Sailing yachts
Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Marguerite
(REF: 33772)£195000
Full specification
Wooden Ships Comments on this Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Marguerite
Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built by Rowles of Pill near Bristol in 1893.
The build was commissioned by pilot Frank Trott at a cost of £500, she went on to be a very successful pilot boat and regatta winner in the annual pilot cutter races around the Bristol Channel.
In 1900 she became known as the ‘boat with the new boom’ after she was fitted with the first example of the famous Appledore roller reefing system which went on to become commonplace on all pilot cutters, enabling the mainsail to be reefed easily even in heavy weather. She still sports her original Appledore gear on the boom, overhauled and improved with grease nipples to enable regular greasing of the moving parts.
After retiring from her working life, she became a private yacht and then charter yacht, eventually ending up in the Caribbean as a charter vessel. She was sold here and moved to Covey Island Boatworks in Nova Scotia where a major rebuild commenced in the 1990’s involving all new frames and planking, new deck and refitted rig and interior.
She was sold in 2000 to the current owners, experienced wooden boat custodians and sailors, who have cruised her across the Atlantic and back, around Britain and taken part in numerous classic yacht regattas and events. She is a regular fixture around the West country coast spending recent years between Falmouth, the Scillies and Padstow.
One of the largest of the surviving original Pilot Cutters, a well respected and admired yacht with a great pedigree and history. She stands apart from many of the pilot cutters with her large and comfortable cockpit which is ideal for cruising, and her spacious homely interior which has far better headroom than most of her contemporaries.
Length on Deck 53’
Length Overall 65’
Beam 13’10”
Draft 8’3”
Construction
Hull
The majority of the hull structure dates from the Canadian rebuild in the 1990’s.
Carvel planked in Douglas Fir fastened with galvanised steel boat nails to sawn oak frames.
The frames are doubled up in futtocks through the midships section of the ship, the futtocks through bolted with galvanised steel bolts. The fore and aft frames are singular sawn oak.
Grown oak floors across the centreline.
The wooden keel was replaced in 2003 with all new wrought iron centreline bolts.
The ballast is all internal as with all pilot cutters. This is thought to be pig iron in the bilges, overlaid with concrete further assisting to stiffen the centreline structure of the vessel.
New rudder built in 2003. This is a steel blade clad in teak, all of which can be easily unbolted to drop the rudder if required. Carefully machined rudder bearings make for a very smooth action with little or no resistance. Original wrought iron tiller.
Decks and Cockpit
All new deck structure in the rebuild.
Laminated douglas fir deck beams resting on the beamshelf.
Composite deck with a straight laid douglas fir subdeck overlaid with plywood and sheathed in epoxy glass cloth. An aesthetic straight laid douglas fir deck is bonded over the sheathing, seams payed with butyl rubber.
Bulwark all round on stanchions which are bolted to the deck with stainless steel bolts. These can be undone and removed in the event of repairs being required.
The self draining cockpit is large compared to most pilot cutter cockpit designs, offering safe and comfortable seating for the crew.
Varnished teak coamings and capping rails with douglas fir thwarts and sole boards.
Superstructure
Flush decks in keeping with her heritage. Varnished teak companionway with sliding hatch flows elegantly from the cockpit. Varnished teak companion doors make for easy access up and down the companion steps.
Varnished teak skylight just aft of the mast over the saloon.
Varnished teak forehatch.
Rig
Spars
Gaff cutter rig on a keel stepped douglas fir mast. New mast in 2018
Varnished wooden boom, gaff and bowsprit.
Boom fitted with Appledore roller furling. This original system has ben re-engineered with new bearings and grease nipples to keep it in smooth working order.
Standing and Running Rigging
Stainless steel wire standing rigging new in 1996 with dead eyes and lanyards to external galvanised chain plates.
The shrouds are spliced around the deadeyes then parcelled and served in the traditional manner.
Stainless steel forestay to the stemhead.
Running backstays on 4:1 tackles.
Traditional wooden blocks. Running rigging is a mix of traditional 3 strand and modern braid.
Outer jib on a traveller and Wykham Martin furling drum to the end of the bowsprit.
Main peak and throat halyards are double-tailed with stretchers comprising 4:1 tackles to get the last bit of tension in the mainsail when hoisting.
Sails
Mainsail Gowan Sails 1984 Useable condition
Topsail SKB 2021 Excellent condition
No.1 Staysail Gowan Sails 1984 Useable condition
No.2 Staysail Patrick Selman 2002 Excellent condition
Working Jib Good condition
Large jib Gowan Sails 1984 Good condition
Storm Jib Gowan Sails 1984 Good condition
Winches
Manual winch mounted on the forward face of the mast with 4 separate drums.
Machinery
Engine
Perkins 4.236 4 cyl diesel installed new in 1984. Approximately 80hp.
Maintained annually with injectors and injector pump overhauled in recent years. Engine lifted out and given thorough overhaul in 2003.
Borg Warner Velvet Drive gearbox with single lever controls to a fixed 3 blade 25” bronze propeller. 5 knots cruising speed.
Tanks
160 gallons of fuel in 2 x 80 gallon stainless steel tanks under the cockpit.
150 gallons fresh water in 2 separate tanks under saloon settee berths.
Batteries and Electrics
3 x 100ah domestic batteries.
1 x 95ah engine start battery.
Charging via Balmar engine alternator. 240 volt battery charger when plugged into shore power.
Spare engine start battery and starter motor carried about the vessel.
Accommodation
Berths
8 berths comprising:
- 2 x double berths
- 1 x quarter berth
- 1 x saloon pilot berth
- 2 x single forecabin berths
General Description
Gently sloping companion steps down from the cockpit.
Port side is the chart desk and a single quarter berth. The chart desk faces forward with its own dedicated seat.
To starboard is a quarter cabin with a large double berth and lockers.
Centreline passage into the main cabin with galley to port and heads compartment to starboard.
Main saloon with port and starboard settees around a dropleaf varnished teak saloon table offset to port.
Pilot berth to starboard under the deckhead. Lockers on the port side above the settee.
Dickinson Antarctic diesel fired heater mounted against the aft saloon bulkhead.
Elegant mahogany door into the forward accommodation. It is believed this door was salvaged from a bank and used in one of the ships early conversions to a private yacht. The glass panel is etched with a drawing of the Margeurite Daisy.
Forward accommodation has 2 single berths to starboard and a double cabin to port. Steps here up the forehatch.
Forepeak is given over as bosuns store and workshop.
Galley
GN Espace Levante 4 gas cooker, 4 burners with oven and grill. Vented gas locker in aft starboard quarter access from a deck hatch.
Twin stainless steel sink with manually pumped fresh and salt water taps. Sinks drained with a hand pump.
Large top loading fridge locker with a 12 volt refrigeration compressor.
Heads
The heads compartment has a watertight tray formed with epoxy glass cloth and a manually pumped drain.
Blakes Lavac manual sea toilet with a connected black water waste tank.
Hand basin with manually pumped fresh water.
Shower head with a manual foot pump.
Equipment
Bronze steering compass
Standard Horizon speed log
Raymarine depth sounder
Stowe log
Clipper AIS radar
Clipper Easy Navtex
Cobra DSC VHF
ICOM ICM700UK HF radio
Micrologic GPS navigator
Waeco Mobitronic inverter
240 volt shore power battery charger
Balmar high output engine alternator
3 x 100ah domestic batteries
1 x 95ah engine start battery
Spare engine start battery
Spare engine starter motor
80lb CQR anchor
60lb CQR anchor
80m x ½” chain
Manual capstan type windlass
Numerous mooring warps
Fenders
Mainsail Gowan Sails 1984 Useable condition
Topsail SKB 2021 Excellent condition
No.1 Staysail Gowan Sails 1984 Useable condition
No.2 Staysail Patrick Selman 2002 Excellent condition
Working Jib Good condition
Large jib Gowan Sails 1984 Good condition
Storm Jib Gowan Sails 1984 Good condition
Mainsail cover
Bunk and berth cushions
Dickinson Antarctic diesel cabin heater
GN Espace Levante 4 galley cooker
Top loading 12 volt fridge compartment
2 x gas bottles
4 x paraffin cabin lamps
2 x horse shoe life buoys with strobe lights
Danbuoy with horseshow life buoys and light
MOB lifting strop
Jackstays
1 x Whale Titan manual bilge pump
2 x Rule auto electric bilge pumps
1 x spare auto electric pump
4 x fire extinguishers
Fire blanket
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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.
