1965 Sparkman & Stephens Classic Ketch 65'

STRADA — a 1965 Sparkman & Stephens classic ketch, mahogany-hulled, fully refit and ready to sail.

Some boats are transportation. This is heritage. Strada was designed by Sparkman & Stephens — the New York firm behind Dorade, the America's Cup defenders, and the original Swan yachts — and hand-built in Gdańsk, Poland in 1965. Sixty years on, she remains what her designers intended: a genuinely beautiful, sea-kindly classic that turns heads in every harbor she enters. Under full sail, she looks, in her owner's words, like a butterfly.

Her provenance is documented. Originally built for an Italian family who raised their children aboard her, Strada has crossed oceans twice and cruised the Mediterranean extensively. Her current owner — the Honorary Consul of Brazil to Turkey and a lifelong classic-boat enthusiast — has invested in her care rather than her appearance, and it shows: a complete refit in 2019 brought a new VW Marine 75 HP diesel, new all-teak decking, updated electrics, and a full Raymarine E120 electronics suite, all while preserving her original mahogany hull and lines. She has been hauled and serviced every year, with no history of accident or damage. The original Honduras-style mahogany shows no rot and no cracking — rare in a boat of this age, and the mark of a hull that has been genuinely looked after.

Below, three cabins sleep six, with electric heads and shower, refrigeration, and a classic teak interior. On deck, a North Sails wardrobe (4 years), bimini, sun tent and lazy bag. She carries 284 L fuel and 210 L water, cruises comfortably at 7.5–8.5 knots, and sips roughly 4 litres an hour under power.

Strada is not for everyone. She asks for an owner who understands that a classic wooden yacht is a commitment and a privilege — someone who wants a boat with a soul and a story, not another production hull. For that sailor, she is a rare opportunity: a fully sorted, ocean-proven Sparkman & Stephens classic at a fraction of what her pedigree suggests.

 Full history, survey and photography available on request. 

• Make: Sparkman & Stephens · Model: Classic Ketch (custom) · Year: 1965  
• Category: Antique/Classic (Sail) — use this class, not "cruiser"
• Price: €48,000
• LOA: 15.15 m / 49'8" · Beam: 3.60 m / 11'10" · Draft: 2.50 m / 8'2"
• Displacement: 21 tonnes
• Hull: Mahogany with epoxy coating · Built: Gdańsk, Poland
• Engine: VW Marine SDI 75-5, 75 HP diesel (2010) · Cruise: 7.5–8.5 kn · Consumption: ~4 L/hr
• Fuel: 284 L · Water: 210 L · Holding: 80 L
• Cabins: 3 · Berths: 6 · Heads: electric head/shower
• Sails: Full North Sails suite (4 yrs) · Rig: Ketch
• Electronics: Raymarine E120 (log/GPS/plotter), ST60 depth & wind, Sailor VHF + handheld, radar reflector, Suunto compass
• Ground tackle: 25kg CQR + spare, 110 m galvanized chain
• Extras: Victron charger, 5 new batteries, Waeco fridge, bimini/sun tent/lazy bag, A/C wiring in place (unit not fitted)
• Location: Southern Turkey