Description

The Snark is one of only two Thames sailing barges launched in Britain in the 21st century. (the other is Blue Mermaid, both are steel construction) She is a modern muley rigged spritsail barge based on 1898 drawings from J G Fay of Southampton; updated to suit contemporary commercial operational and safety requirements. She is unique in being the only MGN 280 Category 2 coded ‘Thames’ barge sailing, allowing her to operate commercially in any coastal waters, up to 60 miles from a safe haven.
Launched in 2018 she is fitted out and equipped to operate off grid around the coast or be berthed, pollution free, in enclosed harbours. She can safely take the ground, moored on a mud berth or mooring and can comfortable sail or motor at 7 knots handled by just two crew. With her shallow draft she can cruise to the head of most tidal rivers and with stepping masts she can get under most bridges on tidal navigations.
She was designed and built and is operated by her present owners. The heavy steel work, engine installation and painting was done by the Speights in Walton on the Naze and Turks Shipyard in Chatham. Engineering and stability design by Longitude in Southampton, build and initial coding surveying by Roger Bell and ongoing coding by Mecal.
She has been operated commercially for seven years; providing summer sailing holidays around the coasts of UK and near continent for 6 passengers at a time and on-board dining for up to 24 covers in Exeter Canal basin in the winter. During this period she has sailed commercially around the UK visiting all four capital cities and 60 different ports and anchorages; sailed around the Channel from Scillies to Dover, Dieppe to Roscoff and the Channel Islands.

Specifications

Accommodation

Focsal

Fresh, grey and black tanks, biodigester, work bench, bosun’s storage, chain locker, water maker, pressurisation/circulation pumps, log/depth, ladder and hatch to foredeck, sea cocks.
Forward Bulkhead
Steel fire/water bulkhead with linked dog bulkhead door and sealed service penetrations.

Owners cabin

Shiplap timber plank lined on insulation, fold down king size bed, storage cupboards, side settee bunks with storage under, 4 double glazed sky lights, multi fuel stove, cabin lights, underfloor heating, background ventilation, passive stove vent, 230/12v sockets, 230v distribution board 3

Main bathroom

Seamless resin/paint finished ply lining, wet room floor drain to pump, built in bath, dual outlet thermostatic shower, ceramic wall mounted bath taps, conventional wc with concealed cistern to macerator pump, counter mounted basin with mixer tap, wall mounted mirrored cupboard, large ‘heatsink’ radiator for stove, stove circulation pump. exterior quality led wall lights, winch motor access behind head lining

Laundry

Painted ply lined, counter and shelves, built in sink with mixer tap drained to pump, under counter washing machine and heat pump cloths drier, heat exchange ventilation unit, 230v power points, led lighting, winch motor access behind head lining, winch fuses and thermal protection, 230 v distribution board 2.

Side passages

Painted ply lining on insulation, continuous supply ventilation, floor access to bilge float switches and pumps,

Main salon

Galley area; painted plywood cupboards and shelves, drinks fridge, full height freezer, full height fridge, built in double oven, free standing counter painted plywood housing, glass washer, s/steel 1.5 sinks and drainer with grease trap under, 5 zone induction hob, storage and shelves, 230 v switched spurs and sockets.
Central area; Shiplap timber linings on insulation, high level double glazed windows (4 opening), underfloor heating, 4 built in single berths with sprung mattresses, demountable cabin partitions, bookshelves, main electrical intake, inverter/charger, battery monitors and controls, 230v distribution board 1, adaptable led cabin lighting, 230 power points, mid ships depth finder under sole,

Midships heads

Seamless resin/paint finished ply lining, wet room floor drain to pump, wall mounted thermostatic shower, conventional wc with close coupled cistern to macerator pump, counter mounted basin with mixer tap, wall mounted, shelves, electric towel rail, extract fan, access to fuel tank behind lining

Main companionway

Removable steps and sole, sprung lifting hatch, battery cupboard under steps with extract fan, access to fuel tank top behind steps, exterior quality led wall light, fuel cutoff valves,

Aft Bulkhead

Steel fire/water bulkhead with linked dog bulkhead door and sealed service penetrations.

Port engine room

Port engine and shafts, diesel water boiler, custom hot water thermal storage vessel, hot and heating water circulation pumps, control switches and heat exchangers, 230v power sockets, led flood light, service/engine battery charger and links, powder fire suppression system.

Starboard engine room

Starboard engine and shafts, water source heat pump, circulation pumps and plate exchanger, Nanni 15 kVA diesel generator with hydraulic pump, controls and tank, led flood light, powder fire suppression system,

Engine room corridor

Painted plywood linings, storage cupboards, led lighting, engine room bilge pump and flood sensor under sole, engine room ventilation/dampers over, 5kw shoebox water source heat pump

Crew cabin

Shiplap timber linings on insulation, wooden stepladder to glazed hatch, electric bar heating, 3 built in single berths with foam mattresses, navigation station with chart table, shelves and chart storage, instrument panels, lv electrical distribution boards, 12-24v transformer, purser’s work station, bookshelves, adaptable led cabin lighting, 230 power points,

summer layout

owners cabin

single cabin

aft cabin

main bathroom

Construction

• Welded steel to Lloyds scantlings;
• 8mm bottom plate, 6 mm topsides and deck, steel angle frames and floors, fixed 6 mm steel ‘hatch covers’
• Shotblasted inside and out and professionally epoxy primed and painted externally with Jotun HB Topside.
• Jotan self-polishing antifouling recoated 2023
• Zinc anodes, welded externally, replaced 2023.
• Fixed ballast; 15 tonne of 50 mm plate steel over central hull floors.
• Linings; flexible and rigid insulation and strip plywood planking.

Equipment

Tanks - all fabricated to custom dimensions by Tectank
• 1 x 1000ltr fresh water
• 1 x 750ltr grey water
• 1 x 750ltr black water/sludge tank
• 2 x 450ltr diesel
• 4 x 20ltr jerry cans and funnels
Cold water and drainage
• Pressurisation fresh water distribution to all service areas, Grunfos pressure pump.
• Rainman watermaker (120ltr / hr.)
• Pressurised grey water/seawater to domestic toilets
• 3 x Grunfos macerator pumps, two black, one grey; all can be route to black tank, biodigester or sea.
• Biodigester/waste water treatment plant for black and grey waste water, Victor Marine FBBR Mini. MCA and Environment Agency compliant.
• 4 x 24v bilge pumps and associated float switches and bilge alarms
Hot water, space heating and ventilation
Heat storage
• 350 ltr insulated copper tank
Heating Sources
• 8 kw multi fuel stove with back boiler and demountable flue. (Used in winter to top up under floor system in v cold conditions and/or when water temperature below 5 degrees.)
• 5 kw water to water Kensa heat pump, with raw water circulation and s/steel plate heat exchanger. (Used at winter berth when shore power available.)
• 5 kw back up MV diesel boiler . (Used in summer for domestic hot water.)
• 2 x 3 kw immersion heaters. (Back up for domestic hot water.)
• Waste heat from auxiliary engine, (Used during summer operations for domestic hot water.)
Heat outputs
• pressurised fresh hot water to all service areas via plate heat exchanger.
• wet underfloor heating system in main areas
• hot water radiators and electric bar heaters in ancillary areas.
Mechanical ventilation
• Ducted supply and extract to wet areas via heat recovery ventilation unit.
• Domestic extract fan over galley area, manual and/or humidity controlled.
Electrical
Electricity sources
• 15 kw Nanni generator (with hydraulic pump)
• 4.5 kw max output Sunshine Solar marine PV array on upper deck to 2 nr. Victron MPPT controllers.
• 32 A shore power connection and 100m cables and 32 and 16A adaptors.
• 24v 1200 Ahr Victron LiFe Lithium battery bank with Victron monitoring and controls
• 4 x 12v 130 Ahr service / starter batteries with 230/12v charger and linking options.
Distribution and control
• Victron quattro 24v inverter/charger
• Victron battery monitoring and protection systems.
• 230 v AC fused distribution for domestic power, all electric galley and laundry
• 24v DC fused distribution to winches, nav lights, bilge pumps etc,
• 12v DC fused to nav instruments.

Navigation Equipment

Electronic navigation
• B&G V9 Chartplotter, deck mounted
• Depth/log under focsal
• Wind direction/speed on mizzen
• Fluxgate compass on mizzen
• Garmin GPS
Communications
• Starlink satellite dish and roving contract for internet comms.
• AIS transceiver class B
• Lowrance VHF
• AIS/SART radar
• 2 x hand held VHF radios
• Full flag set
Traditional navigation equipment
• Over 100 UK and N France charts,
• Pilots,
• Almanacs,
• Tide atlases
• Handheld compasses
• Binoculars
• Sextant

Engine(s)

2 x N4.115 hp 4 cylinder turbo diesel Nanni engines with PRM hydraulic gear boxes, Brunton Autoprop propellers, shafts and shaft locks. Duel morse controls at helm.
Bow thruster; hydraulic drive off auxiliary motor with controls at helm

Sails & Spars

Rig
• Sprit sail ‘Muley’ configuration with bow sprit.
• Spars;
o main, top and mizzen masts solid pressure treated Finnish scots pine.
o spreet; octagonal boxed hollow fabricated douglas fir, painted.
o Bow sprit, mizzen boom and gaff, solid pressure treated Finnish scots pine.
• Standing rigging and runners, Dynema with galvanised turn buckles.
• Running rigging; braid on braid, with stainless steel, aluminium and composite blocks, Cousin constrictor rope locks and galvanised steel pin rails.
• Winches: 4 x Lewmar 65 24v electric capstan winches, 1 x Lewmar 65 manual winch.
• Stayfall: 6 : 1purchase, 12 tonne capacity billy tackle run to electric winch.
Sails
Made in 2018 by James Lawrence Sailmakers, Brightlingsea in modern construction with sown tape perimeters and pressed stainless cringles in cream fabric.
• Main; Duradon, brailed with two upper, one winch mounted main and two lower brails; can be raised and lowered with spreet up with double purchase dynema peak halliard, sheeted with double purchase to self tacking cars on deck mounted track(horse) via diverter blocks to winch.
• Mizzen; Duradon brailed onto gaff
• Topsail; Dacron raised from deck on jack stays
• Headsail; Duradon with adjustable sheeting double purchase on deck mounted track (horse)
• Jib; Dacron; tack on pull out ring on bow sprit, torsion stay luff and Wickham Martin roller furling
• Jib topsail; Dacron on pull out ring on bowsprit, torsion stay luff and continuous roller furler.
Foils
• Asymmetrically profiled oak leeboards with lead ballast, Kevlar sheathed, multi directional stainless head coupling with galvanised chain lift to triple purchase to electric winch.
• Laminated ply lifting rudder on s/steel core, on stainless steel stern hung pintel Used in traditional horizontal position or fully lowered as modern foil rudder. Lifts clear of water on double purchase tackle to electric winch.

sail plan

head sails

passengers sailing

Safety Equipment

• Fire and smoke detectors; various types
• 8 x Fire extinguishers; various types, serviced.
• 13 life jackets self inflating, 2 with AIS positioning, all with clip on harnesses. serviced
• 5 rigid life jackets
• 2 children’s life jackets
• 1 x 8 man life raft SOLAS B with hydrostatic releases. (plus 1 on hire from ADEC) serviced
• Offshore flare pack in screw top box, in date.
• 2 x emergency grab bags , in date.
• Electric ships whistle.
• Manual fog horn.
• 300 mm bronze ships bell
• 25 ltr water container
• Hand held emergency lights
• 230 v emergency submersible pump and large diameter hose.
• Operating and safety manuals.

Ground and mooring tackle

• Main anchor; 70 kg galvanised steel Rocna in self launching bower on 90m of 15 mm galv chain with hydraulic windlass feeding into chain locker below
• Kedge; 40 kg Lewmar plow on 10m x 12mm chain and 40 m anchor line. Stowed for quick release on stern.
• 8 Polyform fenders,
• Numerous mooring lines; Dyneema and polyester.
• Boathooks and pickup clips and pole.

Location Map