The Library

DOWN below, Marian is bright and airy, with fine varnished-oak deck beams and fresh-painted panelling. Coming from the cockpit down the teak companionway steps brings you into the aft cabin (you can see the steps in the background of the photo below, which is taken from the mast looking aft). On each side of the aft cabin are two big pilot bunks, with bench seats running below them, handy for removing outdoor gear before heading for the snug of the main saloon. Also in this aft cabin is the navigation table, charts, GPS and VHF radio.

You then walk forward into the main saloon, the boat's heart and hearth. Here, a fine hinged oak table gives plenty of room for dinner parties (we have cooked for ten friends sitting around this table). Equally, the table is the place for games, for writing, or just sitting and reading. The flicker of a small wood-burning stove transforms a chilly early-season evening, while brass paraffin lamps throw out an irresistably warm light. There is a good library aboard.

On each side of the main saloon are two more "pilot" bunks, so-called because it is in these curtained snugnesses that the traditional sailing pilots once slept. (You can see the portside bunk in the photograph, behind Zennor's head.) If needed, the settees also make good berths. There is plenty of storage space in hanging cupboards and lockers.

Moving forward, you come to the galley (kitchen) to starboard, the essential unit for crew contentment. A classic paraffin cooker with oven turns out hearty breakfasts, fresh-baked bread and grills cooked to the point of perfection.

Naturally, not everybody will want to eat aboard all the time, and for some parties, eating ashore when in a Breton harbour or within rowing distance of a Cornish country pub, will be a big part of the pleasure. Even so, a lot of thought goes into our menus aboard, with fresh local provisions--starting with properly raised vegetables, salads and meats, as well as sustainable seafood--at the heart of what we want to offer. Though the ship's mate is responsible for feeding the crew, some voyagers love to cook aboard, and they are of course welcome to do so. Before coming aboard, please tell us of particular dietary needs.

Continuing forward, to port is the boat's heads (ie, the loo), with washbasin and shower. To be clear to those who have not sailed before: though spotlessly clean and bright, and with a lovely teak countertop, Marian's bathroom  facilities are no match for luxuries that can be found ashore. The space is relatively small, the shower basic. Most crew will prefer to to use the very good shower (and clothes-washing) facilities ashore offered by most established harbours, including at Mylor, Marian's home port. Aboard, a flannel wash with liquid soap and a basin of hot water is quick and effective, and works wonders for morale. We also have a solar-heated shower that we rig on deck, and that is a lovely way to wash off the salt after a swim. But there is no getting around it: people wash less aboard than ashore. On the other hand, everything (including us!) is cleaner aboard, too.

After that diversion, our tour below finishes with the forepeak, where skipper and mate sleep, and much of the boat's stores are kept. While unadorned, it's a rather lovely wooden space--and, among the sail bags, a favourite spot for children playing hide-and-seek. Another set of teak steps takes you up through the forehatch and back out onto the deck. For some reason, the steps are a strangely fine perch for brushing your teeth in the morning, with your lower half down below and your upper half taking in the morning scene.

Length on deck - 50ft
Length of bowsprit - 13ft
Draft - 7'6"
Beam - 12'6"
Headroom - 6'+
Rig - Gaff cutter

Engine - 65 horsepower diesel (though we prefer to sail!)