Details

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Pescadou is a one-of-a-kind steel auxiliary ketch, purpose-built for ocean cruising. Designed with a traditional trawler-shaped hull and a graceful canoe stern, she combines classic lines with a robust, seafaring presence—qualities that have earned her admiration wherever she sails.

Over her lifetime, Pescadou has proven herself a capable and seaworthy vessel, extensively cruising the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Sea, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as navigating Europe’s inland waterways. She has journeyed through the Danube River to the North Sea and crossed the Caledonian and Crinan canals multiple times. Her kindly motion ensures a comfortable ride, even in challenging conditions.

Her last major voyage before coming ashore for refit was an approx. 600-mile journey from the Firth of Clyde to the River Crouch in Essex. What could have been a punishing passage across the August North Sea was handled with ease—Pescadou took everything the sea threw at her without hesitation.

In early 2021, she was dry-stored at Rhu Marina, later moving to Sandbank Marina in 2023 for further storage. The current owner acquired her in June 2024, undertaking a comprehensive recommissioning in preparation for a journey south. She arrived at Fambridge Yacht Haven in August, where she was hauled out and placed into a fully enclosed workshop to begin her refit. She now rests on hard standing at Fambridge, poised for her next adventure.

Designed for versatility, her tabernacle-mounted masts and spars allow for easy lowering, making her ideal for canal passages. Stepping aboard, one is welcomed into a well-fitted and comfortable interior that immediately feels like home. Accommodation includes a double fore-cabin, a twin aft cabin, and a convertible saloon double, comfortably sleeping six. The saloon and galley are located forward of the wheelhouse, while a heads/shower compartment is neatly positioned to starboard, between the saloon and fore-cabin.

When not under sail, Pescadou is powered by the renowned Gardner 4LW 65hp diesel engine, known for its legendary reliability. Her full sail wardrobe includes a main, mizzen, self-tacking jib (boom-footed), storm jib, and two downwind cruising sails—all rigged for long-distance cruising with durability in mind.

Built for strength and endurance, her hull is constructed from 5mm overlapped broad galvanized steel plating, with 1 ¼” keel sections, a 5mm superstructure, and a 5mm deck. A hull thickness survey, conducted on March 16, 2022, at Silvers Marine, Roseneath, using a Cygnus gauge, revealed minimal deterioration. The full report is available upon request.
After having been comprehensively refitted over the last 6 months Pescadou is as she was originally intended, a true passage-maker, ready to embark on her next great voyage, wherever the winds may take her.

Comments by the Current Owner

In early 2024, I was simply looking to charter a boat for a family cruise around Scotland during the summer holidays. By chance, I came across Pescadou, quietly laid up in the shed at Sandbank Marina on the Holy Loch, near Dunoon. Though she was in a rather tired state, her solid build and undeniable charm shone through—and I was hooked. Less than two weeks later, she was mine.

That initial spark quickly turned into a full commitment. I had her repainted, conducted basic checks, and had her relaunched. The legendary Gardner 4LW engine was recommissioned by Joe McCool of Tangent Engineering (Gardner specialists), who performed a sea trial and gave her a clean bill of health—along with giving me the confidence to undertake our first voyage.

Our maiden journey took us from Oban to Essex via Inverness over nearly two weeks. Pescadou never missed a beat. The Gardner engine proved relentless, powering through 15-hour stretches without complaint, even when conditions turned against us. That voyage gave me a real sense of what she could do—and what would be needed to prepare her for more ambitious passage-making.

Over the following six months, I oversaw a comprehensive refit with no area left untouched. Every onboard system is now new or upgraded. The Gardner engine has been professionally overhauled, and her electrical system has been entirely modernised. It’s a first-class, over-engineered installation with thoughtful redundancy built in for reliability and ease of maintenance. A solar array contributes up to 600W on clear days in May, supporting most onboard systems with ease. For added assurance, a backup generator—recently overhauled and in perfect working order—ensures full off-grid capability.

We cruised extensively as a family, including a memorable summer voyage with our two small children aboard. Safety was never a concern. The high gunwales and solid bulwarks gave us complete peace of mind, allowing the kids to move around freely—even while underway—something I would rarely feel comfortable with on other boats of her size.

Pescadou’s seakeeping is another of her standout traits. Compared to other boats in her class, she has a notably deep keel, to which a previous owner added additional ballast. Combined with her factory-fitted bilge fins, this makes her remarkably stable and reassuring at sea—ideal for both novices and seasoned cruisers alike. Sail handling is also refreshingly straightforward; I’ve been able to manage all of the sails single-handed while underway, making her a very practical choice for solo or short-handed cruising.

She’s also been set up for true independence afloat. With 1,000 litres of fresh water, 1,000 litres of fuel, central heating, hot water, and even a washing machine on board, Pescadou is thoroughly prepared for extended, self-sufficient cruising. Whether you’re coastal cruising, island hopping, or anchored in a remote loch, she’s ready for it all.

Beyond her seaworthiness and systems, Pescadou comes with an unusually rich and well-preserved history. She carries with her extensive journals from previous voyages, capturing decades of adventure and ownership. All historical bills and documents from past refits are carefully archived, and I’ve maintained a detailed file covering every piece of work completed during my ownership. This level of documentation offers valuable peace of mind and a rare insight into the vessel’s life story.

Importantly, Pescadou has seen very little hard use over the years. Previous owners stored her ashore during winters and used her sparingly. To my knowledge, she has only spent one winter in the water—while awaiting her haul-out for refit in Guernsey. This careful ownership history has no doubt contributed to her excellent condition today.

Sadly, my personal circumstances have changed, and work now takes me to the Global East. As such, I must reluctantly offer Pescadou for sale. She is fully refitted, extensively documented, and truly turn-key—ready for her next chapter with an owner looking for a capable, characterful, and secure cruising home.