Bermudan cutter

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Bermudan Cutter

Bermudan cutter designed by A. N. Prickett and built by Keith Nelson at his yard in Bembridge, IOW in 1952.  Nelson later went on to produce the famous Nelson motor yachts which were very successful and are still very popular.  Prickett was Chief Structures Engineer at Saunders Rowe, Cowes, and frequently had entries in Yachting World design competitions along with Dr Harrison Butler.

Prickett designed the forerunner of Selina in the 1930s and she was launched as “Solondrina” in 1936. This yacht was laid up in Portsmouth during the war but was destroyed by a bomb, the spars survived, being in a different shed and these spars are those of “Selina” (with the exception of the bowsprit, made longer than the original by the current owners to improve helm balance).

After the war, the Commodore of the Bembridge Redwing fleet, Lawry Corry, who had an injured back which restricted his racing activities, wanted a boat from which he could follow the Redwing racing. He had admired “Solondrina” before the war and therefore commissioned a sister ship to Prickett’s pre-war design using the spars from the original boat, this was “Selina”, launched in 1952.

Planked in 1” mahogany all copper fastened to closely spaced CRE frames.  Bronze screws in garboards and hood ends.

Grown oak floors with external cast iron ballast keel.  Iron keel bolts last drawn 2009, found to be good.

The majority of the interior was removed to gain access to the centreline.  All the frame ends were professionally replaced in laminated oak, all copper fastened

Deck of T&G Columbian pine, overlaid with marine plywood and sheathed in epoxy cloth.  Finished in cream deck paint.

Sheathing is rolled over the deck edge and finished under a half round varnished teak rubbing strake.  Varnished teak toe rail set slightly inboard of the deck edge around the fore deck and the quarters.

Bronze stem head fitting with twin chain rollers and gammon iron.  Centreline Sampson post, bronze fairleads and teak and bronze mooring cleats.  All bronze deck fittings including highfield levers.

Varnished teak coachroof coamings with two fixed bronze portholes each side.

Cambered coachroof deck increases height in the cabin without looking boxy and ugly.  Sheathed plywood over laid T&G pine, centreline teak sliding hatch.

Large cockpit with teak coamings and port and starboard thwarts.  Front access lockers under the thwarts with large lockers under the side decks.

Laid teak over ply cockpit sole with access hatch to aft bilge and stern gear.

Transom hung rudder with tiller steering.

Rig

The original standing rigging plan was said to be based on aviation principles and the metal fittings are to aviation standards of the 1930s with rivets and stitch welds.

Bermudan cutter rig on keel stepped solid varnished spruce mast.  Varnished spruce roller reefing boom with varnished staysail boom.

Stainless steel wire rigging and rigging screws, all new in the last 2 years, to external bronze chainplates.

Single lower shroud, single intermediate and single cap shroud with one pair of spreaders.

Twin running backstays to bronze Highfield levers on the side decks.

Staysail hanked to inner forestay with staysail boom on a bronze fitting to the stemhead.  Sheeted to a galvanised horse on the foredeck.

Outer and intermediate forestay fixed to the stemhead, outer leads to the masthead, intermediate leads to the head of the jib 2/3 up the mast.

Jib works on a traveller with a Wickham Martin Furling system

Sails

Main                Ratsey              12 years           Ok condition

Jib                    Arun                7 years             Good condition

Staysail            Arun                7 years             Ok condition

Jib topsail        Arun                7 years             Ok condition

Baloon jib        Ratsey              12 years           Good condition

Machinery

Beta Marine 10hp 2cyl diesel installed new in 2003.  Beta gearbox with single lever controls.

Centreline stainless steel shaft to 3 blade bronze propeller gives 5 knots.  Shaft, prop and all stern gear new in 2003.

40lt plastic Tek Tank for fuel under starboard cockpit thwart.  Water separator fuel filter

Batteries

2 x 12volt batteries for domestics and engine starting, charged from engine alternator.

Accommodation

Simple accommodation below decks that was fitted after the refit of the bottom end. Effective use of space but joinery and systems need to be finished

Sliding hatch with louvered varnished teak doors into the cabin.

Galley to port aft of a full height T&G bulkhead.  Taylors dual burner paraffin cooker with warming oven and 1.5 gallon tank.

No water system.  Washing up bowl used with a jerry can for fresh water.

Full length port and starboard settee berths with cushions.

T&G bulkhead just forward of the mast splits the main cabin from the forecabin with offset starboard door.

Jabsco sea toilet installed on the centreline facing aft at the forrard end.  Pipecot on the port side folds up against the hull when not in use.  Forehatch above.  Ample space for stowage of warps, fenders and sails.

The interior of this little gem is very simple and needs attention, however it does function as simple shelter for the weekend sailing that she is currently used for.  The ratio of cockpit size to interior space is more akin to a Folkboat than a Vertue, with a large cockpit very suitable for comfortable day sailing.  A boat such as the Vertue offers more interior volume but has a very cramped cockpit, fine for one person on watch while on passage but not comfortable for a trip down the coast on a sunny summers day.  This boat seems to offer a perfect balance of interior and exterior space for the long weekend sailor, plenty of space in the deep cockpit for safe sheltered sailing and enough space in the cabin when the weather turns foul and you wish to hide away with a good book.

Inventory

Sestrel steering compass

Echopilot combined sounder and log

Simrad RT63 DSC VHF

Garmin GPSMAP 400 plotter/GPS

Navigation lights

2 x fire extinguishers

Horse shoe buoy

CQR anchor

Danforth anchor

Ample chain

New all ver cover

8 fenders

Various mooring warps of different sizes

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.