Miller Fifer Motor Sailer Ketch

Wooden Ships Comments on this Miller Fifer Motor Sailer Ketch

The Miller Fifer was a very successful range of motor sailers, built by James Miller and Sons of St Monance, Scotland.  Millers was a long established firm passing through several generations with a proud reputation for building fine fishing boats up to 70’ or so.

The yard also built a number of large yachts before the war and continued with yacht building in the 1950s and 1960s with the Fifer range. The Fifers had a direct lineage to the fishing boats built by the yard and, in their various sizes were built with the same massive scantlings as the fishing boats.

The Miller Fifers were built as 26’, 28’ 33’ and a few larger models. With the exception of a few of the later boats built with a transom stern they had the characteristic canoe stern and proud sheer of the fishing boats.

This 33’ size was the most popular giving good volume in the cabin and excellent sea-keeping qualities. These are heavy, stable boats capable of pushing their way through a sea giving a huge sense of strength and confidence.

This particular example is almost certainly one of the very best available after 30 years in the ownership of a professional shipwright and more recently having been  sold to a new owner who has upgraded and improved various systems aboard to make her into a comfortable and turn key cruising boat.  She is wintered undercover every year and has been constantly updated and improved as necessary.  The mahogany wheelhouse is a common weakness in Millers but this wheelhouse has been totally rebuilt and is in excellent condition.

She was re-engined in 2001 with a commercial grade New Holland diesel giving her 7.5knots cruising speed at an economical 1400rpm.

Survey available from November 2022 along with evidence of all work done since.  Previous surveys and detailed documentation for all refit work in present ownership.

Length on deck                                 33’

Length Waterline                             31’

Beam                                                    10’6”

Draft                                                      4’6”

Thames Tonnage                             12TM

2023 Upgrades

• All new galvanised wire standing rigging
• Sails cleaned and serviced
• Main engine serviced
• Battery isolator switches relocated
• 150 watt solar panel with Victron charge controller
• B&G Zeus3S 9” chart plotter, new 2023-10-05
• B&G V60-B VHF DCS radio with AIS transponder installed 2023
• Raymarine Evo Wheel Pilot autopilot installed 2023
• All new upholstery
• Eberspacher diesel fired cabin heater
• New fenders
• New mooring warps
• New anchor chain and warp
• Liferaft serviced
• New fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide alarm
• New Honwave dinghy and 5hp Honda outboard engine