JOCARA is an elegant and enormously capable Chuck Paine designed, hand-crafted, UK-built bluewater cruising yacht with incredible 42% ballast ratio, delivered in 1998 and with just two loving owners since new.
FURTHER BROKER’S COMMENTS:
One of just a handful of Victoria 38’s built between 1997 and 1999 to designs by Chuck Paine and with interiors by Bob Hathaway, JOCARA has had just two loving owners since new. Commissioned for experienced owners with a semi-custom build including Kevlar bow reinforcement, cutter rig, shoal draft keel and upgraded engine, JOCARA was used lightly in her first ownership, laid up ashore under cover every winter and seeing use around UK and Northern France waters. After six enjoyable years of ownership, her owners stepped up to a ‘larger model’ with a Hoek 50 and Grabau International’s Alex Grabau sold her to her current Southern Ireland-based owners in the December of 2004. The following seasons have seen JOCARA used for cruising around Southern Ireland and sailed around Irish sea and up to Scotland with a light refit in 2022 including new topsides paint, stripped antifouling, Sikkens, canvas work, stove and so on. After 20 years of enjoyable and 100% reliable ownership, JOCARA’s owners are now looking to step up in size, so a unique opportunity now exists to acquire one of these exceedingly rare, utterly capable, and timelessly beautiful Chuck Paine designed bluewater cruisers.
JOCARA’s specification highlights include:- Chuck Paine design (shared with Morris 38) Solid laminate GRP construction with Kevlar reinforcement to bow areas Shoal draft lead ballast keel with skeg-hung rudder Upgraded 40hp Yanmar engine fitted in 2015 Professionally repainted with International 2-part paints in 2022 Teak laid side decks Selden sloop/cutter rig with keel-stepped mast Hood sails Yankee and staysail MPG and telescopic spinnaker pole Lewmar self-tailing winch package Edson wheel steering system Lofrans electric anchor windlass fitted in 2023 Sprayhood American Cherry interior joinery Up to 7 berths in two double cabins plus saloon Dickinson Newport diesel-fired heating stove in saloon Pressurised hot & cold fresh water supplied with additional manual fresh water supply to galley and heads Heads with holding tank Gimballed stove with oven and grill Raymarine/Raytheon/Autohelm navigation instruments with radar, chart plotter and autopilot Icom VHF with DSC Outboard engine for tender Liferaft
Irish-registered, EU and UK VAT paid, JOCARA can be viewed afloat in Carlingford via prior appointment.
OWNER’S COMMENTS:
We have logged more than 12,000 nautical miles in JOCARA over the past twenty years, mainly sailing as a couple. Our cruises have brought us to every part of Ireland, to Scotland's wonderful west coast and islands, to Wales, South West England and Brittany. JOCARA sails very well, usually averaging 6 knots when on passage. On this year's cruise to the Orkney Islands, we once touched 8.2 knots on a beat in moderate wind. In strong winds up to F8, she is very comfortable with the staysail and double reefed mainsail. Fitting a 40 HP engine as specified by Chuck Paine transformed JOCARA's performance under engine. She was a beautiful boat when we purchased her and we have done our best to maintain her good looks as she aged. The Dickinson stove is a real comfort and joy when anchored or in port following a wet or cold sail. JOCARA has looked after us well and given us great adventure and enjoyment. We will part from her with heavy hearts.
ABOUT THE VICTORIA 38:
The Victoria 38 was a final collaboration with Morris Yachts and Victoria Marine created from splashes of the Morris 38. Utilising a Chuk Paine designed keel, the Victoria 38 was the first Victoria to use a bolted-on outside lead casting rather than the inside ballast used on all previous Victorias. This made the Victoria 38 one of the stiffest sailing yachts of her type.
The interior was essentially a scaled up Victoria 34. Each one was custom designed by Victoria’s in-house designer Bob Hathaway. Unlike the earlier Victorias no fiberglass liners were used anywhere, which lowered the centre of gravity of the yacht. It also lowered the profit margins to nil. The absence of liners gave the Victoria 38 an entirely custom feel, but added significantly to its building cost.
In deference to British tastes Victoria Marine specified a true British cutter rig for this yacht. The foretriangle consisted of a very high cut “Yankee” jib combined with a very low footed staysail that was sheeted each time you tacked, making it much more efficient than anything that would be self-tending. Almost half of this sail’s area was beyond the overlap of the Yankee.
Regrettably the Victoria 38 was the kiss of death for Victoria Marine Ltd. The quality was too good for a market that was more interested in lower prices.
MANUFACTURER HISTORY:
The story of how the Frances 26 came to the UK involves Victoria Marine Ltd., it's Managing Director, Peter Gregory, and Bernard Hayman, an ex-editor of Yachting World.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Bernard Hayman, an ex-editor of Yachting World Magazine wrote of a very simple cruising yacht which had just appeared in the United States. He considered that the new arrival displayed ideals which had been all but lost on this side of the Atlantic. The yacht that Bernard Hayman was referring to was the Morris Frances 26. Through Bernard Hayman, Peter Gregory of Victoria Marine Ltd contacted Chuck Paine and so brought the Frances to the UK. The Frances was built and sold in the UK by Victoria Yachts, who fitted out the mouldings laid up for them by Northshore. The company was based at Warsash on the Hamble at the Stone Pier Yard.
In 1986 Chuck Paine designed the Victoria 34 exclusively for Victoria Marine. Looking very similar to his equally seaworthy Bowman 40, she had a fin and skeg underwater profile, rather than the full keel of her predecessors. She could be rigged as either a masthead sloop or a cutter with a short bowsprit and had berths below for five or six. There was a V-berth forecabin, forward heads, convertible U-shaped dinette, a quarter berth/chart table to starboard and a good-sized galley to port. The Ministry of Defence was so taken by the Victoria 34 that they eventually put 15 of them into their sail training fleet (the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Association) and a further six were built for individual regiments (at the Kiel Yacht Club ) and sail training organisations. In these hands they were truly tested and came through with flying colours. They have calculated that these boats have survived 10 times more wear and tear than the average privately owned boat.
The last design to be produced was the Victoria 38, developed from the Morris 36/38. The first boat was sold from plans after the London Boat Show in 1996, but she did not actually go into production until 1997 when three orders had been confirmed. The Victoria 38 was a significant development of the Morris boat with considerable modifications made to the hull shape, a new keel, rudder and deck moulding. She was a more performance orientated design than her predecessors with a deep, bulbed keel and a powerful masthead sloop or cutter rig. Her extra length made a larger forecabin possible, together with separate aft cabin and aft heads compartment.
Sadly, in 1999, with a brand new Chuck Paine design in development – the Victoria 31 intended to replace the Victoria 30 – the builders succumbed to the pressures of trying to compete with mass production by European yards and closed, ending production of some of the finest cruising yachts of the last 20 or more years.
SPECIFICATIONS CONSTRUCTION
Hull, Deck & Superstructure Construction: Construction to Lloyd’s specifications Hand laminated GRP hull, deck and superstructure construction Solid laminate hull Balsa-cored deck and superstructure Kevlar reinforcement to bow areas Royal Blue painted topsides – professionally repainted with International 2-part paints - 2022 Cream gelcoat finished superstructure Teak laid side decks and cockpit Hull epoxy-treated from new Hull stripped of antifouling, re-primered and antifouled – 2022 Toerails and other exterior teak trim stripped of varnish and Sikkens hard-wearing finish applied - 2022
Keel & Rudder: Lead ballast Chuck Paine 1.65m shoal draft fin keel Externally bolted with acid-resistant stainless steel bolts Skeg-hung GRP rudder blade
MACHINERY
Engine & gearbox: Yanmar 3JH5E 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated marine diesel engine producing approx. 40hp @ 3,000rpm - 2015 KMA mechanical gearbox. Fresh water engine cooling via raw water intake and heat exchanger Single lever throttle/gear control – cables replaced 2022
Maintenance & Performance: Engine serviced regularly Engine hours: approx. 1,203 as of Summer 2025 Cruising speed: approx. 6.2 knots @ 2,200rpm Max speed: approx. 7 knots @ 2,500rpm
Propulsion & Steering: Stainless steel prop shaft with deep water shaft seal (seal replaced 2025) Bronze, 4-blade fixed propeller - 2015 Edson helm pedestal with hide-covered helm wheel and Navpod for instruments Steering connection via rack & pinion cogs and rods Hide-covered helm wheel Emergency steering system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Voltage systems: 12vDC onboard power system with 220vAC shore power system.
Battery Banks: 1x 12vDC 75Ah engine start battery 2x 12vDC 105Ah service batteries joined in parallel to supply 210Ah @ 12vDC
Battery Management: Sterling battery management system with 3 shunts to service all batteries.
Shore Power: Hardwired, RCD protected 220vAC shore power system with ring main
Other Electrical: 12vDC power socket Lightning strap mast to keel
PLUMBING & GAS SYSTEMS
Fresh Water: Hot & cold pressurised fresh water system with 12vDC high pressure water pump Hot water produced via engine-drive calorifier Manual fresh water supply to galley
Bilge Pumps: 12vDC electric bilge pump 2x manual bilge pumps
Fresh Water: Approx 300 litres fresh water capacity in 2x stainless steel tanks plus additional Vetus 100 litres flexible tank fitted in 2002
Holding Tank: Stainless steel black water holding tank with manual pump out to sea or via deck outlet
NAVIGATION & COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
On Deck: Raymarine C70 GPS/chart plotter and radar display - 2007 Raymarine closed-array radar scanner on mast - 2007 Autohelm ST50 wind, speed and depth displays with transducers Autohelm ST6000+ autopilot system with linear drive Plastimo Olympic 135 magnetic compass
Communications Equipment: Icom IC-M323 VHF with DSC – 2015
DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT
Galley: Voyager Marine 4500 stainless steel gimbal-mounted 2-burner gas stove with oven and grill – 2022 Stainless steel sink unit with twin bowls and hot & cold pressurised water supplies plus manual fresh and water supplies Top loading fridge with Isotherm 12vDC compressor.
Heads: Jabsco manual marine heads Heads discharging to holding tank or overboard via diverter valve Sink with pressurised hot & cold water supply and shower extension and manual back-up pump
Heating: Dickinson Newport diesel-fired heating stove in saloon
ACCOMMODATION
Summary of Accommodation: Up to 7 berths in forward and aft double cabins with 2 additional occasional berths in saloon, one converting to double with infill. Owner’s cabin forward Single heads aft to starboard adjacent to companionway.
Accommodation Finish: American Cherry joinery work throughout accommodation space. Traditional teak & holly stripped laminate soleboards Laminate countertops in galley and heads White headlining panelling with varnished timber trims between. Blue Alcantara upholstery in saloon Blue patterned cloth upholstery in accommodation cabins Lee-cloths in saloon.
Description of Accommodation from Forward: Forward owner’s cabin with double bunk and roll-out pipe cot to port plus lockers. Sail storage and flexible water tank under bunks Saloon featuring two settee berths with lee cloths. Insert to make port bunk double, Dining table for 6 with folding leafs. Galley to port with double sink, gimballed stove and top-opening fridge. Chart table full size to starboard. Heads aft of chart table with large wet-locker area Aft cabin guest cabin with infill to create small double berth
DECK EQUIPMENT
Rig: Mast and spars manufactured by Selden in silver anodised alloy. Keel-stepped masthead cutter sloop with 2-sets of swept-back spreaders 1x19 stainless steel wire standing rigging – replaced 2012 Selden roller reefing system on forestay. Inner forestay, for use in cutter rig configuration with Lewmar coachroof-mounted jib-tracks Checkstays for use in higher winds Lewmar towable genoa tracks on side-decks Fixed backstay Lewmar mainsheet track and car system mounted on coachroof forward of sprayhood with Harken blocks. Mainsheet and mainsheet car control lines lead aft to cockpit. Spinlock rope clutches on coachroof Block & tackle vang. Selden mast-mounted aluminium alloy telescopic whisker pole
General: Stainless steel pulpit and pushpit rails. Teak pushpit seats Stainless steel guard wires. Port and starboard guardwire gates. Below deck level, self-draining anchor locker. Fixed bathing ladder at port boarding gate Folding teak cockpit table Stainless steel outboard engine davit Lewmar Ocean portlights
Anchoring & Mooring: Lofrans 12vDC electric reversing anchor windlass with foot buttons on foredeck - 2023 20kg Delta anchor with 45m galvanised chain and 30m warp Danforth kedge anchor with kedge reel Fisherman spare anchor Selection of mooring warps and fenders Stemhead roller assembly with twin rollers. Stainless steel samson post on foredeck Mooring cleats forward, midships and aft with Panama fairleads in raised bulwarks
Canvas Work: Beige canvas mainsail stackpack with lazy-jacks - 2022 Beige canvas sprayhood with stainless steel frame – 2022
General note on safety equipment: Any safety equipment such as liferafts, Epirbs, fire extinguishers and flares etc. are usually personal to the current owner(s) and if being left on-board as part of the sale of a used vessel may require routine servicing, replacement, or changing to meet a new owners specific needs.
For more information or to arrange a viewing please contact us.
Please Note: Due to the varying locations of our yachts, your travel time and the distances that may be involved, we recommend that you only make arrangements to view if you are actively considering purchase.
Lead Broker : Alex Grabau Tel: +44 (0)1590 673715 Email: ####@grabauinternational.com
