Rustler 36. Kora.


Kora, our Rustler 36 for sale. View of port side. On her mooring


Kora, our Rustler is a classic 1992 yacht by Holman & Pye, from the 1980s. Rustlers serve a demand for heavy, lead ballasted, full-keel yachts having a cutaway forefoot and a gentle sheer. The Rustler 36 is designed for awesome long distance passage making in comfort whilst easy to manage.

Kora is equipped for easy short-handed sailing, whereby all lines are led aft to the cockpit for safe handling. The loose footed main has three reefs and the 140% Genoa both by Penrose of Falmouth is on a Harken MKIV Ocean Unit2 furling gear. She is tiller steered, and the under-deck Autohelm Type 1 12V Linear Drive takes over at the touch of a button.

Kora is our first experience with a long keel yacht and displays comfortable style in heavy seas,

Kora, our Rustler36 is for sale and in her cradle in the winter shed
Kora our Rustler36. She is a deep long keel yacht
VAX2 Hydrovane with wide adjustable vane on Kora our Rustler 36 for sale
Hydrovane VAX2 NEW. Kora our Rustler 36.

In the process of renewal and restoration, we’ve fitted new sailing gear including standing and running rigging, new sails by Penrose of Falmouth and a new VAX2 Hydrovane.

In this video the radar reflector is hauled on a halyard. It is now a fixture on the front of the mast above the radar.

Hydrovane rudder and brackets on Kora our Rustler 36 for sale
Hydrovane rudder and brackets on Kora
Deck view forward on Kora , our Rustler 36 for sale at Porth Wen
Looking forward over Kora’s deck. At anchor Anglesey.
Deck view looking aft on Kora , our Rustler 36 for sale on passage in the Irish sea
Looking aft over Kora’s deck.
Saloon with new upholstery on Kora our Rustler 36 for sale.
New upholstery and foam in blue fabric.

For comfort, we’ve renewed the foam and replaced all the upholstery in blue fabric with contrasting patterned cushions. We’ve re-lined a lot of the interior in new white vinyl applied over double sided adhesive foam. We replaced the portlights and re-seated the hatches.

I re-built the main electrical distribution in tinned copper 35mm and 50mm AMC Oceanflex cable. I crimped and soldered the terminals to avoid corrosion. A new 120A Adverc controlled alternator supplies charge to three battery banks through a triple diode protecting them from mutual discharge. The Adverc has an effective energy monitoring facility keeping me informed of battery charge and available energy.

Fuel polisher parts on Kora,
Polisher Filler tank top assembly on my bench
Fuel polisher parts on Kora,
A water tight trap is fitted under grating

I fitted a new polisher in the fuel system to clear out diesel bug. The polisher cleans the diesel fuel as it fills the tank. Alternatively I can used it to re-clean fuel in the tank by circulation. Clearing away the diesel bug using the dip tube is easy through the filler cap.

Keeping Kora as original as possible is important to me so I detached the teak strips off the rotted plywood seat and re-set them with glue, thus avoiding the risks of screwing into the base. I then caulked caulked the strips with Sika 290.

The re-built rear cockpit seat using mostly the original teak
Restoration of the rear cockpit seat using the original teak strips.

Finally, I will apply an all over West Epoxy coat then over coat with varnish for a high gloss.

In late summer we sailed Kora, our Rustler 36, from Orkney through the Pentland Firth to Wick. The journey south via Cromarty took us under the Irvine Bridge to Inverness where we entered the Caledonian Canal.

Kora our Rustler36 for sale in Laggan Avenue, Caledonian canal
Kora in Laggan Avenue, Caledonian canal. Teak decks are Glued not screwed (2007)

The Caledonian Canal connects the East and West coasts of Scotland avoiding the longer north passage around Cape Wrath. The most memorable stretch of the canal for us was Laggan Avenue, a magical section past overhanging trees . At Corpach we had enough time to make Corran where we stayed overnight in calm amongst awesome scenery. After an early departure for Oban, we encounterd strong winds gusting gale force with a very lumpy sea. Kora’s behavior throughout was predictably faultless!

From Oban we sailed past Crinan taking the outside route to the Mull of Kintyre. We called at the Isle of Gigha where we had lunch at the Michelin starred Boathouse restaurant. Replete, we spent the afternoon relaxing and planning the next leg of our journey south.

The long Atlantic swell at the Mull, glass calm anchorage at Donaghadee Sound, a clear starlit night sky approaching Peel and impeccable behaviour from Kora all made our voyage memorable. She then came out on the hard for a winter of careful attention and a variety replacements and renewals.

Dorothy the sailor and textile artist, develops some of her work drawing inspiration from the sea and strong ancestral affiliations bind Dorothy to Orkney and Shetland. It was fortuitous finding Kora on Orkney. Whilst we prepared Kora for the journey, Dorothy found time for contemplation and researching both her art and her family.

The Tagline on Dorothy’s Textile Art website reads:

A steady breeze, a gentle sea, sunshine and a quilt’ what more could a girl ask for?… The tactile and visual qualities of fabrics and yarns combined with the textural surfaces developed through piecing, layering, manipulating, painting and embellishing… are intoxicating.