boat owner

floorboards, gives her plenty of space –
and standing headroom – inside. In fact,
when we visited her at Poole Yacht
Haven after the Round the Island Race
in 2015, she felt much bigger than her
25ft dimensions would suggest.
Will’s lineage – he comes from a
family of engineers and inventors – was
much in evidence as he showed me
around the boat. Some of the tweaks
and design features are inspired.
The keel, around which the boat is
built, can be operated either by a
manual or electric winch. Will has used
an electrical winch, operated by a
switch in the companionway. A system
of block and tackles operates the limit
switches for the keel, and provides a
visual indicator of its position. The winch
is mounted in front of the engine and is
contained within the engine box.

The forepeak
The forepeak, meanwhile, houses the
water tanks underneath a generous
double berth. In common with many
boats, there is a removable infill piece to
turn the two single bunks into a double
berth – but Will’s is different to most in
that it hinges on its forward edge.
Underneath, a clever system uses two
wooden springs and a pull cord to
make a quick-release and easy-to-store
locking system for the panel – the flap
and cushion fold down when not in use.
Will’s particularly proud of his saloon
table. When not in use it folds up
against the bulkhead, with the boat’s
logo – a bee skep – inlaid into the
visible face. It folds down and pivots on
a clever mounting to make a small
table, but if required this can also fold
out again to double in size, revealing
some more marquetry in the form of
a compass rose. An angled support
extends from beneath the table.
In the cockpit, a similar table can be
removed from its mountings in the
cockpit locker and fits under the tiller
with minimal fuss.

The boat’s electronics are nicely

hidden, too. A Garmin chart plotter

sits on the forward bulkhead of the

cockpit, but is on a removable panel

which can be reversed to protect the

plotter – which can then be used

from the skipper’s bunk inside, while

remaining waterproof. The mounting

socket and electrical connections for

the tiller pilot are hidden in a flush-

mounted box inside the cockpit

coaming, keeping them out of

eyesight and out of harm’s way.

Gaff cutter rig

Skep’s gaff cutter rig has proved easy

to handle, and the boat has entered

two Round the Island Races since her

launch. In the first of them, lack of wind

meant that Skep had to retire along with

more than half the fleet, but last year’s

was plenty windy, and Will recalls

passing some production cruising

yachts whose crews looked surprised at

being passed by a gaffer – her secret

weapon hidden well below the water.

He’s delighted with the boat, and

particularly the keel, which offers the

advantages of a fin keel with all the

benefits of a lifting keel – but none

of the drawbacks traditionally

associated with keel boxes and barked

shins. He would welcome enquiries

from anyone interested in adding one

to their own boat, or in licensing the

keel to boatbuilders.

■ http://www.steynor-keel.co.uk

Boats – Skep and the Steynor Keel

The table stows on the bulkhead The forepeak infill piece hinges and slots into place

The table can be used half-size, or, as here, folded out to full size

A system of wooden springs and stainless rods secures the infill

The Garmin chart plotter can be viewed inside and out A cockpit table fits under the tiller