Centre board gaff cutter

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Centre board Gaff Cutter

Centre-board Gaff cutter     1993                                        Dorset                                     £9800

A very pretty gaff cutter with the more modern lines typical of the Cornish Crabbers or Heard Gaffers of Falmouth.

She was built in 1993 by the previous owner, shipwright Peter Atkins from Poole, for himself. He was a  keen Old Gaffer race man who having sailed several of the type believed that he could design and build a better and faster boat.

It took him 5 years and an album of photos and momentoes on board records the whole process. Time was not of the essence and great care was given to the construction and the detail work. The result is a boat which is slightly bigger than the Crabber types, very nicely put together and has proved to be faster.

Length on deck                       23’

Beam                                       7’8”

Draft plate up                          2’8”

Draft plate down                    4’8”

The boat is built using the West Epoxy System and BS 1088 marine ply, with teak laid deck and teak and mahogany exterior fit-out.  The shape is very conventional – a long keel, straight stem, good freeboard and multi-chine with a fairly full mid-ships section producing ample buoyancy so that she stands up to her rig, with a generous interior volume.

The chines land on a full length internal stringer and there are a number of heavy laminated rig frames which span across the centre-line.

The bulkheads at the forward and after end of the saloon are structural and epoxy bonded to the skin.

Carved hanging knees either side of the doorway frame posts in the forward bulkhead and full ring frames in way all take the compression of the deck stepped mast.

Laminated hanging knees on the cabin coamings in the main cabin and in the fore cabin in way of the forward end of the coach-roof all serve to stiffen that structure.

She has a very sweet sheer rising gently aft emphasised by varnished rubbing strakes top and bottom of the wide sheer strake. The forward and after ends of the sheer strake have “badges” expertly carved and picked out in paint against the varnish.

The fore foot is very square giving her grip in the water and directional stability and the transom has a delicate tumble-home to the upper edges.

The transom-hung rudder has a step in it allowing someone in the water to climb back aboard.

Heavy galvanised steel centre-plate incorporated into the companionway step and stowed in the raised position within the depth of the wood keel.

The plate is raised by a lanyard through a stainless steel pipe by the main sheet support.

Several cast iron ballast blocks are secured in the bilge across the centre-line.

A relatively large, sealed cock-pit gives space for 4 crew. Large sealed down  hatches in the cock-pit sole lift to give generous access to the area below.

The seats are artistically  shaped opening to access cavernous lockers. The cabin entrance with sliding hatch and wash-boards has a sill at seat level.

The seats go right out to the hull sides so that the varnished “bulwark” is also the back rest to the seats – a nice feature.

A support at the after end of the cock-pit takes the main sheet.

The deck is swept-laid in teak over a ply sub deck for strength and rigidity.

Varnished cover-boards and bulwark with wide capping.
Wide side decks with grab rails on the coach-roof deck afford easy and clear passage forward to a clear and totally uncluttered fore deck.

Right up forward the deck drops to a well to take the anchor and chain.

Twin Sampson posts take the heel of the bowsprit and forward mooring lines.

Rig.

Gaff cuter rig on varnished pole mast stepped in a steel tabernacle on the coach-roof allowing it to be lowered.

Stainless steel standing rigging with rigging screws to external galvanised chain plates round channels.

The boom and gaff are made from painted aluminium mast section allowing the mainsail to be fed into the slot.

Slab reef boom

Traditional leathered gaff saddle.

Roller headsail gear to the stemhead.

Varnished spruce bowsprit can be easily unshipped – chain bob-stay and s/s shrouds.

The rig is set up for single-handed sailing with halyards led aft along the coach-roof deck through clutches to a top-action Harken 9 winch each side of the entrance hatch.

Jib and staysail sheets through lead blocks on deck tracks to jammers.

Light mainsail

Heavy mainsail

Jib

2 x staysails

No 1 jib

Balloon jib.

Mariner 5 4-stroke 5hp outboard engine mounted in a well in the cock-pit seat and through the hull. This is a smart, recent engine giving 5 knts in still waters.

10 litre fuel tank.

Accommodation.       3 berths

Fore cabin with single berth to stbd. The feet of the berth reach forward under the deck chain well.

Porta Potti 235 toilet opposite to port.

Bulkhead to saloon cabin. Port and stbd settee berths. Shaped, buttoned cushions. Nicely shaped bunk boards. Exposed varnished yacht sides.

Fold down chart desk against the after bulkhead to stbd.

Batteries in a well below.

Galley to port. A 2-bruner Origo spirit stove cleverly mounted on rails on the bulkhead over the end of the port berth slides across to the centre-line against the companionway steps for use.

Below it in this position is a stainless steel sink with hand pump. Drains overboard.

Fresh water tank under the cabin sole.

This is a deceptively spacious cabin for the size of the yacht, comfortable seating, all varnished joinery, inlaid cabin sole lifts in panels. Good head-room.

Log/sounder

Bruce anchor, chain and warp

2 x manual bilge pumps.

12v bilge pump

Fire extinguisher

Life ring

LED nav lights on the masthead.

Disclaimer:

These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.