Bucklers Hard 46

Only six of these vessels were built, and either this yacht or her sister, was star of the 1988 London Boat Show.
The Engine Hour Meter now reads 840 hours, but this meter was not fitted until 2009 following a complete overhaul of the engine in Dubrovnik.
There was originally a generator fixed in the lazarette, but this was a constant nuisance and has now been replaced by a portable 2kW Honda generator which has proved an ideal solution. It will run the washing machine while at anchor and will charge batteries etc.
The mainsail was new in 2005 and the mizzen was new in 2022. The genoa is 120% furling. There is a storm jib, a mizzen staysail, and a spinnaker / cruising shute.
The Lofrans windlass was new in 2010. The bower anchor is a 60 lb Bruce (I have found this to be excellent), together with a 40 lb Danforth, and an aluminium Fortress anchor as backup.
There is a sophisticated CCTV system fitted which allows the navigator when below at the chart-table to monitor both the activity on deck (e.g. children), the position of other shipping, and the setting of the sails. A video recorder and router with wi-fi provide extra security and enable the vessel (and the bilges) to be monitored remotely via the internet.
Designed from the outset as a well-mannered, long distance cruising yacht, I purchased ELECTRA II in 1996. We have found her very easy to handle at sea. Due to her long keel (cut away at the forefoot) she cuts a groove which in most conditions makes easy work for the Cetrek autopilot which will even handle her well with a following wind and sea. This good sea-keeping quality is mainly due to the fact that her rudder is hung on the back of the keel, enclosing the propellor. The design also has the advantage of making her propellor less likely to foul a floating rope, and the strong fixing makes her less vulnerable to attack by orcas.
We sailed ELECTRA II from the UK to the Mediterranean, and have spent 7 years in Croatia, 7 years in Turkey, 5 years in the Peloponnese and now 7 years in Sicily. She is a wonderful vessel and I am very sorry to have to part company with her, but I am now well into my eighties, and have to accept that the time has now come for me to 'swallow the anchor' and retire from the sea so ELECTRA II awaits a new and younger captain.