Principle Dimensions and Information

Designer: NG Herreshoff

Builder: Sanford Boat Company

Year Built: 1981

LOA: 26’, 0”

LWL: 21’, 9”

Beam: 7’, 7”

Draft (min): 2’, 5”

Draft (max): 5’, 3”

Displacement: 6,100 lbs.

Ballast: 3,800

Sail Area: 380 sq. ft.

Auxiliary Propulsion: Yanmar GM10 inboard diesel with Sail-Drive and 2-blade Maxprop

Fuel Capacity: 7 Gallons

Freshwater Capacity: 5 Gallons

Hull, Deck, Cabin and Cockpit Construction

Keel is a fiberglass reinforced epoxy molding filled with lead ballast with rudder tube, bilge sump, and centerboard box opening are integrally cast in keel fabrication

Centerboard is laminated Sapele plywood and greenheart with lead ballast as required for sinkage.

Centerboard box is of Mahogany plank and Ash construction bolted to keel with bronze studs. Box has dry rubber gasket and is designed to be removable for cleaning.

Centerboard is raised or lowered with two-part rope tackle leading to cleat on aft end of box. 

Stem is of laminated Douglas Fir, 4” x 6”, molded to shape.

 Horn timber is of Douglas Fir, 2” x 4”, molded to shape. 

Cold-molded, wood-epoxy laminated hull consisting of four layers of planking

Inner planking layer 1/4” White Cedar laid fore and aft, tapered and spiled, finished natural, 

Core planking layers of 1/8” Fir laid diagonally, 

Outer planking layer of 1/4” Sapele laid fore and aft, tapered and spiled, finished natural. 

Molded Ash shear strake/rub rail. 

Laminated Fir shear clamps (1” x 5” and 1” x 3”), glued and screwed to hull planking. 

Cold-molded, wood-epoxy transom consisting of four layers of planking, same schedule as hull. 

Deck is 1/2” Fir plywood, reinforced with longitudinal stringers. 

Outer deck surface covered with 1/4” Teak planking in sprung fashion glued to plywood sub deck. 

Deck is edged with a Teak margin board and molded Mahogany toe rail: 1 1/4” x 3/4”

Self draining anchor locker accessed through deck hatch in foredeck. 

Cabin house sides and cockpit coamings of 3/4” laminated Mahogany

Cabin house top of 3/8” plywood over 1” x 1/2” Fir stringers. 

Cabin house top surface covered with 1/4” Teak planking in sprung fashion glued to plywood sub deck. 

Cockpit fore and aft bulkheads are varnished 1/2” V-grooved tongue and grove Mahoghany

Bare teak cockpit seats and locker tops

Teak grating cockpit sole: 1/2” x 1 1/2” teak with integral beams and stiffeners.

Deck, House and Cockpit Hardware and Features

Deck Hardware (aft to fore): 

Bronze docking line chocks port and starboard

Bronze ensign staff socket

Bronze stern light on raised varnished Mahogany pad

Harken mainsheet traveler

Bronze rudder post head and varnished Ash Tiller

Bronze main sheet pad eyes

Varnished Mahogany cockpit coamings

Harken turning blocks and cam cleats on cockpit coamings port and starboard (jib sheet and jib club control lines)

Bronze “Diesel” deck fill starboard

Bronze mid-ships cleats port and starboard

Bronze clam shell vent outboard of starboard cockpit coaming (fuel tank vent)

Bronze port and starboard navigation lights of cabin sides

Bronze pad eyes port and starboard outboard of cabin

Bronze chain plates pot an starboard

Bronze mast partner on center line just forward of cabin

Harken jib club traveler and turning blocks

Opening deck hatch just forward of jib traveler

Bronze docking cleats port and starboard forward

Fore and aft jib club adjuster track

Bronze (dorade) deck plate at starboard forward bow

Opening hatch to anchor locker at port forward bow

Bronze docking line chocks port and starboard at bow

Bronze stem iron and headstay fitting

Cockpit Hardware (aft to fore)

Storage lockers under aft deck

Bar Teak grate cockpit sole

Bare Teak seat tops nd sail locker lids

Bronze rudder post

Varnished Mahogany and Ash sound insulated engine box on center line

Main sheet traveler control line blocks and cam cleats under cockpit coamings port and starboard

Racor fuel filter under starboard cockpit seating

Yanmar engine ignition panel, gauges, throttle and transmission controls under starboard cockpit coaming.

Bronze water tank deck fill under port cockpit coaming

Bronze winch handles in holders port and starboard under cockpit coamings

Varnished Mahogany and Ash centerboard trunk on center line

Harken swivel and ratchet mainsheet block and cam cleat on centerboard trunk

Harken centerboard pennant can cleat on centerboard trunk

Louvered varnished Mahogany companionway cabin doors with bronze hardware

B&G Chart plotter to starboard on aft cabin bulkhead

Simrad sailing instruments: AWI (1) and Multi-function displays (4) above companionway

Cabin House Top Hardware (aft to fore)

Bronze cleats (4ea) with bronze ½ oval chafe guards port and starboard at aft end of cabin house top

Bronze Lewmar 40, self-tailing, two-speed halyard winches port and starboard on cabin house top

Solar panel on center line cabin house top

Varnished Mahogany hand rails port and starboard on cabin house top

Spars and Rigging

Keel stepped, single spreader, fractionally rigged, sloop configuration

Mast is hollow box construction, four stave, Sitka spruce, tapered spar complete with Bronze hardware and stainless steel luff track. Maximum section dimension 5” x 3 1/2”. 

Boom is solid Fir construction tapered and rounded, with Bronze hardware and stainless-steel foot track. Maximum section dimension 3” x 3 1/2”.

Jib Club is solid Fir construction, tapered and rounded. Maximum section dimension 2” x 1 1/2”. 

Forward end of Jib Club attaches to car riding on fore and aft track for adjustment of jib camber.

Varnished Mahogany boom crutch

Standing rigging (shrouds and stays) are stainless steel 1 x 19 wire with swaged and Norseman end fittings and Merriman Bronze turnbuckle adjusters

Running rigging (sheets, halyards and sail control lines) are all modern yacht braid

NOTE: Standing rigging replaced new in 2010, since that time it is estimated that the boat has been sailed about 20 times

Sails and Canvas

2012 Mainsail, North Sails, Marathon Dacron

2012 Jib, North Sails, Marathon Dacron

Canvas covers for main and jib

Cockpit cushions

Interior berth cushions, pillows and blanket

NOTE: Estimated use of above mentioned sails to be 16 days of short use / day sailing.

Auxiliary Propulsion and Fuel Systems and Equipment

1995, Yanmar GM10, raw water cooled, 10 hp, diesel engine with Sail Drive and 2-blade Max Prop.

Engine located in cockpit under a sound insulated, varnished mahogany engine box.

7 Gallon fuel tank

Remote Racor fuel filter

NOTE: Vessel not equipped with engine hour meter. Engine used mostly for on / off mooring. Estimated engine hours less then 100.

Steering System and Equipment

Sapele plywood and greenheart rudder

1 1/4” silicon bronze rudder post

Silicon bronze split casting lower rudder bearing. 

Bronze stuffing box type upper bearing

Varnished Ash tiller

NOTE: Kithera differs from other Alerions in that her rudder post has been extended upwards to the deck which results in the tiller being somewhat higher than normal and further aft. This modification greatly increases the available space in the cockpit without affecting the steering capabilities of the boat.  

Electrical Systems and Equipment

Single 12-volt battery for engine and lighting

Marinetics master switch and circuit panel

Battery charges by means of engine / 35-amp alternator and permanently mounted solar panel.

Electronics & Navigational Equipment

Danforth Constellation helm compass with stainless steel binnacle

B&G Zues Z GPS chart plotter

Simrad ISI5 sailing instruments: AWI (1) and Multi-function displays (4)

Icom IC-M302 VHF radio

Ground Tackle

Danforth 22S anchor with chain and rode stored in anchor well forward.

Dewatering Equipment

Rule Mate 1100GPM electric / auto bilge pump

Whale Gusher manual bilge pump.

Safety and Required Equipment

USCG “No Oil” and “Refuse” plaques

Fire extinguisher

Plastimo emergency boarding ladder

PFD’s, Type II, (6)

First Aid Kit

Flares

Horn

Tapered wood plugs

Navigational lighting

Additional Equipment

Fenders with fleece covers (6)

Dock lines (4)

Telescoping aluminum boat hook

Polished stainless steel burgee staff

Tool Kit

Mechanical spares

Spare lubricants and fluids

Oil diapers

Interior Layout and Accommodations

While the Herreshoff Alerion is used by most sailors as a day boat, Kithera has just enough in the

way of interior accommodations to allow her owners the occasional over night or weekend cruise.

Furthest forward is cabin bulkhead with access door to chain locker to port and book shelves above.

Immediately aft (and starboard) of the forward bulkhead is a storage bin / table followed by the starboard settee / berth and a hanging / wet locker furthest aft.

Immediately aft (and port) of the forward bulkhead is another settee / berth followed by a galley area which features a stainless steel sink basin supplied with water by way of a manually operated hand pump, a Hillerange two burner propane stove, storage areas for cutlery, crockery and dry goods. Perishable food and cold drinks are best handled by a removable cooler.

There is not an installed (plumbed) head aboard Kithera, however in true Herreshoff style a wooden

bucket is a part of the ship's equipment.

Interior Joinery / bulkheads and other furniture are 1/2” vee grooved tongue and groove Mahogany or Sipo boards, varnished. 

Counter surfaces are melamine covered plywood. 

Cabin sole is teak boards. 

Bunk cushions are canvas covered 3” waterproof foam cushions.

NOTE: Kithera’s interior was completely restored in 2005