1898 Dickie of Tarbert Gaff Cutter

• Pitch Pine on oak frames
• Iron keel with wrought iron keel bolts
• White painted topsides
• Pine decking finished with Coelan
• Self draining cockpit
• Last surveyed May 2022

• 1972 Sabb 2H 18hp diesel engine (previously an ex ships life-boat engine)
• Last serviced 2024 (cylinder head reconditioned)
• 72L stainless steel tank
• 1 x 72ah Engine battery (2021) & 2 x 110ah leisure batteries (both 2024)
• Variable pitch propeller
• Shore power with Hager consumer unit, Zinc Guard unit, Xantrex smart batter charger and twin mains socket
• 2 x Solbian solar panels with smart controller
• 12v to 240v inverter to single socket
• Tiller steering

• Gaff cutter
• Spruce mast and spars (all in good condition)
• Galvanised steel standing rigging. Running backstays on Highfield levers
• Running rigging 12mm 3 ply in good condition (mainsheet 14mm)
• Wyckeham Martin roller furling for jib and staysail
• Mainsail (good condition, James Lawrence, 2010)
• Topsail (good condition, James Lawrence, 2010)
• Staysail (good condition, James Lawrence, 2010)
• Jib (good condition, James Lawrence, 2010)
• Cruising chute with snuffer (excellent condition, James Lawrence, 2012)

• 4 berths in 2 cabins
• 2 x Settee berths in saloon
• Double v-berth in fo’c’sle with forehatch above
• Techimpex gimballed gas cooker (2 burners, grill & oven)
• Stainless steel gas locker in stern vented through transom
• Built in fridge
• Sink and drainer with hand pump tap
• Taylors paraffin cabin pressure heater
• Separate heads compartment  with Baby Blake sea toilet (no holding tank)
• Varnished mahogany saloon table
• LED bulbs in all internal lights
• Red lights for galley and nav station for night sailing
• Good standing 6′ headroom in the saloon

Navigation Equipment:

• Raymarine ST60 network – depth, fluxgate compass, anemometer, Tridata display
• Autohelm
• Garmin Chartplotter GPSmap 700 series linked to NASA AIS receiver
• Garmin GPS152 linked to Standard Horizon 3500 VHF with full cockpit control unit
• Navigation lights in converted traditional lanterns with coloured LED’s
• Navigation station desk with chart table
• Navtext and ammeter non-operational

Safety Equipment:

• Jackstays and lifelines
• Automatic bilge pump
• Whale double action hand bilge pump (in stern locker)
• Man overboard triangle
• 4-person liferaft in soft bag (needs servicing)

Deck Equipment:

• Cockpit cover
• Full winter cover with mast removed
• Mahogany boarding ladder
• CQR 35 main anchor with 70m chain
• CQR kedge anchor and warp
• 2 piece windsurf mast for poling out cruising chute
• Boat hook
• 6 x fenders
• Various warps

A historical marvel know in more recent years after featuring on Classic Boat having embarked on and completed the OGA Round Britain challenge. A much loved vessel that has been in the same family since 1965, she remains in excellent condition despite her age, having benefitted from extensive restoration and improvements over the last few years and in more recent years has been used for extended cruising and North Sea crossings. She remains afloat all year to keep the hull taken up.

A brief history:

1898    Built by A. M. Dickie of Tarbert for William James Yorke Scarlett the Laird of Gigha, and named ‘Belem’ after the French three masted barque which was famous for its speed. Used principally as a ferry to and from the mainland; she was probably open. Her design is quite advanced for the time with her three-quarter length keel and cutaway stem.

1918    Sold to Alexander Naismith of Pollockshields; was renamed ‘Witch’, converted to a yacht and had her first engine fitted – a Kelvin petrol / paraffin engine.

1922    Sold to James M. Alexander in June. New sails supplied by Crawford Black, the Greenock tent maker, who became a part owner in December.

1934    Crawford Black buys out the remaining half share from James Alexander. See the menu link for photos from the 1930s in Scotland.

1956    Sold to Bill Morrison. New Morris Navigator engine, winches and guard rails fitted.

1963    Sold to Glen Hargrave who brought her to London, and made radical alterations to the accommodation and to the cockpit with a view to competing in a single-handed trans-Atlantic race.

1965    Sold to Bruce Mackenzie. Kept first at Gravesend Sailing Club, then at Walton-on-Naze. Petrol/paraffin engine replaced with a 2 cylinder Sabb diesel.

2006    Sold to the current owner and nephew of Bruce Mackenzie’s and who sailed her on the Round Britain Challenge.  Now for sale owing to older age and wanting to pass her to a younger custodian to enjoy.