Interior design of the Finesse range

During the time Alan Platt was building his range of Finesse yachts, he had a set idea about how the cabins would be laid out. However, he often deviated for various owners. During the ‘early days’ one vessel at least was built with nothing but internal bulkheads and was finished by her owner. This was F21, No. 52, Penny, built in 1968.

There was a time when Alan’s accountant told him to reduce costs by sticking to the basic formula for each boat – this was largely during the peak building of the F24, which simply boomed during the 1970s and into the early years of the 1980’s before suddenly dropping away rapidly (as all classes did).

Accommodation sections were built alongside the boats and fitted as the structural elements and inside hull painting were completed. Many of the hull side shelf units are in fact easily removed for access to hull sides within the main cabin and cockpit.

F21s generally had a two-berth main cabin laid in traditional port and starboard manner with a berth in fore cabin with a pipe cot/storage to one side or the other. The galley was arranged ‘cupboard style’ to the port side. The F21s did not have a separate toilet compartment- this was fitted in the fore cabin, generally beneath the berth boards.

F24s on the whole had a dinette arrangement to port which gave a ¾ double with the table dropped. This was the fashion by the end of the 1960s, similar in many respects to Westerly Centaur types, with the galley arranged to starboard. Forward were two bunks arranged port and starboard of a hanging locker and toilet compartments. Deviations with this are shown later, both the old-fashioned traditional set up and one, Windsong No.25, which was entirely outfitted to her first owner’s requirements.

The larger F27 and then F28 had the dinette and traditional port and starboard layouts in main cabins, depending upon original owner’s needs.

So, let us look at some specifics:

Finesse 21

Finesse 21, No.72, Awel O Wynt is currently owned by Chris Brown and based in Oare Creek off the Swale in Kent. Chris sent me the following:

AOW’s cabin layout: two berths; food & wine beneath port berth; water tank beneath starboard berth. Drop-leaf table straddles the lifting-keel housing. Heads compartment forward of port berth, paraffin heater forward of starboard berth. Wash basin and flipper pump (U/S) above port trotter box, beside companionway steps; Origo 2-burner stove above starboard trotter box, beside companionway steps.

This layout is perfectly adequate for solo cruising, but cramped for two, as it then leaves extraordinarily little room for storing clothes etc. Washing and shaving are done in the cockpit, which can be bracing, cooking and washing-up are done while sitting on the companionway steps.

One of the early owners added two poles alongside the companionway and one on the keel housing. These are very useful (see photo).

It is not practicable to start the engine on the handle. First, the companionway steps must be lifted out (heavy and awkward) to access the engine, second, the handle does not align correctly anyway.

There is a third berth forward, but this is only suitable for a ‘banana-shaped midget’.

Much the same arrangements are currently fitted on the F21, No.63, Ivy May. Pictures supplied by Tim Mulcahy and were taken before the sale of the boat away from the east coast to waters around Plymouth.

Here are a couple of views inside F21, sail No.41, Georgina, currently owned by Dave & Sue Hadaway.

She had been ashore for around six years and was refitted and returned to the water during 2020 having been purchased in 2019.

These were supplied to Nick Ardley by sailing friend Les long from Lower Halstow.

Chris Brown also said, Georgiana’s cabin is much more spacious. (Views are from before refit.)

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Finesse 24

There follows a collage of pictures aboard F24, No.64, Whimbrel, owned by Nick & Christobel Ardley from build in 1983/4 to current. The boat has been extensively used for summer sailing and is sailed throughout the year.

The spacious cockpit of the F24 gives you another room, especially with a tent cover, for protection from sun and precipitation.

Very little has been altered since the build of Whimbrel, apart from the additions as indicated and all electrical cables have all been ‘buried’ under beadings.

From Chris Wooley, current owner of F24, No.41, Driftwood, I received the following:

Driftwood’s cabin is different to the standard Finesse layout of dinette port and galley starboard. (an arrangement I had in my F27 Bonito).

I have two full length berths running fore and aft either side of the cabin. The galley is just inside the companionway to port with usual stove, basin, draining board and small work surface. There is a hanging locker with shelf on the opposite side. There is a collapsible table stowed on the forward bulkhead which folds down to seat four comfortably. There are shelves running the full length of the bunks on both sides.

Forward of the saloon is bulkhead and door leading to the forepeak with one V-berth and heads situated in the V. There is not a separate heads compartment between the cabin and the forepeak, although with the forepeak door shut it works OK!

The advantages:

The main cabin feels airier and roomier.

One can flop down onto a full-length bunk without going to the trouble of making up the dinette.

More shelf space available.

The disadvantages:

The galley and workspace are smaller

One has to get used to using the heads between the V-berths, although it works for us!

Now let us look at another F24, No.25, Windsong.

This boat was built with specific ideas by the boat’s first owner. Only one set of bulkheads are fitted, and the toilet is situated under a forward bunk to port. She is currently owned by Mark Dyas who has sailed round Britain and up to the Shetland Islands. Mark said:

I have not changed things much. I fitted a door and replaced the gate leg table with a fold down hinged plank of varnished wood.

There used to be big foam cushions in the forward cabin, these I have removed, and I use it now used as a big storeroom/heads.

Finesse 27 & 28

Now for the larger boats within the class, the F27 (two known examples) and the F28.

The F27, sail No. 102, Bonito’s cabin layout is shown. The boat was once owned by Chris Wooley, see above, but she came upon sad times and has since been broken up during 2019 up the River Deben at Woodbridge.

The Finesse 28 has more room yet doesn’t seem to offer much more than the compact and well fitted out F24 to my mind.

Some years ago, I was contacted by Jeremy Yonge. Where he lived, I do not know, but could have been the Channel Islands or even France.

The F28 has a ‘straight through’ cabin top line, which kind of takes her away from her smaller sisters in looks, but she was redrawn for Alan Platt from the F27 by Maurice Griffiths.

The name of Jeremy’s Finesse 28 is unknown as is the sail number. The boat was based in France some years ago and has probably passed into other hands by now- I believe she was on the market.

As mentioned, the whereabouts of this boat is unknown.

Compiled and edited by Nick Ardley
Owner of F24, No.64, Whimbrel.