Boat Description
Model: Miller Fifer 33 Ketch
Designer: James Miller
Builder: J Miller & Sons, St Monance
Year: 1961
Location: Channel Islands
Length on Deck: 33'
Beam: 10'4"
Draft: 4'
Tonnage (TM): 12
Price: £39,000
Reference: REF: 10901
Overview
The Miller Fifer was a very successful range of motor sailers, built by James Miller and Sons of St Monance on the Fife coast, 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. The later boats incorporated a step in the deck at the fore end of the coach-roof to gain a little more head-room in the forward cabin, otherwise the design remained largely the same throughout the period – if it works, don’t change it!
The 33 foot 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.
Refit Details
This particular example is almost certainly one of the very best available following a major refit in present ownership between November 2011 and August 2012.
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Length on Deck: 33’
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Length Waterline: 31’
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Beam: 10’4”
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Draft: 4’
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Thames Tonnage: 12TM
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Built: 1961
Construction
Conventional plank on frame build using larch planking approx 1 ¼” thick, carvel laid, caulked and payed. Millers caulked in cotton and payed their seams with red lead putty. Frames; Sawn oak frames in pairs of futtocks approx 4” square. The frames span alternately across the keelson to create almost a ring frame, typical of the fishing boat build making an immensely strong bottom end.
Fastenings: Galvanised rose-head cut nails as used in all fishing boat construction. While galvanised fastenings often give rise to scepticism, I have pulled fastenings from a Miller Fifer of the same age. They could only be drawn with a 4’ claw jemmy and of about 50 nails only 2 snapped through fatigue. When hammering home it is inevitable that the galvanising on the tip of the rose head is damaged sometimes giving rise to some rust weep from under the plug and this should not immediately cause concern.
Hull and Deck
- Hull stripped to bare wood above the water-line and given a full paint treatment.
- The bottom was cleaned and prepared and all seams below w/l recaulked and the bottom repainted and anti-fouled.
- Rudder dropped off, prop drawn, cutlass bearing replaced.
- Original internal granite ballast replaced with lead.
- All sea-cocks stripped and serviced.
- Deck: Straight laid teak deck over a ply sub deck.
- All seam paying compound replaced with modern butyl rubber compound.
- Varnished mahogany wheel-house and coach-roof coamings and fore hatch on the fore deck.
- Grab rails on the wheelhouse are exceptionally well placed as will be found at sea.
- Grab rails on the coach-roof and a varnished iroko hand rail all round carried on stainless steel stanchions.
- Small deep and very sheltered cockpit with cavernous seat lockers each side and stbd off-set door to the wheel-house.
- Substantial cleats and fair leads all round.
Machinery and Systems
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Engine: Lister Blackstone 36hp 4-cyl naturally aspirated diesel mounted on the centre-line with conventional shaft drive to centre-line 3-blade bronze prop. Salt water cooled.
- Electric start + hand start with decompressors – not recommended for the faint hearted.
- Manual gear box. Separate gear change and throttle controls.
- This is the older type of proper marine diesel engine rather than the modern marinised multi-purpose engine, lots of torque, slow revving, simple mechanics and very reassuring.
- Engine bay fitted with new sound proofing.
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Cruising Speed: 6 knots
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Thruster System: Side power SE80/185T Thruster system 24v (twin propellers)
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Generator: Paguero 3000 3.6kw diesel generator
- New 24v bilge pump.
Tanks
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Fresh Water Tank: 50 litres in one galvanised steel tank
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Fuel Tanks: 50 litres in 2 steel tanks
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Holding Tanks: 15 litres in one new plastic tank
Batteries
- 2 x 12v batteries on 24v circuits, new 2013
- Battery monitor system
- New copper cables and master switch 2013
Rig
Type: Bermudan ketch rig. Deck stepped solid timber masts. Mainsail, mizzen and furling genoa, all new by Mussetts of West Mersea. New running rigging.
Accommodation
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Berths: 4
- 2 saloon settee berths
- Twin V berths in forecabin
Galley: Gas 2 burner, grill and oven SS cooker, new 2013, 2 x 3kg gas bottles, Waeco Cool Box (12/240v), SS sink. Pressurised hot water. All upholstery in the forecabin, saloon and wheelhouse new 2013. She has a very smart interior.
Heads: Jabsco marine toilet, new 2013. Washbasin. Cockpit shower.
Equipment
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Navigation:
- ICOM IC-M423 marine VHF/DSC and antenna
- Digital yacht AIT2000 AIS Transponder
- Lowrance HDS-10 Multi Function Display and Sounder
- Lowrance LGC-4000 GPS receiver/antenna
- Lowrance 3G Broadband radar
- Simrad RC42 Fluxgate rate compass
- Vetus rudder position sensor/indicator
- Radar reflector – Echomax EM 180
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Safety Gear:
- Baltic Marine recovery system
- 2 Fire extinguishers
- Lifebuoy
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Ground Tackle:
- 1 x 10kg Bruce anchor
- 1 x 45lb CQR anchor
- 1 x 30lb Fisherman's anchor
- 100 metres calibrated chain, 2012
- Sea Wolf 24v 10mm windlass
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Gear:
- Plastimo 2.4 dinghy with deck cover
- Mariner 2.5 hp outboard
- Boarding ladder
- Boat hooks
- 2 round and 8 sausage fenders
- Warps
- New covers for anchor winch, fore hatch, saloon skylight
- New fitted cockpit cover
- Cutlery, crockery, glasses, pans and utensils
- Wooden beaching legs, stowed on wheelhouse
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.
