Classic Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Breeze for sale in Devon United Kingdom

Wooden Ships Comments on this piece of maritime history

Breeze was built by Coopers of Pill in 1887 as a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, one of the smaller sailing boats in the fleet, a 39ft sailing boat, and thought to be the only surviving example of a Coopers-built cutter.

Video of Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter ‘Breeze’

Pilot cutter For Sale

Breeze languished for many years before being bought by the current owner and given to RB Boatbuilding in Bristol for restoration. Her proper lines were established to put the correct shape back into the boat, and she was rebuilt from the bottom up between 2014 and 2016. This was a total restoration. Only several small parts of the original sailing boat were left, including the mast step and part of the main beam with the official number carved into it.

All the planking, 99% of the frames, deck, interior and systems are new. The mast was used again, but the rest of the rig was replaced.

Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter

Breeze is now in superb condition inside and out, and a very pretty and fast cutter that can be easily handled by two people rather than needing a large crew as is required on the bigger boats. Interestingly she was fitted with twin electric motors and a large generator, a very satisfactory solution to the problem of where to place a prop shaft on a boat that was never designed to have one.

The interior is stunning with 7 berths including a double in the saloon, finished in varnished oak. The large skylight makes her light and airy, access through the hatch is simple as the cabin sole and cockpit sole are not too different in height.

A very rare chance to own an original Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, a piece of our maritime heritage that has been totally restored and is ready to sail away.

Length on Deck 39’6″

Length Overall

Beam 12’6″

Draft 6’6″

Construction

Planked in larch and oak bronze screw fastened to sawn oak frames.

Futtocks of the frames fastened together with copper rivets.

Grown oak floors across the centreline fastened through the frames with copper rivets.

No external ballast keel. All internal ballast made of lead shot and concrete. Centreline bolts all bronze.

Straight laid quarter sawn tight grained douglas fir deck on oak deck beams, caulked and payed with pitch in the traditional way. Deck fastened with bronze screws.

Bulwark all round on oak stanchions mounted through the coverboard in the traditional manner.

Iroko coachroof coamings with an integrated iroko skylight. Bronze portholes in the coamings. Iroko forehatch offset to starboard.

Self draining cockpit well with seating at deck level. Scrubbed teak cockpit gratings.

Transom hung rudder with her original galvanised tiller.

Rig

Gaff cutter rig on a keel stepped solid pitch pine pole mast.

Varnished pine boom, gaff and bowsprit.

Galvanised wire standing rigging, new in 2016, with dead eyes and lanyards to external galvanised chain plates.

Running backstays on levers.

Running rigging all new in 2016 using traditional 3 strand rope. All varnished wooden blocks.

Galvanised pin rail by the shrouds each side to take the falls of the running rigging.

Roller reefing on the mainsail with the original Appledore reefing system.

Staysail hanks to the inner forestay. Jib with an integral luff wire runs to the end of the bowsprit on a traveller.

Bowsprit can be run inboard to reduce overall length.

Mainsheet is a 4:1 tackle with double tails made off to a specially designed galvanised horse on the aft deck.

All sails new in 2016 by Patrick Selman. Cream Clipper Canvas with bolt ropes, all in excellent condition. Mainsail, topsail, staysail, No.1 jib and No.2 jib.

Machinery

Boat powered by twin electric 48 volt motors, one each side for easy manoeuvrability.

LMC Marlin 5 motors from Lynch Marine with belt drives to stainless steel shafts. Deep Sea Seal stern glands.

Pair of 2 blade bronze counter-rotating feathering propellers give a cruising speed of 5 knots, max speed 7 knots.

4 x 12volt 200ah gel batteries for domestics and powering the motors.

Batteries charged with a Fischer Panda AGT 11Kva diesel generator installed under the chart desk. Dedicated start battery for generator.

Mastervolt 48 volt 25amp charger run by the generator or through shore power connection.

75 litre stainless steel fuel tank under the cockpit sole

140 litres of fresh water in 2 separate plastic tanks under the port saloon settee.

1 manual and 2 electric bilge pumps.

Accommodation

8 berths in total including 1 double in the saloon.

All interior joinery is new, mainly in varnished oak.

Steps down from the cockpit with galley to port and quarter berth to starboard.

Quarter berth is very long with good headroom.

Galley is along the port side with a gimballed GN Espace Levante 3 burner gas stove with oven and grill. Single sink with hot and cold pressurised water, pumped out manually. Oak work tops with storage space beneath and behind. Top loading 12 volt fridge.

Chart desk opposite to starboard, faces outboard with a varnished oak top. Raymarine nav screen above with electrical distribution panel. Generator and chargers beneath the chart desk with sound insulation all round.

Main saloon has a large skylight above for light and ventilation. Solid fuel cast iron cabin heater to port with a locker outboard. Heavily built solid oak dropleaf saloon table on the centreline. Port and starboard settee berths with lockers and shelves behind.

Starboard side settee has an infill to create a double berth.

Port side passage way into the forward cabin with the heads compartment to starboard.

Heads has a manual Jabsco sea toilet which discharges directly overboard. Hand basin with bronze tap.

Forward cabin has 4 single berths, 2 either side, all of good length and width. Forehatch above to starboard.

Full specification and details available upon request

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