ensures the vessel has good initial stability, and the low-set ballast keel, weighing approximately 1¾ tonnes, also contributed significantly to this. The forward frames are not too full and merge very gradually into the S-shaped main frame.
The interior of all three vessels is elegant by modern standards, but by no means overly luxurious. According to the owners concerned, the execution of this work speaks volumes for the boatbuilder Buchholz. The hull is properly planked with narrow planks – oak below the waterline and mahogany above. All longitudinal and transverse framing complies with the regulations of the highest class for inland navigation set by Germanischer Lloyd.
All the vessels were fitted with a 2-cylinder Siemens engine producing around 4 brake PS; some of these were second-hand engines that I purchased from various dealers and had reconditioned, yet they still demonstrated the high quality of all Siemens products through their reliability and flawless performance. The speed achieved with these engines – which are actually tiny for such heavy vessels – was astonishing: just under 4 PS propels the yachts, weighing around 4 tonnes, at 8 to 9 km/h through still, windless water.
The layout of the interior, and in particular the design of the cabin superstructure, varies across all three boats in accordance with the owners’ wishes. All three boats have four fixed berths and a headroom of approximately 1.75 m in the cabin. Of the berths, two are in the saloon, one is a dog berth on the port side aft, and one is a fold-down berth in the fore section.
What the three new vessels have in common is the layout: a large, spacious saloon with two sofa beds and cupboards; a washroom amidships on the starboard side, with a berth adjoining it at the rear; and a practical galley on the port side, alongside a tall wardrobe.
The cockpit is watertight and self-draining. All the levers and other controls required to operate the engine are situated on the bridge deck, so that the helmsman has the engine under control at all times.
Two men, and possibly a boy as well, are required to operate the rigging; this crew is also sufficient for operating the vessel at sea.
Would you like to have a browse through old issues of YACHT? You can find all issues from 1904 to 1981 in the digital yachting archive.