Due to a recently diagnosed illness I'm reluctantly having to sell my Kim Holman designed Rustler 31. She's currently ashore at Clyde Marina boatyard, Ardrossan, Ayrshire.
She was built in 1966, moulded by Thames Marine on Canvey Island and fitted out by Anstey Yachts in Poole. I bought her as a Bermudan sloop with the intention of converting her into an ultra simple, blue water singlehanded cruiser, in a similar vein to Roger Taylor's Ming Ming.
As the photos in my profile album show, I have largely completed the transformation, with a new Nedal aluminium mast installed (exactly the same section as used by David Tyler on Tystie), all the original deck hardware removed and replaced with simple, rugged gear, and modifications carried out to deck, coachroof and cockpit to better suit singlehanded or shorthanded passage making.
The whole exterior, above and below the waterline has been sanded right back to gelcoat and repainted with Jotun two pack epoxy and polyurethane coatings.
The original wooden cored grp rudder was badly waterlogged so I built a new one using marine ply heavily sheathed with biaxial glass and epoxy resin. The edges are capped with strips of solid grp and the new rudder hangings use bronze pins and replaceable acetal bushes for longevity and ease of maintenance.
I removed the diesel inboard and filled in the prop aperture with wood, biaxial glass and epoxy, with the plan to use a yuloh for propulsion. I realise however that most people will need an engine, and it would be an easy job to cut out the infill piece to reveal the original aperture and then install a new stern tube, shaft and prop. With such a trim, easily driven hullform I imagine the Rustler 31 would be a good candidate for electric drive, and by sourcing the parts yourself and doing a diy installation, the cost could be relatively modest. Alternatively a high thrust, saildrive 4 stroke outboard like the Yamaha 9.9 mounted on a transom bracket would be another low cost option.
I have gutted the forward third of the interior, including the removal of the rather heavy grp headlining moulding, in order to fit the mast partners, mast step and heavy hanging knees. I also ground the whole area back to bare grp, retabbed the forward bulkhead, and addressed the only real structural flaw of the Anstey built Rustler 31, namely the lack of stringers above the waterline in the forward third of the boat. This has led to the hull flexing either side of the bulkheads on some boats when driving hard into heavy seas, causing superficial gelcoat cracking.
To prevent any flexing I have installed heavy top hat section stringers midway between waterline and the hull/deck joint, using plastizote foam core with multiple layers of biaxial glass and epoxy resin. These extend right back to the main bulkhead aft of the heads compartment. I have also added extra biaxial glass/epoxy to the existing stringers below the waterline.
Every original fitting below the waterline has been removed and the holes filled in with glass and epoxy to leave a totally watertight hull. I have installed a new aft sloping cockpit sole made from 18mm marine ply sheathed with two layers of biaxial glass, bonded in on top of the existing forward sloping sole. This allows the cockpit to drain through a large, single hole in the transom, which also serves as the opening for the tiller.
As the new junk rig mast is located at the original forehatch position I built a new double coaming hatch just aft of the main bulkhead at the forward end of the saloon to provide ventilation and light. The heads compartment has Dorade vents port and starboard (newly built using 18mm marine ply, biaxial and epoxy), and a 12mm Lexan fixed deadlight in the deckhead for overhead illumination.
The large integral freshwater tank built into the bilge has been abandoned in favour of the Badger system with numerous plastic one gallon containers topping up a five gallon jerrycan to be located under the sink. The original aluminium inspection hatches mounted in the thick grp top of the integral tank have been removed and the apertures slightly increased in size to form access holes for useful stowage of stuff like spare chain etc, whilst still maintaining structural integrity.
Whilst the photos show a chain pipe on deck just forward of the coachroof I have since relocated it directly over a newly created self-draining chain locker in the forepeak. The locker's rear wall is formed by the forward bulkhead with access for cleaning and maintenance via a removable watertight hatch. This arrangement, although adding weight right up in the bow, seemed the best solution to chain stowage without the problems of keeping water out of the accommodation in heavy weather. The locker has a drain hole a foot or so above the waterline and the base slopes heavily forward so the chain will never be sitting in a pool of water.
The companionway sliding hatch and washboards have been replaced with a circular hatch. Although entering and exiting require a certain amount of agility (though no more than ducking under the original spray hood did IMHO) the new hatch makes the cockpit totally resistant to swamping and adds considerable structural strength to the coachroof's aft end. However if a more conventional arrangement is preferred it would be a simple job to revert back to sliding hatch and washboards. The flange for a Blondie Hasler revolving pram hood is installed but I haven't built the actual pram hood yet.
The rest of the accommodation will need some work. I removed large parts of the two bulkheads forming the walls of the heads compartment. I was intending to rebuild them using 12mm ply either side of the remaining ring bulkheads to form hollow but immensely strong and stiff structures. The port and starboard saloon berths are as original but I was planning to rebuild the settee backs with a more comfortable backward slope rather than the current vertical arrangement. The aft facing chart table and seat are as original but the galley will need rebuilding. There will be a fair amount of woodwork required to complete the interior but nothing a few sheets of ply, some hardwood trim, a few gallons of epoxy and plenty of elbow grease won't fix. I did most of the unpleasant grinding, paint removal and crawling round in the forepeak with a disc sander last summer. Unfortunately the lack of a large companionway hatch means all ply has to be sawn into strips no wider than 24 inches to fit through the saloon hatch, but using the sandwich style bulkhead construction with internal butt blocks to join the strips solves the problem. A painted finish or adding hardwood tongue and groove to the bulkheads would disguise any joins.
I built an Arne style sail (but cut flat for possible use with hinged battens) using Haywards Clipper Canvas tan polyester, the same fabric used by David Tyler on his Weaverbird sail. I stitched it with black V92 Dabond polyester thread using Arne's method B, and used black polyester seatbelt webbing on both sides of the sail all round to form a very strong tabling. All attachments are loops of seatbelt webbing hand stitched on with black waxed polyester whipping twine.
All that's needed to complete the rig is aluminium tube for the battens and yard (all less than 5 metres, so basic stock lengths) and half a dozen blocks. Several large spools of new braid on braid rope come with the boat. You'll also need to build a tiller for the rudder.
There isn't a huge list of kit included: there's 40 metres or so of good 8mm short link chain, the original 35lb plough anchor and a brand new, unused 14kg Bugel type rollbar anchor. One new manual bilge pump, two small solar panels, a Morningstar solar controller, port and starboard saloon berth cushions, some fenders and a few used mooring lines. I built a Bill Belcher designed servo pendulum windvane self steering gear which will need just a few tiny blocks, some thin Dyneema line and a bit of experimentation with balance weights and vane size etc to suit the boat.
All wiring has been stripped out ready for rewiring to whatever level of complexity is desired. My preference was for the bare minimum, a la Roger Taylor.
I'd much prefer to sell my boat to someone within the association if possible, and as it looks like my year will involve a long round of hospital tests and treatment, I'm keen to find a new owner who will be able to finish her and get her back in the water where she belongs.
I'm not sure what to price her at, but I'd be content to get £3500 for a quick sale. All the work has been done to a good standard and quality materials used. The Nedal mast alone cost £1800.
Dimensions are 31.5ft LOA, 24ft WL, 9ft beam, 5.5ft draught. Displacement 5 tons, ballast 2.5 tons encapsulated lead. Hull, deck, coachroof and cockpit mouldings all solid grp, no balsa or foam core anywhere. Totally watertight hull and deck. Built like a tank with massive layup. Wonderful seakeeping properties, and gorgeous Kim Holman classic lines.
If there's any interest I'll try to get up to Scotland (I'm in Lincolnshire) to take some extra photos showing the interior and the most recent mods. The photo album in my profile page gives a variety of exterior views and a general idea of the modifications and work done so far. I can arrange with my good friend the harbourmaster at Ardrossan to show anyone over the boat if I'm unable to do so.
Cheers,
Jerry.