Harrison Butler type Bermudan Cutter

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Harrison Butler type Bermudan cutter

Built by Primmer and Snook of Bursledon on the Hamble River, Hampshire, 1936.

Early Lloyds lists note her as being a Harrison Butler design and she certainly bears close to resemblance to many of the doctor’s yachts.

Long keel, transom stern with gentle tumble-home, transom-hung rudder and a nicely curved stem.

The sheer is emphasised by a heavy varnished teak rubbing strake round the deck edge with a toe rail above and a second running strake 6” below.

 

This is a really attractive yacht with a very sweet sheer and a good rig.

Sadly the owner is just not using her and has decided to slash the price rather than let her lie unused making her an absolute steal.

He has not been able to polish her up this spring as usual, largely due to the poor weather which has affected all of  us so a new owner will have to do some varnishing but there seems to be no reason why she should not sail away.

 

Planked in 1” pitch-pine, fastened with copper nails and roves to steamed Canadian rock elm timbers on an oak back-bone.

The hull is very fair and tight, painted with white enamel and the band between upper and lower rubbing strakes is picked out in yellow.

Fixed port hole each side forward gives light to the fore cabin.

Long external lead ballast keel. Bronze bolts, last checked 1992.

Oak floors. Interestingly, the floors are made in twin over-lapping futtocks to give a robust centre-line structure.

Varnished mahogany coach-roof coamings with 3 bronze opening port holes each side.

The coach-roof is narrow, typical of Harrison Butler designs leaving generous, clear side decks and the coamings extend aft to form the cock-pit coamings.

The coach-roof deck is in T&G pine boards, sheathed externally and trimmed in teak beading round the edges.

A traditional varnished mahogany sky-light with twin opening lights gives light and ventilation to the cabin, fitted new about 20 years ago.

Varnished teak sliding hatch and wash-board to the cabin entrance, slightly off-set to stbd.

 

Comfortable cock-pit with varnished teak coamings, well sheltered by an excellent spray-hood, varnished lids over the deep seat lockers either side and a bridge deck across the front. Batteries under the bridge deck.

Locker door in the well into the lazarette.

The deck is probably the original T&G pine, the original canvas covereing replaced in 1982 in ¼” ply with grp sheathing and painted with a tough, rubberoid type of floor paint which appears to be very successful and no slip.

 

The bowsprit runs through a gammon iron over the stem post with chain roller either side, the heel lodged in an oak Sampson post.

Manual windlass behind the Sampson post.

Chain spurling pipes either side of the Sampson post.

Varnished hardwood fore hatch on the fore deck aft of the windlass.

Pair of large wooden cleats on the aft deck take aft mooring lines.

Stainless steel pulpit, push-pit and stanchions with twin guard-wires.

Red and green nav light on the pulpit, stern light on the push-pit.

Camping Gas bottle in a stainless steel wire cage suspended on the push-pit.

Peg rail on the after cock-pit coaming holds the tiller as a primitive form of self steering, common on older yachts.

 

Bermudian cutter rig on varnished, round section, keel-stepped pole mast, single spreaders.

Stainless steel rigging, replaced by David Carne, The Boathouse, Falmouth in previous ownership, around 1995.

Furlex roller reefing gear to the end of the bowsprit.

Boomed staysail.

 

Sails by South West Sails, Penryn, Cornwall 1997.

Mainsail

Staysail

No 1 Jib

No 2 Jib

Storm trysail

She sets approx 480sq’ working sail in main, staysail and jib.

 

Lister Alpha 30hp diesel installed in 1997 to conventional centre-line shaft drive.

New shaft and cutlass bearing fitted at the same time.

New stainless steel fuel tank in 2005

3 x 12v batteries under the bridge deck.

 

Accommodation.               4 berths

Fore cabin with double berth, big enough to sleep fore and aft or athwartships. Chain locker bulkhead forward.

Stbd off-set doorway to a lobby in way of the mast.

Storage pit locker below with twin louvered doors to lockers above to stbd.

Jabsco sea toilet to port with louvered doors lockers behind. Full length hanging locker alongside.

Bulkhead to saloon cabin with varnished centre-line door.

Port and stbd settee berths with louvered doors to lockers up behind under the side decks.

Shelf over the after end of the port settee provides space for charts with switch board above and shelf for nav books.

Galley to stbd with settee trotter box under. Stainless steel sink and drainer. Recessed Plastimo 2-burner and grill gas cooker. 2 Camping Gas bottles in a stainless steel cage suspended from the pulpit aft. Lockers under the side deck.

Engine box step between.

Table on cantilever stand pivoting off the stbd settee berth front.

Varnished coamings, deck beams and cabin sole. Painted forward bulkhead.

Flexible water tanks under the settee berths.

 

Equipment.

Furuno radar.

Chart plotter

VHF radio.

Plastimo sounder.

Barometer and clock.

Compass

 

Large plough anchor

15kg Bruce anchor

Danforth anchor

Ample chain.

Manual windlass.

 

Manual and electric bilge pumps.

Boarding ladder.

Bosun’s chair

Masthead tri-colour nav lights + pulpit nav lights.

Warps, fenders and legs

Taylor’s diesel cabin heater.

Boat hook, ensign staff and radio.

Crockery etc.

Boat cover

 

Schedule of works in previous ownership in preparation for a voyage to the Med 1997

Chain plate bolts replaced

New bowsprit and associated rigging.

Mast fittings regalvanised

New stainless steel fittings on the boom

Standing rigging replaced in stainless steel.

Furlex roller furling gear fitted

New mainsail, staysail and jib.

New anchor chain

Bottom stripped to bare wood and fastenings examined.

Hood ends above wl refastened with phosphor bronze screws. Hood ends below wl were refastened in 1992

Rudder rebuilt and hangings regalvanised and rebushed.

New engine beds on strengthened laminted floors.

New engine fitted

Sea cocks  replaced as required.

New switch panel and some replacement wiring.

Stanchions, pulpit and pushpit rebedded.

New gas cooker, bottles and gas hoses.

Salt water tap fitted at the galley.

 

Schedule of works in present ownership.

Some rigging replaced.

New stainless steel fuel tank.

New stainless steel fittings on the bowsprit.

New sea toilet fitted

Mast and spars revarnished with Coelan

New nav instruments

New bilge pump.

New fresh water piping.

Sampson post replaced.

Rudder bolts replaced.

Cabin roof repainted

Upholstery upgraded and extensive repainting.

New berth cushions and covers

New cooker

Sea cock replaced.

Part of toe rail replaced.

Port hole and sky-light seals replaced.

 

An attractive yacht of great character, extensively refitted in previous ownership prior to a few years extended cruising.  The owner is very keen to find a buyer who will be able to use the boat more than he is able to do in 2013.