In 2015 Joshua started the year adding to his adventure activities. He bought a 22ft Pandora Mk1 yacht. This is an older yacht and when Joshua got it, it was filthy so he spent a few days cleaning it before the Easter break. One of the sails on the yacht is setup to have piston shanks (which is little clips that hold the sail onto a wire) but it needs to be converted to a different type of system called Roller Reefing (which basically means the sail can be wound in to make different sizes and respond better to the wind conditions. Also the mast is down at the moment so that it can be re-rigged. Therefore it is lying across the deck until we can get it re stepped.
This is a description of the yacht.
The Pandora was designed by the renowned yacht designer E. G. Van de Stadt and can be traced back to 1962 when Van de Stadt devised the “Randmeer”, a dayboat with a low freeboard. The Randmeer is still raced today in the Netherlands with a very active class association.
Later developments of the Randmeer included adding a deck with a cabin thereby converting the boat into a cruiser, which was then renamed “Trotter”. The Trotter was handicapped with its low freeboard, so Van de Stadt designed a new faster hull with higher freeboard but still using the Trotter deck. The new boat was called a “Trotter-Pandora” and was very popular and successful on the Continent, with about 200 boats being sold. In addition the boat was also licenced to be produced in the USA, Australia and Japan.
In 1967 Grimsby Plastics, who built no more than 20 boats, introduced the Trotter-Pandora to England. Rydgeway Marine Ltd. of Lowestoft Suffolk then succeeded them in 1970 by acquiring the moulds and marketed the same boat but under a new name “Pandora”. This Pandora became known as the “Mark 1”.
In 1971 Ridgeway made two very minor modifications to the original Trotter deck. However, it was not until circa 1973 that a major redesign/modernisation was undertaken, with the introduction of the “International”.
The International had a deeper, higher aspect ratio fin keel and the rig was modified. This consisted of a higher mast and a shorter boom. In 1976 the last modernisation was undertaken with the introduction of the “700”. The 700 had now stretched to 7.01 metres (hence its name) with the introduction of a retousse stern and associated inboard rudder and an even taller mast and shorter boom. Production of the 700 ceased in October 1991.
Since the demise of Rydgeway Marine, no further Pandoras have been built and the total number of yachts produced is estimated to be in the region of between 850 to 900 (including the 200 Continental Trotter-Pandoras). Van de Stadt’s later developments of this design include the Splinter – built by SOS – and the Spirit 24.
Despite its relatively small size, it’s an extremely sea worthy boat whose ability matches many larger craft, particularly the fin keeled versions. The boat is noted for being responsive and light on the helm.
There are two versions of the Pandora, the MK1 and MKII and both models feature a choice of keel – fin, ballasted twin, twin with central ballasted keel or a centreboard which retracts into a stub keel.
The interior is an open plan design comprising four berths plus a GRP moulded galley unit comprising a sink and gimballed cooker. Headroom is generous at around 4′ 8″. The cockpit is over 7′ long accommodating three crew with ease.
Joshua’s Pandora is a fin keel version.
- Length overall: 21ft 10in (6.65m)
- Beam: 6ft 11in (2.10m)
- Draft fin 3ft 9in ( 1.14m)
- Draft twin: 3ft 0in (0.91m)
- Draft triple: 2ft 3in (0.69m)
- Main sail area: 92 sq ft (8.55 sq m)
- Genoa: 160 sq ft (14.86 sq m)
- Displacement: 1.21 tons (1100kg)
Joshua Lewis 