Share/Bookmark

Home > Sail > “Aile Blanche” – 100′ Camper and Nicholson Marconi Rigged Ketch – 1939 – $250,000 SOLD

“Aile Blanche” – 100′ Camper and Nicholson Marconi Rigged Ketch – 1939 – $250,000 SOLD

Aile Blanche
Aile Blanche is a magnificent vessel that should be saved. She will need approximately 2 years of restoration to be back to her original luster. She is currently sitting on the hard at the Gran Peninsula Shipyard in Ensenada, Mexico and was surveyed in July of 2006. Aile Blanche was built by Camper and Nicholson in Gosport. She was designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson for Rene? Cambastet and was first launched in 1939. The original name was Blanche Neige, hull #466. She is a gorgeous Marconi ketch that will be the perfect project for the right individual/syndicate looking to restore and return her to the racing fleet.


100′ Camper and Nicholson Marconi Rigged Ketch

  • Boat Name: Aile Blanche
  • Year: 1939
  • Current Price: US$ 550,000
  • Located in Ensenada, Baja, Mexico
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Engine/Fuel Type: Single diesel
  • YW# 4104-1971776
  • Central/Exclusive Listing
  • Available for co-brokerage

Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:

Boat Name
Aile Blanche
Specs
Builder: Camper and Nicholson
Designer: Charles Ernest Nicholson
Dimensions
LOA: 100 ft 0 in
Beam: 19 ft 6 in
LWL: 75 ft 0 in
Maximum Draft: 13 ft 0 in
Engines
Engine Brand: New

Engines
Total Power: unk

Construction
2 1/4? (60 mm) teak planking fastened to steel frames using 1/2? (12.5 mm) naval bronze bolts. Her floor timbers, deck beams, and bilge stringers are also steel, bolted to the structures with naval bronze fasteners.
Frame spacing is 21″ center. Her dead wood (stem, keel, stern post and horn timber) is white oak. Decks are solid teak bolted to steel deck beams.
The Burmese teak used for the hull is in perfect condition and is well secured to the frames.
This kind of construction is the strongest used in those years. Aile Blanche has powerful lines and good handling properties.

Maintenance (2002)

  • Replaced the old engine;
  • Disassembled the generator and system to verify the condition of the bilge structures;
  • Brought back to bare wood all the varnished surfaces (in and out);
  • Disassembled and removed the interior to reach and paint all the metal parts.

Commentary
Aile Blance is one of the few fast ocean cruisers built in the 1930s. Camper & Nicholson refined their engineering for this type of yacht thanks to projects like the J class that race against the American defenders in the America?s Cup. Boats such as Endeavor, Velsheda, Astra and Candida are still sailing and racing each other.
The Marconi rig and the ease of maneuvering allow sailing Aile Blance with reduced crew, down to 3 people if the boat is to be fit with the right deck hardware.

Aile Blanche cruised extensively between 1990 and 2003. She had a very knowledgeable full time crew that took good care of her during those years. All the structures and the system were maintained and inspected periodically. Paint, varnish, under the water line inspection, and systems check ups were done at every stop. Routine inspections of the plank to frame bolts were also scheduled, and about 1000 of the 6000 total bolts were replaced during those years.

Restoration Recommendations
It is suggested that it will take 2 years to bring Aile Blanche back to near perfect condition.
  • Remove and inspect the masts (they appear in good condition.)Scrape them to bare wood and repaint;
  • Finish to remove the interiors;
  • Remove 3 planks in each side (trying to save them), from the sheer down;
  • Rebuild the interior saving, where possible, the original parts;
  • Replace deck straps;
  • Remove garboard to access the metal floor timbers in need of repair;
  • A new deckhouse needs to be built;
  • Possibly bring back to the original design the parts modified in the ?70s;
  • Rebuild the electric and hydraulic system;
  • Update the electronics.