Sailing yachts
Colin Archer Type Venus Cutter
(REF: 17916)£
Full specification
Wooden ships comments on this Colin Archer Type Venus Cutter
Designed by Paul Johnson who was influenced in his designs by his childhood on board his parent’s Colin Archer yacht Escape. He is best known for this design, originally known as the Venus Ketch.
Built by Terry Heard at his Tregatreath Boatyard in Cornwall in 1971.
Strip plank, edge-glued 1 1/8” iroko hull skin epoxy/glass coated on the outside and screwed and glued to massive 3” x 3” grown oak varnished frames at 24”c with 2 steamed oak timbers between. This type of construction and finish, although not entirely traditional, gives a very low maintenance hull.
4 ton iron ballast keel. This is a new keel fitted in 1991. Galvanised mild steel keel bolts last drawn in 2008. Heavy oak floors with a few additional ferrous straps.
Very clear, clean plywood deck sheathed with West System epoxy with marked camber. Good hull free-board. 4” bulwark all round with varnished capping rail, varnished rubbing strake. Small dog-house with varnished edge trim, 2 bronze ports each side, varnished sliding hatch and 2 wash-boards to the cabin. Fore hatch up forward. Varnished teak coachroof coamings.
Galvanised steel push-pit with boom-crutch over. Stanchion posts each side from the rigging aft to the push-pit and led down to the fwd toe rail. All stanchion bases replaced in 2006.
Self draining cockpit well with bridge deck to companionway. Tiller steering to rudder hung on the stern post.
Rudder removed and gudgeon pins and pintles replaced in 2011.
Gaff cutter rig on keel-stepped varnished pine pole mast. Varnished pine boom with slab reefing, sheets to the push pit. Varnished gaff with traditional leather saddle.
Galvanised wire rigging Replaced 2005 by Spencers of Cowes set up to external galvanised chain plates. Galvanised mast fittings. Combination of Tuffnell and varnished blocks with s/s pins and roller bearings. Runners on tackles. Fife rail at mast foot.
Bowsprit heel into twin varnished oak Sampson posts, chain bobstay with tackle. Boomed staysail, sheets led aft, halyards to the fife rail. Heavy tan terylene slab-reef mainsail, genoa on Wickham martin roller gear to the end of the bowsprit, working jib, staysail, light weather genoa, storm jib and main topsail on a wind-surfer mast yard.
Bowsprit replaced in 2004
New stainless steel bobstay chain plate in 2008
New S/S whisker stays in 2011
Sails
Main
| Mainsail | South West Sails | 300sqft | 1993 | Good |
| Staysail | Patrick Selman | 80sqft | 1991 | Good |
| Jib No.1 | Arun | 180sqft | 2005 | Good |
| Jib No.2 | 98sqft | 1997 | Good | |
| Genoa | Good | |||
| Topsail | Lawrence | 92sqft | 1991 | Poor |
| Storm Jib | Good |
Winches
Maxwell 24 two-speed polished bronze sheet winches.
Yanmar YSB12 12hp 1-cyl reconditioned 1997. Salt water cooled. Twin lever controls to centre line 3-blade prop gives 5 knots at 0.25 gallons per hour. Electric and hand start. The engine is installed under the double berth aft with excellent access.
2 x 12v batteries.
14 gallons of diesel in galvanised tank aft with sight gauge. Tank removed, cleaned and seals replaced in 2008. The engine is installed under the double berth aft with excellent access.
4 berths. A large double, 1 passage berth and 1 shorter berth.
Fore cabin is arranged as a workshop but could easily be converted back into twin V-berths. Full headroom. Bulkhead to saloon cabin with semi-circular settees each side with varnished T&G pine backs, lockers behind. The stbd berth is full length passage berth, shorter port berth with. Lots of storage space in this open feeling saloon.
Staggered key-hole white painted ply bulkheads. To stbd a 2-burner grill and oven gimballed gas cooker and chart desk; port side sink and work surface with hand pump from 40 galls water in 3 galvanised tanks in the bilge, sink drains over-board.
6’+ head-room under the doghouse, 5’10 in saloon. Larger double berth aft under the cock-pit well, open to the cabin.
Sestral bulkhead compass
NASA Stingray sounder
Nasa log
Garmin 126 GPS
Cobra DSC VHF (2011)
Clock and barometer
Aries wind vane auto-pilot with extensive spares
4 x lifejackets
Life buoy
Fire extinguisher
35lb CQR
40lb Fishermans
22lb Danforth
3 anchors, windlass,
250 feet of calibrated chain
200fett of warp
The yacht has cruised extensively around the south coast and English Channel in present ownership and only the pressures of a young family force the sale. In her relatively short lifetime, she has clocked up several blue water passages with a voyage to West Africa, the Caribbean and home in the 90’s. She proved to be fast and seaworthy averaging 135 miles/day on a trade wind crossing to the Caribbean, very respectable indeed for a yacht with a waterline length of 24’. Easily handled by one or two people, this is a very capable boat and a fantastic value cruising yacht.
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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.
