Custom-Boats Itchen Ferry Gaff Cutter for sale in Suffolk United Kingdom

Wooden Ships Comments on this Itchen Ferry Gaff Cutter

Itchen Ferry gaff cutter designed by Daniel G. Hatcher and built by Fays of Northam in 1890.

Dan ‘King Dan’ Hatcher was a highly regarded designer of the 1800’s, working from his yard on the shores of the River Itchen in Southampton where he gained experience designing and building fast fishing boats and small yachts for local sailors. As his reputation grew so did the orders for yacht designs and he was responsible for many of the elegant gaff cutters of the Victorian era that were at the forefront of yacht racing in the UK.

Hatcher also drew the lines for Wonder, a very well known 19’ Itchen Ferry and a near sister to this boat, Freda.

Freda was built for well known racing skipper Captain G. Rowe and was subsequently taken on by Captain Sam Randall, both hugely successful skippers in big yacht racing circles. She was certainly a working fishing boat, but would have been a very smart example with varnished spars and canvas covered decks, but during the summer months her rig would have been changed for a taller and more powerful set up and she was raced with great success in the Solent regattas by Randall.

After years of neglect and subsequent rebuild, Freda passed to the current owner in 1998 and since has been cruised and raced on the east coast, proving herself as a formidable opponent around the cans. She has been kept very original without the usual added coachroof and accommodation that is often seen. She still bears the scars of her years of sailing and retains the low aft fishing deck. Her finish is very much ‘work boat’ with tarred rigging, painted decks and little in the way of varnish. However her pedigree, historical importance and sheer performance are plain for all to see, she is a remarkable yacht now in need of a suitable new custodian to keep her sailing into the future.

Length on Deck 18’4”

Length Overall

Beam 7’6”

Draft 3’4”

Sail area 500sqft