1911 Dickie Gaff Ketch

• Wood construction
• Designed by J A McCallum
• Built by A M Dickie of Loch Fyne
• Total length including bowsprit 16.46m (54’0″)
• 1 1/4 carvel pitch pine planks
• 2in x 2in steamed oak frames
• Hull copper sheathed to 6in above waterline
• Clenched copper rivet fastenings
• 3/4 marine ply deck overlaid with mahogany strip caulked with 2 part polysulphide sealant
• Teak with strip mahogany on 3/4 marine ply wheelhouse
• Cast iron keel (2.5 tons)
• Cast iron internal ballast (0.6 tons)
• Wrought iron keel bolts (new 1998)
• Galvanised and bronze deck fittings
• Galvanised stem head fitting
• Tufnol chain rollers
• Last surveyed 2005

• Perkins 4236 4cyl 92hp diesel (rebuilt 1997)
• PRM 160 single lever control gearbox
• Centre-line 3 blade equipoise propeller
• Wheel steering (chain to cable) with emergency tiller steering
• 2 Tektanks polypropylene fuel tanks (85 and 75 gallons)
• Rev counter, oil pressure, water temp and battery condition gauges
• 3 x heavy duty 12v batteries (1 x starting, 2 x domestic)
• 70amp alternator with Adverc TWC charging management system
• Acoustic insulation around engine

• Gaff Ketch
• Varnished wood main and mizzen masts, both stepped in galvanised tabernacles
• Solid wood booms and gaffs
• Galvanised standing rigging (1998)
• Galvanised rigging screws with spliced terminals
• External galvanised chain plates
• Traditional style synthetic rope sail sheets with wooden blocks
• Mainsail (250sqft)
• Mizzen (200sqft)
• Boomed inner foresail (90sqft)
• Outer foresail (175sqft) on Wykham Martin furling gear
• Topsail (55sqft)
• Outer flying jib (100sqft)
• All sails made by Saturn in 1998 and in as new condition
• Total sail area approximately 865sqft

• 6 berths in 2 cabins
• Self draining cockpit with seat cushions
• Wheelhouse with helm and navigation station, plus seating
• 2 single berths in forward cabin (with room for 2 further pipe berths)
• 2 single or double berths in saloon
• Storage lockers below and behind all berths
• Galley with Valor gas cooker (2 burners, grill and oven), and stainless steel sink
• Heads compartment with Bow-SL400 toilet (with holding tank) and washbasin with H/C mixer tap with shower capability
• Second heads compartment with Baby Blake and washbasin with H/C
• Calorifier from engine
• Dickenson Newport diesel stove in saloon
• Electric hot water pressure pump
• 2 x 60 gallon galvanised water tanks under cockpit seats
• 2 x gas bottles in locker with cut off valves at cooker and in wheelhouse
• Workshop with workbenches and storage
• Wet locker
• Bar
• Oak and elm internal floors
• Radio/CD player
• 14in colour TV

• NAVIGATION: 7in Kelvin Bottomly compass, 4in Baird sestrel compass, Seafarer electronic sounder/log/wind, ICOM IC-550 VHF radio, ICOM DS-100 SDC radio, Garmin 128 GPS, Lowrance X51 fishfinder, Ratheon ST4000+ autopilot (connected to GPS), navigation lights on autosystem
• SAFETY: 6 life jackets, life buoy ring, 2 horseshoe buoys, 3 electric bilge pumps on float switches with override switches and warning lights in wheelhouse, manual Whale Gusher bilge pump, coastal flares (1998), 4 fire extinguishers
• DECK: 45kg Plough anchor, 25kg Plough anchor, 10kg Danforth anchor, folding Fisherman anchor, 200′ 3/8 chain, 150′ 5/16 chain, electric Lofrans Tigres windlass with foot and wheelhouse controls
• OTHER: Rutland 504 wind charger with regulator and voltmeter, alarm system with mast strobe and sounders, 4 wheel winter steering bogie for launching and winter storage

The Lady Sophie was built by Dickies of Loch Fyne in 1911 and was originally named Lady Jean. She was flush decked and had twin lug sails. She was powered by a Gardiner paraffin 2 cylinder engine.

She was registered again in Dublin as the Lady Sophie and is thought to have been named after Lady Sophie of the Guinness family but this has not been confirmed. There is no known record of her history from the 1930s to the 1960s but it is suspected that she spent some of this time in the Med.

At some time a wheelhouse was added in front of the cockpit and she was refitted at the yard of Machin Knight and Sons in 1970.

In the late 1980s she was re-decked, re-engined and the wheelhouse was enlarged and moved over the engine amidships. She was also re-rigged with a bowsprit at this time. A topmast was added to the mizzen mast which became the main mast and jib boom was added. She was re-caulked with cotton above and oakum below the waterline, and the hull was sheathed in copper which was bronze tacked over bitumen and hessian.

This vessel is extremely well equipped, and the owner has stated that he knows of no defects, although it is acknowledged that she is currently presented in an end of season condition.