Roxane was broken up in the USA in July 2013

Roxane offered a true flavour of the past. She was built in Looe, Cornwall in 1936 at Arthur Collins yard. He was known for building sailing luggers and ferry boats. Consequently Roxane was very strongly built, as a yacht,  in robust fishing boat style of pitch pine on oak frames, reputedly for a West Country business man.

She has a large saloon (for a 32ft yacht). Roxane has many portholes and two deck prisms to provide light in to the teak filled interior. To port down the steps is the chart table and to starboard is a spacious beautifully designed and constructed galley with ample storage and work space. In the centre of the saloon is a folding solid teak table with enough space for a banquet for four. Two berths sit either side of the cabin which serve as seats and potential berths at night. These are equipped with lee cloths for passage making. Above the starboard bunk is storage for charts. The saloon has masses of general storage space behind and under the berths and several built in book cases for those important Hiscock sailing books and large cookery books.  Cooking is done on a Brass Taylors 030 paraffin stove. This has two top burners and an oven and provides worry free, safe cooking on board. A Taylors diesel heater is also fitted to ensure cosy winters evenings in the more Northern or Southern hemispheres. Forward to port is a large head come sail locker. Two of only five hull openings are in here.  The other being the engine water inlet, the  log and the propeller shaft. Up in the forward cabin is a very large double berth  which has more storage, the fridge and the  water tanks underneath. In the cabin are storage cupboards, drawers and storage spaces along with a diagonal additional flying berth which we commonly use for extra storage. In the extreme bow is the anchor chain locker and additional storage for spare rope. This includes a 300ft 12mm line for emergency anchoring in deep water.

Roxane has been  a British Registered Ship No. 184109 since 1959. At this time she had her Thornycroft engine replaced with a brand new installation of a Kelvin P2. This highly regarded engine is still going strong and whilst only a 10 hp auxiliary it can push Roxane along at 5 knots. The factory installation drawings and engine drawings are available along with a full manufacturers parts list should this be necessary and Kelvin are still able to supply spares  should this ever be necessary. The engine has a starter motor but has the advantage, not available on many new engines, that it can easily be started by hand. A 55 Amp alternator charges the batteries through a 70 Amp switching relay to ensure that the engines and house battery banks are charged whenever the engine is running but automatically disconnect when stopped.

One 105Ahour battery provides the starting power and two 105 Ahour batteries supply the house. The electric panel fitted in brass is a blast from the past but is protected with 4 circuit breakers. Roxane is well lit throughout with a mixture of hidden fluorescent lights and more traditional lamps. You can even use the paraffin lamps if you prefer. Two electric bilge pumps are fitted. One for daily duty and the second fitted higher in the bilge provides a back up should the first fail.

GPS, depth and log instruments are fitted and an Autohelm ST4000  Autopilot. A small 12 volt fridge was fitted about a year ago and  can easily be kept running with the Solar Panel and Air Marine Wind generator which are fitted. Roxane also has  a VHF Radio and Tape/Radio Stereo.

She is a Bermudan rigged cutter with many now somewhat ageing sails. She has a tri-sail and storm jib in excellent condition. Two whisker poles provide for efficient down wind sailing and in combination with the Hydrovane wind autopilot  she is equipped for effortless passage making. She has a small, deep cockpit which feels very safe. Under the cockpit floor is the engine. There are three large storage lockers in the cockpit. The diesel tank is way aft and is filled through a deck flange. The cockpit floor has a hatch cover which can be lifted to give excellent access to the engine in addition to a hatch door inside the saloon behind the steps

Back to the treasures of the bilge. The engine is fitted with a Jabsco bilge pump which can shift serious quantities of water should it ever be called on to do so. In the last resort a  hand bilge pump is fitted. This does double duty as sink pump out which ensures that you are always sure it is in working condition should an emergency arise and you need to switch over and pump the bilge. The bilge holds 51 ingots of lead ballast .

All in all that is the flavour of this pretty classic.