Dec. 2/2019: Accept no substitutes. This is the ultimate low-budget high-latitudes expedition yacht right here. Tried and tested! Believed to be the only boat anywhere to have spent unsupported winters frozen into ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic. A Wylo II cutter, 35 feet on deck, designed by Nick Skeates (who we have discussed before), built in steel and launched by her current owner, Trevor Robertson, in 1997 in Queensland, Australia. Asking price is $45K US.
Trevor has cruised Iron Bark all over the world for the past 22 years, including extended sojourns in high latitudes, and has won the CCA Blue Water Medal and the RCC Seamanship Medal, among others.
Just a few of her intriguing features:
–Massively strong aluminum mast that does not require running backs to support her gaff mainsail
–Standing topmast so no need to hoist extra spars to fly the topsail
–Stainless steel standing rigging with mechanical terminals and lots of spare wire
–Keel-cooled 25hp Isuzu diesel engine with dry exhaust so no need to worry about overheating while running in ice, weed, or other crap
–Interchangeable diesel and solid-fuel heating stoves, complete with chainsaw to cut up wood for the latter
–Modern electrical system, LED lighting, and electronics
–Recent refit
And some images:
On the hard the expensive way
On the hard the cheap way
In the hard the cold way
Interior looking forward
Interior looking aft
With topsail flying!
Currently lying Carriacou, Grenada. If you’re interested you can contact Trevor at trevironbark@gmail.com
Also: check out Trevor’s website for a complete listing, a lot more pix, and tons of blog posts on all Iron Bark’s adventures!
I’ve never been on Iron Bark but I did visit with some friends aboard their self built steel Wilo 35 gaff cutter Granuaile. I was very impressed. He had done an amazing job building her. It had gobs of room, was well laid out, had a number of clever features, and just felt like a great boat. They had crossed the Atlantic four times and spent a year up a river in South America. A really neat couple and a terrific boat.