HERRESHOFF H28  

Jedda, a gorgeous 1959 sloop-rigged H28, is available to her next loving owner. Built in WA of glorious Karri timber, Jedda has a rich history, part of timber boat-building in Australia.

The H28 is loved for its seaworthiness. It can be cruised anywhere, it is quick around the buoys in everything from a zephyr to a gale, and its lines are beautiful. L. Francis Herreshoff wanted to design a yacht that combined "grace of line, stability and sea kindliness" It would be, he said, a cruising ketch for the person who has only limited time to sail and who "must report to the office without fail on Monday morning". Dozens of H-28s were built by do-it-yourselfers around the world and hundreds more by professional boat yards such as that run by Jim McDonald in the pretty town of Bunbury, south of Perth.

Jim MacDonald built about half a dozen of Herreshoff's famous cruising and racing H-28 yachts in the 1950s. At the time the H-28, which L. Francis had designed in the early 1940s, was one of the most popular yachts in Australia. In Perth, where there is still a thriving and competitive class racing on the Swan River, the yachts are rigged as Bermudan sloops with tabernacle mast base. This is to enable boats to get under the bridge at Freo, and are an alternative to the ketch Herreshoff originally designed.

MacDonald built Jedda with a hull of 32mm Karri, carvel planked. Her full-length cast-iron keel is filled with lead ingots and she displaces three and a half tonnes. While McDonald was working on this yacht, acclaimed Australian film maker Charles Chauvel was working on the first full-length colour feature film made in Australia. The film, called Jedda after the lead character played by Ngarla Kunoth, was a huge hit when it was released. MacDonald launched this yacht in 1959, named her Jedda, and so she still is today.

Jedda is currently berthed at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. As with all her previous owners she has been used for racing and an occasional bit of coastal cruising. She is a regular competitor in Classic Yacht Association races on Port Phillip, winning her class in the 2022 regatta.

The mainsail is 3 years old with lazy jacks and sail bag. She has 2 symmetrical spinnakers; the furling headsail is due for an update. The 2 cylinder nanni diesel was completely rebuilt in 2016. A new stern tube and dripless seal was fitted this year. She has been recaulked below the waterline. A self draining cockpit has been fitted. Winches and mainsail control lines have been upgraded.

The interior is suitable for day sailing with a large cooler and a manual head. She is fairly bare below decks but offers sleeping accommodation for five. She would benefit from a refit to make her suitable for extended cruising, but she is ready for day or overnight sails right away. The self draining cockpit holds up to six.

Jedda offers an affordable way to enjoy classic yacht racing and cruising with friends and family, while also owning a precious bit of Australian timber yachting history and a truly beautiful craft. Family circumstances have changed so it's time to pass Jedda on to a new custodian who can continue to enjoy her.