Alan Buchanan Bermudan Sloop

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Alan Buchanan Bermudan sloop

built by Fox & Sons, Ipswich, launched November 1958.

The design is typical of Alan Buchanan’s work at the time and similar to the successful East Anglian design.

Sold to her by Wooden Ships, she has been in this lady’s ownership for 26 years. Until recently the lady lived on board and sailed the yacht in the Solent area. In the last few years circumstances have hindered the lady from doing her usual maintenance so externally the yacht looks rather sad while internally she is regularly cleaned and polished belying the exterior appearance.

The hull has a full keel with long external ballast keel, a slightly cut-away fore foot, good free-board with a very sweet sheer, an over-hanging bow and a raked transom stern with the rudder hung on the transom.

The construction is unusually robust for a yacht of this size.

 

Planked in larch below the wl, mahogany above, all caulked and payed in the traditional way.

The planking is fastened to the steam bent oak timbers with copper nails and roves. Plank butts to wooden butt straps.

A 5” beam shelf all round is strengthened by a 6” clamp over most of the length of the hull. (The clamp is an additional plank internally below the beam shelf and resists any tendency for the hull to pull up in way of over-tightened rigging and of course any size-ways pressure or impact.)

A 5” sided stringer runs the full length of the hull at the turn of the bilge.

Long external iron ballast keel.

Galvanised strap floors on every second timber.       Now showing significant corrosion

The deck is reinforced in way of the mast by a pair of massive oak knees under the side deck + a pair of knees each side on the coamings.

The mast is stepped on the coach-roof deck supported below by 3 very heavy deck beams with a fore and aft oak beam spanning them each side supported in turn on oak compression posts. This hull is not going to move!

The external hull surface is very fair, painted in white enamel but now looking tired and in need a repainting.

Timber rudder hung externally on the transom.Gudgeons and pintles rebuilt 1983

 

The deck is laid in T&G pine, originally canvas sheathed as was traditional.

1983. Deck canvas replaced by glass cloth and  resin, painted light blue, clear, clean, water-tight and easily maintained.

Mahogany toe rail all round the deck edge.

Oak Sampson post on the fore deck. Large oak mooring cleat on the aft deck

Bronze fair leads fore and aft.

Stainless steel pulpit, push-pit and stanchions with twin guard wires. New 1983

Galvanised stemhead fitting with single chain roller, now in need of regalvanising.

 

Long low coach-roof dropping nicely down to meet the sheer, raised to a dog-house aft with two windows each side. Mahogany coamings in need of varnishing.

Typical Buchanan roll-round deck edge to meet the well-cambered sheathed ply roof.

The varnished oak deck beams below are immensely robust for the size of the boat and support the mast step on the roof.

Twin mahogany grab rails.

Fore hatch on the front end of the coach-roof needs revarnishing.

 

Self-draining cock-pit with white painted ply sides to the well. Locker door in the well to the lazarette under the aft deck.

Scubbed mahogany seats and bridge deck.

Port seat opens to a deep locker.

Fixed stabd seat over the ¼ berth.

Sliding hatch and louvered wash-boards to the cabin entrance, all mahogany and in need of varnish.

 

Fractional bermudian sloop rig on varnished spruce mast stepped in a galvanised shoe on the coach-roof deck. This is a well-supported mast with single spreaders and jumper struts above.

Single lowers, cap shrouds to the jumper struts and diamonds round the jumpers to the cap.

Single stemhead fore stay to the jumpers.

Twin masthead standing back-stays to the quarters.

All stainless steel standing rigging with stainless steel rigging screws to internal galvanised steel chain plates.

Varnished spruce roller reefing boom sheets with modern blocks to a horse on the aft deck, jammer on the lower block.

 

Sails.

Mainsail by Lucas  1982

Genoa by Lucas 1981

No 1 jib by Ratsey 1967

Working jib by Ratsey 1967

Spinnaker by Ratsey 1982.

 

 

Winches.

Pair of original bottom action tufnol winches on galvanised pedestals on the cock-pit coamings take the headsail sheets. Associated cleats on the coamings.

Halyards on straight pull and a single whip.

 

Machinery.

2-cylinder Brit petrol engine installed on the centre-line with conventional shaft drive.

Standard Brit manual ahead and astern gear-box.

Wet exhaust. Magneto spark. Dynastart on twin belts.

7 gallon petrol tank.

This engine is currently not functioning. The head is off to reveal stuck pistons and valves.

These Brit engines are exceptionally good engineering, smooth, silent and reliable and this engine should not be thrown away without some thought. Rebore, new pistons and valves will be much cheaper than a diesel replacement.

 

Accommodation.                              3 berths.

 

Baby Blake sea toilet with chromed fittings and black plastic seat and lid in the fore peak.

Chain well forward, Sampson post through from the deck.

Varnished mahogany slatted sail bins either side. Exposed hull sides and deck head all painted in clean white enamel.

Part bulkhead with opening in way of the deck compression posts to the saloon cabin with port and stbd settee berths.

Half height bulkheads to galley in the after port corner, quarter berth in the after stbd corner.

Varnished engine box between with steps to cock-pit.
electrical switch board under the bridge deck over the engine box.

The galley is a simple flat white formica surface with a Taylors 2-burner paraffin cooker

Top loading locker lid in the back corner. Locker under the surface.

Exposed ship’s sides painted in clean white enamel.

Varnished coamings and deck beams. Hardwood cabin sole boards.

Red vinyl bunk cushions with white vinyl back rests.

 

6’ head-room at the galley under the entrance hatch.

 

Equipment

2 compasses

Hand bearing compass

Brookes and Gatehouse sounder.

Walker through hull log

 

CQR anchor

30 meters 5/16” chain

 

3 fire extinguishers. Manual bilge pump

3 mooring warps

5 fenders

Masthead tricolour nav lights, mast steaming light and low level nav lights on the pulpit.

Spreader lights.

All over boat cover over the boom.

 

 

This yacht looks a bit sad and is being offered for sale with great regret. However family circumstances have overtaken the owner, she can no longer use or properly maintain the yacht and wants an equally loving owner to take over.

In her 29 year ownership, the lady owner has cherished the yacht and has been rewarded by some great sailing. She has had good work done over the years, notably by The Elephant Boatyard in 1983 when she spent nearly £4000 on the deck, the rudder and other areas and again in 1990 when the coach-roof deck was replaced and other work.

The engine is a great pity because the Brit is a wonderful little engine and it can almost certainly be revitalised. Petrol is not all bad and with a first class installation, the correct ventilation and sensible use they will give first class service.

Despite her sad external appearance the boat does appear to be essentially sound and will be an opportunity for someone to get out on the water with some hard work but not a lot of cash.

We have valued the yacht taking into account the owner’s love of the boat, the condition and the opportunity.

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.