"Lona III", Long Keel Sloop Project Lying S.W.Scotland
"Lona III", Long Keel Sloop Project Lying S.W.Scotland
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Owner's Comments
The restoration of Lona is a very worthwhile project. She will be 100 years old next year and, despite her great age, only a few years ago she was racing up Loch Fyne in a very fresh Sou’westerly under full canvas leaving every other boat in her wake. In my experience she is a very fast, good sea keeping boat with lots of character that would do very well on the classic racing scene. She has a good racing pedigree and she has two sisters still afloat.
Her present condition is the result of neglect in recent years. She has been out of the water for at least three years since she last changed hands. That purchase was never completed and she was eventually retrieved by her former owner and has never been refloated. She is dried out but now needs restoration before going back in.
The accommodation is in the classic mould: two berths in the main saloon and two small berths, and a concealed heads, in the forepeak. A small galley portside and navigatorium to starb’d of the main companionway which has been built out to house the engine. Improvements carried out in the 1970’s by her original builder, William King, give standing headroom in the saloon and doghouse which make her comfortable on a passage. However, her appearance would be improved without lessening her comfort by removal of the doghouse, and possibly replacing it with a sloping companionway hatch. I stress that this is a project. There is a lot of work to do on her but she is a beautiful and historic boat and well worth the effort. |
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