Featured in MBM July 2014
This lovely and very original Fairey Huntsman 31 Aft Cabin 'Solent Charger' is the penultimate hull (number 30 of 31 built by Fairey Marine) and one of the few boats that retains many of her original features.
- Annual Engine maintenance
- Paint touch up as required
- Batteries tested and one replaced as required
- Antifouled and Anodes replaced
- Sterngear polished
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Featured in MBM July 2014
This lovely and very original Fairey Huntsman 31 Aft Cabin 'Solent Charger' is the penultimate hull (number 30 of 31 built by Fairey Marine) and one of the few boats that retains many of her original features.
- Annual Engine maintenance
- Paint touch up as required
- Batteries tested and one replaced as required
- Antifouled and Anodes replaced
- Sterngear polished
- Anchor windlass
- Boat is ready to start and go.
She is powered by twin 212hp Ford Sabre 5.95 litre 6 cylinder turbo diesels that are regularly serviced and benefits from two extra hull laminates and strengthened engine bearers from her original build.
Nicolle Associates have known this boat for a number of years, having previously sold.
Recent additions include:
Invertverter
3 inch chrome barometer
3 inch chrome clock
Advance chart plotter
Lowrance Elite 4 HDI
Lewmar windlass
Cockpit table
Extra seating
Rudder indicator
Dimensions
LOA: 31’ 3”
Beam: 9’ 8”
Max Draft: 2’ 10”
Displacement: 4.5 tons
Construction
Hull comprises of 9 x 1/8” laminations of Agba mahogany veneers glued, compressed and baked together, painted Blue and white (2008).
Superstructure is marine ply painted blue and white (2008), main deck is epoxied over.
Fully strengthened hull. Antifouling stripped back to wood, dried and repainted with 6 coats of epoxy primer then re antifouled (2007).
Machinery
2 x 212hp Ford Sabre 5.95 litre 6 cyl. turbo diesels
32 knots max speed
140 gal. Fuel capacity
20 gal. Fresh water capacity
Pressurised H&C fresh water system
Calorfier with 240v immersion heater
Automatic engine room fire extinguisher
3 x manual fire extinguishers
2 x electric bilge pumps
2 x manual bilge pumps
Trim Tabs
Vetus exhaust alarms
Invertverter
Navigation Equipment
3 inch chrome barometer
3 inch chrome clock
Avance chart plotter
Garmin 152 GPS
Advance chart plotter
Lowerance Elite 4 HDI
Lowrance fish finder
Autohelm Bidata speed / depth digital indicator
Sestrel Grid compass
Silva 515 DSC-VHF
Rudder position indicator
Navigation lights
Domestic Equipment
Plastimo Neptune 2 burner cooker with grill
Eberspacher diesel fired central heating
Halfords electric coolbox
Blakes Victory Manual sea toilet
H&C shower to heads
Cabin Night Light
Blue / Gold cotton cabin upholstery
Cockpit table
Extra seating
Deck Equipment
Stainless steel pushpit
Stainless steel pulpit rail
Transom boarding ladder
Lewmar anchor windlass
Danforth anchor on chain / warp
Sprayhood with backdrop
3 x warps
6 x fenders
Horseshoe lifebuoy
Fairey Huntsman 31
The Huntsman 31 was Alan Burnard's brainchild as Faireys had found the hull of the 28 to be rather bluff in heavy weather and therefore tended to be very wet in moderate seas. The primary reason for this new hull was comfort at sea and racing (and staying dry!). As the 28 was still selling well at the time, Faireys' directors declined to fund a completely new boat at that time. Alan drew the hull lines in 1966/1967 roughly 7 years after the advent of the 28.
Two versions of the 31 were to be offered by Faireys, one with an aft cabin and one with an open cockpit.
5 boats competed in various Cowes-Torquay races. 'Fordsport' (race no. 707) was entered into and completed the 1969 Round Britain Race. She finished 4th overall out of 42 entries in the 1,700 mile race. Her sister boats, all Huntsman 28's finished 3rd, 5th, 6th and 12th! A very impressive result given that they were competing against out and out race boats. The Ford Motor Company filmed the race and produced a superb 25 minute film showing all the boats in action. This film is one of the few (possibly) the only colour film to actually show brief glimpses of the Huntress and Huntsman production line at the Hamble factory. This film was also used by the BBC during test transmissions prior to the launch of BBC2.
'Double Century' (race no. 200), her sister boat 'Spirit of Michaelhouse' (race no. 8) along with Huntsman 28 'Fordspeed' (race no. 909) competed in the gruelling 2,900 mile 1972 London - Monte Carlo race. Double Century completed the race in 102 hours. Double Century picked up no less that 7 awards in this race and finished 6th overall. Fordspeed finished 7th overall out of the 22 starters from London.
6 boats were open cockpit versions, the remainder being fitted with an aft cabin.
The Fairey Owners' Club
Although Fairey boats were built in the '50s until the early '80s, it was not until 1986 that the Fairey Owners Club was founded. Their basic idea, which remains the principal objective of the club, is to preserve the marque.
In its present form the Club organises rallies and events throughout the year, at which there is an easy exchange of information. It also has extensive archive information, which is constantly being added to.
Membership is currently more than 200 and is growing steadily. Although a large percentage of members are based on the South Coast of Britain, there are many in other parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. There are also members as far afield as Holland, Corfu, Norway and the Maldives.
