Overview
About this vessel
We are privileged to offer the Lacco designed and built classic motor sailer 'Maid of Martha' to the market for the first time in over 20 years. She is a rare and stunning example of the traditional shipwrights art and a vessel of which her next custodian will be rightly proud. Designed by Ken Lacco and built in 1970 at Mt Martha by Alec Lacco and his son, Rod, the hull planking is 1.5 inch Huon Pine on 3 inch by 1.5 inch laminated Huon Pine ribs at 8 inch centres. Deck beams are 7 inch by 2 3/4 inch of clear Oregon and the transom is of 3 inch African Mahogany. Superstructure is also of African Mahogany with varnished cabin beams of laminated African Mahogany and Kauri. 'Maid of Martha' is 40 Ft LOD, 44 Ft with the bowsprit and a little more with the dinghy in davits at her stern. You would struggle to find shipwrights who could build a boat like this today and if you did, the cost would be eye-watering!
Her two tons of ballast combined with her designed form stability ensure the comfortable and sea kindly ride under sail or engine power that you would expect of a Lacco boat. Powered by an extremely well maintained 84 HP Gardner 6LV diesel engine, she has a cruising range of more than 2000 nautical miles. An easily manageable size, she has dual steering stations; one on the raised aft deck and the other in the well protected pilot house for when the weather turns bad. A Yanmar diesel generator provides plenty of board power. She is an Australian Registered vessel and has cruised through the Pacific and Australian coastal waters including four trips to the famed Hobart Wooden Boat Festival where she has always been much admired.
She features comfortable accommodation in her two sleeping cabins with adjacent toilets and showers while her inviting pilot house contains a delightful saloon table and leather upholstered seating, an ideal location for sundowners or just to curl up and read a book. Opposite the saloon table is the well-appointed galley with lots of storage while forward in the pilot house is the helm station with it's chart table and the extensive array of electronics and navigation aids. Sliding cabin doors at either side allow easy access to the deck.
'Maid of Martha' comes complete with a huge range of spares for just about everything on board. To ease the transition for her next owner, her construction details, history and maintenance program are fully documented right down to the source of materials and the types of paints and varnishes used to keep her looking at her best. 'Maid of Martha' is a very special piece of Victorian boating history.
