Buchanan Bermudan Cutter

Full specification

Wooden Ships Comments on this Buchanan Bermudan Cutter

Designed by Alan Buchanan and built by Kings of Burnham in 1963 for Bernard Hayman, previous editor of Yachting World.  She is an exceptional sea boat with good windward performance and designed to take whatever the seas may throw at her.

Hayman was an exceptional sailor and together with his yacht was the first western sailor to enter Russia post WWII.

He wrote extensively about his sailing exploits and the benefits of a well designed yacht for proper sailing where he was a strong advocate of employing new technology such as roller furling and self tailing winches to aid the lone sailor.

This yacht is not a typical Buchanan with long overhangs and the sweeping sheer, she instead has a relatively high freeboard making her spacious below decks with a transom hung rudder.  Her virtues become apparent at sea where every part of her has been cleverly designed to make a superb sea boat.  The way she sails, the strength of the build, the layout below, the available storage and plenty of hand holds are all indications of what this yacht was designed originally designed for and is capable of.  She may not be festooned with double berths but she will look after her crew in any weather and will behave exactly as a proper yacht should.

Fitted with a new engine in 2016, new mainsail in 2018 and updated cosmetics and paint work, she is in excellent condition and ready to sail.  2021 survey report.

 

Length overall                   32’2”

Length Waterline             24’

Beam                                    9’

Draft                                      6’

Thames Tonnage

 

 

Construction

 

Hull

Planked in ¾” Iroko fastened with copper nails and roves to Canadian Rock Elm steamed timbers.

A mixture of grown oak and galvanised strap floors.

External 2.2 ton lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts.

Topsides professionally repainted last winter.

 

Decks and cockpit

The deck has a noticeable radius to improve headroom below.  Constructed of a double layer of marine plywood screwed and glued to the deck beams and finished with deck paint.  Large section beamshelf with galvanised hanging knees.  Decks stripped and repainted last winter.

Large dorade vents just forward of the coachroof which can be removed and blanked off in heavy weather.  The dorades were rebuilt last winter.  Varnished teak forehatch

Varnished teak toerail set slightly inboard of the deck edge.  Stainless steel guard wires and stanchions mounted flush to the deck.

Self draining cockpit with a bridge deck.  The thwarts are effectively at deck level with the varnished coamings fastened directly to the deck.  Tiller steering to a transom hung rudder.  Canvas sprayhood for shelter.

 

Superstructure

Coachroof aft of the mast made of varnished mahogany coamings with bronze portlights.  Coachroof deck is painted marine plywood.  Varnished teak handrails on the coachroof deck with a raised garage to accommodate the sliding hatch.

 

 

 

Rig 

Masthead Bermudan cutter rig on a keel stepped alloy mast with an alloy slab reefing boom.  Pair of alloy spinnaker poles.

Hayman spent much time planning the rigging and wrote extensively on the subject of having a versatile and easily managed rig for short handed sailing.  His opinion was that this yachts rig is the ideal set up for a short handed sailor, offering several very efficient sail combinations to suit wind strength.  He was absolutely of the mind that a heavily reefed large genoa on a roller reefing system was not a suitable sail for upwind sailing in heavy weather and that reducing the height aspect of the rig by setting sails from other forestays was a far preferable option.

Close coupled inner and outer forestay, both with roller furling.  No.1 Profurl new in 2007.  A third inner stay to the spreaders allows a heavy weather staysail to be set on hanks.

Stainless steel standing rigging new 2005 with bronze rigging screws to stainless steel chain plates.

Twin standing back stays, single cap shroud and a single aft raking lower.  The forward lower shroud is replaced by the inner forestay which fastens to the same part of the mast.

 

Sails 

Fully battened mainsail new in 2018 from Owen Sails

No.1 genoa 2011 in excellent condition

No.2 Genoa 2012 in excellent condition

Storm Jib  and trysail original but in good condition

Trysail original but good

Genneker new 2011 in excellent condition on Facnor furler.

 

Winches

Pair of Lewmar ST sheet winches on the cockpit coamings.

3 x mast winches for halyards and reefing pennants.

 

 

 

 

Machinery

Engine

Volvo Penta D1-20 19hp 3cyl diesel fitted new in 2016.

Single lever control with a stainless shaft to a Feather Stream folding propeller.

Calorifier run off the engine for hot water.

 

Tanks

70l stainless steel fuel tank located at the aft end of the boat.

70l flexible water tank in the bilge.

 

Batteries

2 x 12volt batteries charged from the engine alternator.

 

 

 

Accommodation

Berths

4 berths with 2 quarter berths and 2 pilot berths.

 

Saloon

This boat was designed for long distance cruising and that is evident from her layout and design features.  The berths are all excellent sea berths, the storage areas are plentiful and secure, handholds are numerous and priority has been given to a full size chart table.

Steps down into the saloon with a massive 6’7” of headroom.  An easily accessed quarter berth either side, forward of this is the galley port and chart table to starboard.  The interior finish is simple yet smart with painted bulkheads and varnished trim.

The settees are relatively small as they do not double up as berths.  Pilot berths behind these are full length, deep and safe with large front accessed storage lockers beneath.  Centreline table hinged off the mast folds away when not in use.

Alaska oil fired cabin heater on the forward bulkhead.

Passageway offset to starboard into the forecabin with the heads and storage.

 

Galley

2 burner gimballed gas stove with oven and grill.  Single stainless sink gravity drains overboard.

Large amount of storage and locker space in and around the galley.

 

Heads

Jabsco sea toilet centrally mounted facing aft in the forecabin.  Fitted new last winter.

 

 

Full specification and details available upon request

 

 

 

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.