Talisker Mhor

Talisker Mhor was designed by George McGruer and built in the McGruer boatyard on the Clyde, Scotland, in 1973. Cuillane, her sister ship, was built for an American who still sails her in the waters of Maine, USA.

Talisker Mhor's story begins with the admiration of Cuillane's beautiful lines and teak construction by an English east coast trawler man. His desire to own a yacht of the same design led to the commission of Talisker Mhor, built with mahogany and originally named Ceresio. Unfortunately the trawler man fell ill and the boat was never launched. Colin Tyndall, a member of the Clyde Yacht Club, bought the boat and renamed her Talisker Mhor,'Talisker' being the name of his previous yacht, 'Mhor' meaning 'big' in Gallic accounts for the larger dimensions of his new vessel.

Talisker Mhor sailed under Colin's ownership to the Caribbean and back and was then bought by an Italian called Doctore Luige Greppi in Gibraltar. In his ownership she cruised around the Med for a few years and, truth be told, was rather neglected.

As Steve Sands, the present owner, recognised in 1994 and still protests, "she needed to be sold". With rose tinted glasses they ignored the rat gnawed wood below, the strange smell of rotten eggs, the rusted hot and cold water tanks, etc!

When the boat was surveyed by Alan Buchanan, then in his late 70s, all he could say was, "the McGruers really knew how to plank boats in those days". This seal of approval was enough of a go ahead and a sale was clinched.

Steve sailed Talisker Mhor back from Italy to the UK and immediately had her lifted for some TLC, which was just as well in view of the fact that whilst trying to wrench off some rubber hoses the seacocks came off in his hands! Many months of labour later Talisker Mhor was relaunched. Steve had worked especially hard on the sail hardware, putting in roller furling and slab reefing which made it easy to sail the boat with just two pairs of hands. He and Lexa have sailed Talisker to Ireland, Northern Spain and Southern Brittany so far and are delighted with her performance, "She is a fine boat to sail and beautiful sight to behold. McGruers should be very proud of her".

YACHT DESCRIPTION

 

Owner: Stephen Sands & Lexa Hilliard
Designer: George Mc Gruer
Class: One Off
Year Designed: 1968
Year Built: 1973
Builder: Mc Gruer
   
LOA:  16.64 m
54.7
ft
LOD:
16.64
m
xx
ft
Beam:
3.86
m
12.8
ft
Draft:
2.25
m
7.4
ft
LWL:
10.67
m
35
ft
   
LOD/WL Ratio:  xxx
Displacement: 20 tonnes
Thames Measurement: xxx
Hull Material: Mahogany
Hull Construction: Carvel
Hull Frames: Laminated
Rudder: Keel Hung
Sail Material: Laminated
Deck & Superstructure: Timber ply
Superstructure Profile: Coach Roof
Interior: Classic Cruising
Steering: Wheel
Transom: Forward Sloping
Rig: Ketch Bermudan Masthead
Engine Make: Mercedes
Engine HP: 135
Engine Mounted: xxx
Propeller: Feathering
Propeller Blades: 3
Mast Material: Cedar
Mast Configuration: 1 spreaders 
Keel Configuration: Long
Keel Material: Lead