Harrison Butler Z4 Bermudan sloop

Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this Harrison Butler Z4 Bermudan sloop

One of  about 52 built by Lockharts of Brentwood, Essex before the War, this one launched in 1939.

 

Length on deck                                   21’

Lwl                                                      19’

Beam                                                   7’2”

Draft                                                   4’

Thames Tonnage                                 4TM

Displacement                                      7400lbs (ballast 2700lbs)

Planked in 13/16ths pitch-pine all copper fastened to 1” x 1 ¼” steam bent American elm timbers and c. 7” centres on an oak back-bone with a few of the bent timbers cracked over the years and doubled in the past.

A pair of angle iron frames in way of the mast are cleverly set off the planking to avoid future problems.

Long external 2700lb iron ballast keel.  Keel bolts drawn 2006/7

Several ferrous strap floors are fitted on pads laid on the inside face of the planking, not on the timbers as is usual. 2011 survey reports all floors in good order.

 

Deck  

Original canvas covered pine deck as was traditional in those days, replaced with ply deck and sheathed with glass cloth.

Varnished teak coamings.

Teak toe rails.

Varnished teak fore hatch.

Galvanised stemhead fitting with stbd side chain roller.

Bronze mushroom vent on the fore deck provides ventilation to the forepeak.

Bronze spurling pipe for the chain.

Twin wooden mooring cleats on the fore deck, mooring cleat each on the aft deck.

Stainless steel pulpit, pushpit and single guard wires on stainless stanchions.

 

Varnished teak coach-roof with 2 bronze opening ports each side, teak grab rails.

Varnished teak sliding hatch and twin doors to the cabin entrance.

Varnished teak T&G cock-pit bulkhead. Engine control panel in the bulkhead to stbd of the entrance door.

 

Deep, very safe little cock-pit in teak, comfortable for two with scrubbed seat locker lids each side, access to stowage and 6 gall copper fuel tank under aft deck. Stowage under the side decks.

Manual bilge pump under the stbd side deck.

Scrubbed teak triangular sole board lifts to access the shaft and stern bilge.

Pin rail across the after cock-pit coaming with pegs to hold the tiller – a simple form of auto-pilot.

Sheet winches on outward canted mounts

 

 

Rig

3/4 bermudian sloop rig on varnished pine mast with bronze mainsail track, single spreaders and jumpers over, set in  galvanised steel tabernacle just fwd of the coach-roof. Twin cleats each side on the tabernacle.

Galvanised  wire rigging new 2001, twin lowers and cap shrouds to distinctive triangular external chain plate bracket..

Single standing masthead back-stay to galvanised bumpkin, twin chains down to the hull. The A-frame steel bumpkin forms part of the galvanised sheet horse over the tiller.

Running back-stays on bronze levers.

 

Rectangular section slab reef boom sheets to the horse on the aft deck over the tiller with modern tufnol blocks. A frame boom crutch.

 

Winches.

Pair of tufnol top action cock-pit sheet winches on the coamings.

Pair of top action chromed Lewmar mast halyard winches.

 

Sails

Mainsail 190sq’

Genoa 70sq’

Storm jib

Working jib

Boom tent New mainsail cover

 

Machinery

Yanmar 1GM 10hp 1-cyl diesel engine, raw water cooled flexibly mounted on theport off-set 3-blade prop, gives her 5knts.

6 gall copper fuel tank in lazarette.

12v battery under stbd settee berth.

Fused switch panel.

 

Accommodation

2 berths. Generous settee berths each side with good sitting head-room open right up to the stem.  Sea toilet under the joinery fwd between V-seats.

Lots of stowage space forward.

2 pairs of steel compression post mast supports forward at the fore end of the coach-roof.

Neptune 2-burner spirit cooker on surface to stbd aft, lockers under.  Varnished teak twin door locker to port aft with a flat varnished surface below to take charts; fold-up flap extends the surface over the berth.

Engine under step between, step-up to 2 doors and sliding hatch to the cock-pit.

Cushions and curtain

 

Equipment.

Cadiss bulkhead compass.

Raymarine VHF DSC radio.

Echopilot sounder

20lb CQR anchor with good quantity 8mm chain.

Beaching legs.

Warps and fenders.

Cock-pit cover and unused sail cover, both new 2006.

Standard nav lights

Warps and fenders

 

History

 

The yacht was surveyed at the beginning of 2001 and given a clean bill of health with a few inevitable minor recommendations.

The owner sailed her on Lake Windermere. In a hard blow she broke her mooring and was blown up through the reeds onto the bank at the top of the lake.

She took on quite a lot of water but lay over on her port side in shallow water thus saving the electrics on the starboard side.

She was towed off after the blow went through and lifted out for inspection.

The damage was very largely scuffing, some disturbed planking and a few cracked timbers.

The owner engaged a local boat builder to do some re-planking and other jobs.

Following our inspection of the yacht and the repairs we advised the owner that the quality of the workmanship leaves much to be desired. He has lost the enthusiasm to make further repairs and asked us to offer the yacht for sale at a nominal price – the value of her rig, gear and engine.

 

Apart from the inadequate workmanship to the planking the yacht is otherwise complete. A skilled amateur should be able to make some proper repairs to the planking fairly readily and get her back in commission without the need for a major rebuild.

 

 

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.