Video

Description

Friso is a 120 year-old Dutch sailing barge, fitted out to enable comfortable and easy on board living or travelling under sail or motor. She sits on a secure mooring in the market town of Faversham, just over an hour by train from central London stations – St Pancras or Victoria. She is 20 metres long, just under 5 metres wide with plenty of headroom, a spacious saloon, galley (kitchen), and modern heads (bathroom) with shower, sink and flushable macerator toilet.

Two bedrooms have recently been renovated with custom made cabinet work and renewed insulation, and a third (separate from the other living spaces) can be used as a bedroom, office or storage.

Friso has gas central heating and hot water. Recent upgrades to insulation and other changes have been done in a manner sensitive to her age and origin, as a Dutch sailing barge from 1894. Historic touches meet modern living, and built in storage has been created throughout.

She has a secure mooring, from which you can relax on deck enjoying lovely views over the Kent marshes and the sounds of nature. Friso can also be sailed or motored for day trips or longer voyages or moved to another location.

Wooden masts, new red sails and recently renewed rigging and a recently serviced DAF 575 engine make her an ideal vessel for holidays or travelling home.

Faversham station is a 20-30 minute walk (5-10 minutes bike ride) and has direct rail links to London’s St Pancras and Victoria stations in just over an hour. The town has traditional pubs, is home to the oldest brewery in England, many restaurants, a music scene and a famous annual Hops festival, as well as all the amenities of a small town (supermarkets, schools etc.).

Friso has had the same loving owner for the past 30+ years. She is now looking for someone else to love her.

Specifications

Accommodation

Aft is the paviljoen – the old accommodation, which still has the original cupboards, seats and shelves; a mantle-piece and the remains of the double bed. Essentially, I have used it as my “shed” with tools, many spare bits ‘n’ pieces etc., but it could be made into a unique cabin if so desired.

Up from the paviljoen across the deck on the port side is a gas locker; the starboard locker contains the house batteries, a Victron inverter/charger and connections for the wind generator. The mizzen sits mid-ships between the lockers and above the engine room.

To port there are steps down to the well-deck; engine room access is beneath the steps.

Each side of the well are large hatch-covered storage areas providing access to the port and starboard fuel tanks. The starboard side also contains the black-water tank, pump and fittings.

There is a two-door entry to the main accommodation. The saloon has ample headroom for even the tallest Dutch person! To starboard are cupboards, to port a corner sofa/couch that also converts to a double bed. Going forward the galley is to port with fridge, space for a freezer, a washing machine, sink and drain, cupboard and drawers and four-ring gas stove. The countertop is marble. There is a Baxi combi boiler for central heating and hot water. To starboard is a dining area with shelves and cupboards.

Further forward to port is a single cabin with a bunk, cupboards, drawers and a wardrobe; to starboard is a bathroom that was professionally fitted out with shower, headmaster toilet with electric pump and macerator, (a Lee-San system) and hand-basin.

Further forward is the main cabin with a large double bunk, wardrobe, shelves and storage. The port and starboard stainless steel water tanks (2000 litres each) are well insulated. Both cabins have recently been completely stripped and professionally renovated. The steel was treated and insulation put in place before covering with new pine cladding. Shelves were added and the master cabin and hallway have new flooring with insulation added underfloor. Photos of all the work in progress are available that also show where there are cables.

Paviljoen

Entry to saloon

Saloon port side

Galley

Cabin single berth

wardrobe

Heads

Shower

Master cabin

Construction

Friso was made from riveted iron plates, although almost the entire hull has been replated. The side decks were re-plated in 2018.

Since 1992, Friso has been drydocked and surveyed every 4 or 5 years and all works identified undertaken. In the 2010 dry dock the hull and topsides were wet-sand blasted and then coated with epoxy; most recently, in 2022/3, the hull was high-pressure water blasted back to the metal and coated with 2 part epoxy, new plating added and a new stern shaft bush fitted. The surveys are available. I’ve kept as many invoices of work done as possible. She has a new ‘barn-door’ rudder.

The side decks had new plates in 2022.

The coach-roof is steel lined with insulation and covered with pine cladding.

On the aft deck on the port side is a gas locker; the starboard locker contains the house batteries, a Victron inverter/charger and connections for the wind generator. The mizzen sits mid-ships between the lockers and above the engine room.

To port there are steps down to the well-deck; engine room access is beneath the steps.

Each side of the well are large hatch-covered storage areas providing access to the port and starboard fuel tanks. The starboard side also contains the black-water tank, pump and fittings.

Bilge, greased & rivets

Friso in drydock stern

Equipment

Power:
Victron isolation transformer.
Victron inverter/charger.
Marlec 941 wind generator.

Communication:
ICOM Marine VHF.

On Deck:
Aft: port and starboard leeboard winches and main-sheet winch that also raises and lowers the mizzen.
Forward: Port winches for the main halyard, topping lift and gaff; starboard winches for the bowsprit and fok halyard.
Hatch-cover to a forward store: sail locker to starboard; work-bench and tools to port; and anchor chain locker centre.
Main winch: for the anchor with brake and clutch; and to raise and lower the main mast.

Marlec 914 wind generator

Wind generator terminal

Isolation transformer

Inverter/charger

House batteries

ICOM Marine VHF

Main mast winches

Forward main winch

Dinghy

Engine(s)

Friso has a 6 cylinder, 120 HP DAF 575 engine from around 1965 that has recently been over-hauled including cleaned injectors, new water pump, a bowman heat exchanger, new seawater intake and stop-cock.

6 cylinder DAF

Label

Injector pump

Bowman heat exchanger

New seawater intake

Engine batteries

Sails & Spars

She has been re-rigged with the masts and spars and rigging renewed and has four working sails: a new main and fok (jib), a staysail and mizzen.

Sail locker

New main and fok

Sailing1

Main tack

Sailing 2

Fok head

Sailing 3

Staysail

Sailing 4

Masts down looking aft

Masts down looking forward

Masts down 1

Masts covered

Location Map