Laurent Giles Rambler for sale lying ashore on the River Dart, Dartmouth with Devon Boat Sales. "Great Days" was designed by Jack Laurent Giles and built by J.J. Bickford of Topsham, Devon in 1956. She was built in the finest materials of the time to produce a safe and comfortable offshore cruising boat that could be easily handled. 

After purchasing the boat in 2014, the current owner has taken part in various classic regattas and sailed her across the Atlantic, around the Caribbean and back to the UK via Bermuda and the Azores.  Subsequently cruised north to Scotland, Faroe Islands and on to the east coast of Iceland. 

In September 2022 a second hand low hours Yanmar 39hp diesel was installed.  This is an excellent modern engine with only 600 hours, professionally installed in September 2022.

Build

Carvel planked in 1” teak below the waterline, mahogany above the waterline.  Copper fastened to heavy sawn oak frames with 3 steamed oak intermediate timbers at 7” centres.

External lead ballast keel of 3 tons fastened with bronze keel bolts.

Bronze strap floors on each of the heavy sawn frames fastened through the hull with bronze bolts.

Foredeck and aft deck are straight laid T&G cedar fastened to the deck beams, overlaid with epoxy glass cloth sheathing and finished in grey deck paint.  Varnished teak king plank and covering boards on the foredeck.

Deck is raised midships to the level of the top of the toe rail to give some more volume and headroom to the saloon without visually disturbing the sheer line.  This midships deck is epoxy sheathed marine plywood.

All bronze deck fittings.

Substantial varnished teak forehatch.

Coachroof finishes aft of the mast with low coamings, stepping up to a raised doghouse aft.  Varnished teak coamings with bronze framed windows.  Small butterfly skylight and grab rails in varnished teak.  Sprayhood on the doghouse.

Deep self draining cockpit well sheltered by the dog house and sprayhood.    Laid varnished teak thwarts.  Bronze boom gallows at the aft end of the cockpit sits on massive sampson posts.

Tiller steering, bronze rudder stock completely new in 2019 with emergency tiller facility.  SeaFeather wind vane self steering system on the transom.

Machinery

Yanmar 3JH4E (Installed Second Hand 2022)
3 Cylinder 
39HP Diesel Engine
on Shaft to Brunton Propeller.
Rope Cutter
650 Hours ( Approx, July 2024)

Rig

Masthead Bermudan Sloop Rigged.
Aluminium Mast 
Wooden Boom with Roller Furling 
Stainless steel standing rigging  (new 2016)
Furling Genoa.
2 x Spinnaker Poles 

Winches

2 x Lewmar Mast Halyard Winches
2 x Bronze Self Tailing Cockpit Winches 

Sails 

Mainsail
Stay Sail 
Genoa
Jib
Cruising Chute 
Storm Jib

Navigation Aids

Gamrin AIS (New 2022)
Raymarine Chartplotter 
Raymarine, Tri Data Wind Speed and Depth 
Compass

Electrics

3 x 12v Batteries 
Charged via Engine alternator

Ground Tackle

2 x 35lb CQR anchor with galvanised chain and warp.
Anchor Windlass 

Tankage and Water System 

1 x 100L Fuel Tank
1 x 100L Water Tank
1 x 40L Holding Tank with Macerator 
Manual Water System
Calorifier

Inventory

• Diesel Fired Heating 
• Galley with Oven with Twin Burner Gas Hob Grill and sink.
• Manual bilge Pump 
• Auto Bilge pump x 2 
• Navigation Lights
• Pulpit, Pushpit and Guardwires
• Spray Hood 
• Dodgers 
• Bimini
• Cockpit Cover
• All Over Cover 
• Clock and Barrometer
• Gas Detector 
• Searchlight
• Horn 
• Boathook
• Warps and Fenders
• Fire Extinguishers (Date of expiry unknown)
• Engine Spares
• Cutlery, Crockery and Utensils
• Boarding ladder
• Dan Buoy 
• Lifebuoy 
• Fire Blanket