Silvers John Bain 54 ft 'Ormidale' Twin Screw Motor Yacht 1951/2026

ILONDA is among the earliest and purest of John Bain's sought-after Silver ORIMIDALE Type, with the original, clean and highly attractive deckhouse on flush deck profile. In long term current ownership, ILONDA has received a sensible maintenance regime including re-powering in 2017 and a major winter 2025-2026 hull refit with structural work and re-planking. And ILONDA's accommodation has been tastefully and respectfully upgraded to modern standards. Such comfort and practicality married to the ORMIDALE Class's legendary seakeeping qualities and sheer presence make ILONDA a very enticing family classic motor yacht - and perhaps a most suitable classic regatta mothership.

2025-2026
HULL REFIT, RØDBY, DENMARK
Underbody Work
- All plank seams and butts raked out
- 1 x new plank; 3 x 'Dutchmen'
- 6 x redundant skin fittings removed and sealed
- 2 x New seacocks fitted
- Recaulked with oakum and tar
Topsides Work
- All portlights and windows removed
- Top 3 x planks removed including at transom
- Repairs to frames as required
- Re-planking: screws to frames and rivets to timbers
- Plugged, cotton re-caulked, and mastic sealed
- Portholes and windows bedded to new cutouts
- 7.5 m of port rub rail replaced
- Stainless steel coping to all rub rail

2020
- Installation of 3 x new plastic water tanks and associated new plumbing
- Total capacity 435 Litres

2017
- Re-engined

2016
- Installation of bow and stern jet thruster system

2015
- Replacement of both shaft logs in Iroko and associated works
- Deck refastening

Henderson the Jeweller was an iconic Glasgow name with branches all over Scotland. Post war business was good enough in 1950 for Don Henderson to commission this fabulous expression of John Bain's design flair, for building by his James A. Silver yard at Rosneath, Dunbartonshire, with delivery early spring 1951.

ILONDA followed a pattern of development begun pre-war when the popular Silver Leaf Class design was occasionally stretched from the standard 43 feet up to 50 feet. Silvers were exceptionally busy during the Second World War producing Fairmile-designed Motor Launches, Motor Gunboats and Motor Torpedo Boats, among other work. Bain would have been busy supervising these builds, but with much creative space to develop his own designs for better times. The most successful result - named after the first boat built to the design in 1949 - was the ORMIDALE Class which would remain in production for 25 years at lengths ranging to over 100ft, and become much sought after. The key ingredients were a combination of increasing spaciousness and seakindliness - true to Silvers advertising slogan: "Superbly Seaworthy".

The Yachting World magazine review was both complimentary and technical:
"Mr. John Bain has a reputation for designing grand sea boats, with good accommodation, efficient in operation, well built and beautifully finished... The hull is of the ORMIDALE type, with a long, fine run aft and a deeply immersed point to the transom, but, unlike ORMIDALE, she is a single-rudder vessel with a keel running aft almost to the sternpost. By carrying down the central point of the transom well below the waterline, the thrust races of the two screws are separated. Mr Bain considers that this arrangement has the advantage of making these vessels run straight and steer easily in a following sea. They are certainly well mannered in this respect."

Silvers advertising at the time boasted ILONDA as, "... an improved version of the famous ORMIDALE Class which has been so notably successful in the Pavilion d'Or, 1948, 1949 and 1950." Thirty years of designing and building have produced perfection in ILONDA which finely exemplifies the Silver tradition."

After four seasons, Henderson sold ILONDA to the first of a series of UK based owners over the decades who respectfully didn't tamper with Bain's concept. More recently, under similarly careful Belgian ownership ILONDA has cruised the western Baltic by summer and been sensibly upgraded by winter.

©2026 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Mahogany planking on oak frame
- Solid teak deck
- Deck structures in solid teak

GENERAL
- Teak straight laid deck
- Mahogany covering boards
- Teak superstructures
- Galvanised stanchions
- Varnished mahogany rails

FROM AFT
- Whole aft deck is shaded by a permanent metal framed awning
- Chromed mooring line fairleads port &starboard
- Painted galvanised Mooring boolleard port & starboard
- Bronze ensign staff socket
- Flush pasarelle socket
- Steering flat hatch
- Canister liferaft stowage
- 2 x long benches with stowage under
- Chromed solar ventilators port & starboard
- Mushroom vent

DECKHOUSE
- L-shaped seating area to port
- Sheltered by wheelhouse extensions port & starboard
- Table and directors chairs
- Entrance to deck saloon offset to starboard
- Door and sliding hatch
- Bronze mushroom vents aft port & starboard
- Grab rails port & starboard
- Cowal vents port & starboard
- Running lights
- Horn
- Searchlight
- Kent type clearview screen

SIDE DECKS
- 2 x Chromed spring line bollards port & starboard
- Gates in rail port & starboard

FORWARD DECK
- Mast forward of deckhouse
- Raised toerails
- Butterfly skylights over saloon and galley
- Mushroom vents port & starboard
- Hatch over forepeak
- Mooring bollards port & starboard
- Mooring fairleads port & starboard on rails

GROUND TACKLE
- Windlass
- CQR anchor in custom bow launcher
- Anchor chain

ILONDA has a beautifully crafted and very traditional interior, with white painted surfaces and teak highlights throughout the whole interior. White soft furnishings on bunks and seats underline the very tasteful overall impression of this fine example of Scottish craftsmanship. The interior has been partly renewed in the tradition of the vessel and is in exceptional condition. The deckheads are painted white providing for a very light interior in combination with the portholes.

FORWARD ACCOMMODATION
Saloon
- L-shaped settee to port
- Dining table
- Chairs
- Settee to starboard
- Sideboards starboard aft and forward
- Woodburning stove to starboard forward
- 6 x Bronze opening ports
Athwartships galley
To Port
- Isotherm fridge-freezer
- Deep stainless steel sink and drainer
- Mixer tap
- Lockers
To Starboard
- 2 x burner electric hob
- Lockers
- 4 x Bronze opening ports
Single berth cabin fwd
- Work bench to starboard
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
- Chain locker access

AFT ACCOMMODATION
Owner aft cabin
- Athwartships double berth
- Banquette
- Washbasin
- Lockers
- 4 x Bronze rectangular opening ports
Single berth cabin to port
- Lockers
- Washbasin
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
Single berth cabin to starboard
- Lockers
- Washbasin
- 2 x Bronze opening ports
WC/ Shower compartments
- Electric Marine Toilet
- 2 x Bronze opening ports

MECHANICAL
- 2 x Solé 165SDZ 165 hp 4cy Turbo Diesels (2017)
- Engine hours at March 2021: 304.7 & 305.2
- Hydraulic SCG gear boxes
- Indirect cooling system
- Maximum speed: 11 knots
- Cruising speed 8 knots
- Consumption in cruising mode - 8l/h for both engines
- 2 x Bronze 3-blade propellers (2017)
- Geko Marine M7000 E-A/KED Diesel Generator 2700W

ELECTRICAL
- System renewed, 2006
- 2 x Gel batteries (house)
- 1 x 80 Ah Battery (generator start)
- 2 x 170 Ah Batteries (engines start)
- Sterling Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12/24 V DC – 230 V

TANKAGE & ASSOCIATED
- Fuel: 1,200 L
- Fresh water: 600 L
- Pressure water system
- Webasto water heater DBW 2010/2016

BOW AND STERN JET THRUSTER SYSTEM
- Jet Thruster Combi 24 V 15.5 kW JT90 Horizontal pump (2016)

OTHER
- Webasto diesel central heating system (2009)

NAVIGATION
Analog
- Sestrel magnetic steering compass in binnacle
Electronic
- Simrad (all 2019)
- NSS12 evo3 chart plotter
- Radar
- GPS
- Echosounder
- NAC-2 autopliot

COMMUNICATIONS
- VHF transceiver simplex/ semiduplex VHF DEBEG 6348/6448

- EPIRB Simrad EG50 & EP50
- 6-Person liferaft

- Full winter cover
- Screen covers for deckhouse
- Hatch covers
- Windlass cover
- Companionway boarding ladder
- Swim ladder