I nearly had an adventure with a Danish Fisher

I have now spent two summers schlepping up and down the east coast - it has offered some  wonderful sailing and it has been lovely re-establishing my relationship with my home waters. I have enjoyed the estuaries, the birds, the skies, the tides and the boats I passed along the way. I have got fit with all the rowing.... but....but.... but... I confess that at times I have got a trifle bored. I have missed the thrill of working my way up a new river or estuary, snaking my way past new sandbanks or bumping into rocks. I have missed the gannets and the puffins, the dolphins and the crystal clear waters I have sailed in, I have missed the mountains that scrape the sky into clouds. I have always loived a modest adventure and have had a wonderful time over the past decade sailing in new places.

I have around £12K in the budget at the moment so I have been looking at some terrible Fisher 25's. The one in Tollesbury was a viable project but I was a bit frightened by the engine... the boat was within budget though.

There is one down in Emsworth -

https://haylingisland.boatshed.com/fisher_25-boat-234616.html?utm_source=newsnow.co.uk

 

 

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but that is above budget. Then Jacob Knudson pointed me to one in Denmark that was 85,000 Danish Kroner - which is around £10,000 and within budget. It looks jolly good and has a newish engine.

https://www.guloggratis.dk/sport/baade/motorsejler/annonce/erhverv/40471317-fisher-25

 

 

 

great looking engine

saggy headlining

 

 

 

 

The masts are down and she has been used as a motorboat. With any luck the rig should be in good nick, the door has been kicked in, the headlining is saggy but I can do that later, but it all looks repairable. I thought that within a week I could have had her ready to bring back across the North sea.

I had got rather excited. I thought I could fly over to Copenhagen (£250), look at the boat, buy it, fly home, pack the car with tools including an outboard bracket and the outboard, the temporary navigation lights, an Origo, a life raft, and the dinghy. Jill would take the car home by ferry and I would sail her home
I had planned to forswear the Kiel Canal and make my way up around Denmark and home.

It would have been 900 miles but what a treat of a journey.

Fortunately, before I booked the flight I was sent another set of images. The colour has faded and the bow has had a jolly good bashing.

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No mizzen mast step

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Door kicked in but I knew that
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well bashed bow

 
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But then the broker, who seems like a nice man, sent me some more images of  the hole in the keel box - and the worst osmosis I have ever seen.

 

 

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I am not afraid of work but getting her ready for a safe passage in a yard so far from home would have been a real challenge.

Bumma!.

 

That aside, it is now the autumn so I will knuckle down to editing the remaining films about scotland and see what comes on the market over the winter.

 

This is about Sailing around Britain.

25 Responses to “I nearly had an adventure with a Danish Fisher”

  1. 28 August, 2018 at 5:51 amZoran says:

    Hi Dylan,
    good to see that you are well & kicking….. I understand that you miss the open seas sailing, but count your blessing .:)… my boat is still on hard….. hoping for launch in the following weeks. With a bit of luck, I can still get two months of sailing before the season is over here (QC). I am glad you were dealing with a honest broker…. that would be really bad – flying over and having a real surprise…. I personally would live with faded paint and suspicious bow ( maybe get the price down accordingly), but this poor boat is disaster below waterline…… keep well and good luck in your search, Zoran

  2. 28 August, 2018 at 8:47 amStephen Mundane says:

    Cheap for a reason eh Dylan! Glad you dealt with an honest man. Hopefully someone with a decent Fisher will be desperate to sell over the winter and you can get yourself a bargain. Very much looking forward to the remaining films.

  3. 28 August, 2018 at 10:32 amPeter T says:

    Yes….. you’re well out of that one Dylan. I have been watching Creo in Scotland…… they certainly picked the right summer for their trip. The right Fisher is out there somewhere, keep looking.

  4. 28 August, 2018 at 12:46 pmSteve says:

    …if you want more pictures of the Emsworth one let me know via the email – that yard is on my cycle commute to work…

  5. 28 August, 2018 at 3:40 pmJes says:

    I think we’re all pleased to hear that the dream is still on! Something will turn up for sure but not that one, as the man said, there’s a reason why it was cheap

  6. 28 August, 2018 at 7:52 pmTed B. says:

    That bash in the bow might be why she’s a “motor” …not a “motorsailer”. The last place you want compromised structure is the bow where all that rigging-tension is concentrated. And that tabernacle-mount looks suspect, the keel even moreso. …Let someone else motor-about in the Baltic.

  7. 28 August, 2018 at 11:56 pmEd Bourgoine says:

    What a difference between the earlier and later picture, I expect you are doing well to give this one a miss! I have to admit it almost looks like a different boat.. What is it they say? “Keep calm and carry on”

  8. 29 August, 2018 at 6:10 amRaymond Ellard says:

    I would look at the one at Emsworth. If OK a cheeky offer of 12K might be accepted, you never know how desperate they may be for cash.

  9. 29 August, 2018 at 12:58 pmSteve says:

    Hi Dylan,
    Good to see you on Katie L in the Deben last week.
    Baltic would have been a great adventure but not in that Fisher!
    There will be one out there – good luck.

  10. 29 August, 2018 at 7:49 pmNiall says:

    The Emsworth one is worth a bid, just an engine overhaul and a bit of tarting up and you’re good to go. I’m currently boatless, sold quickly following my Round Britain. Looking for something smaller and planning on to return to Scotland next year.

  11. 30 August, 2018 at 1:42 amDave says:

    As the Fisher is many years old it is interesting that blisters are so bad … usually those would have happened years ago and been repaired and then she would have received a barrier coat to mitigate the issue. Sad to see her stripped of her standing rig. The Fishers are popular here in PNW – many in British Columbia. Was anchored next to a 25 that looked better than new a few days ago at Montague Harbour, BC.

  12. 30 August, 2018 at 9:54 pmTed B. says:

    You never know without asking.
    I’d have never thought those kids could buy that wooden jewel-box for $10k either.
    As long as she’s up to being sailed the 250-miles from Hayling Island to the Deben without a lot of work first. Much easier to do the required maintenance and upgrades on the Deben than long-distance commuting AGAIN to Hayling.

  13. 31 August, 2018 at 12:56 amdylan winter says:

    she really needs an engine transplant – which is 6K – the rest I can do myself….

    I have time…but not much

    D

  14. 31 August, 2018 at 1:38 amTed B. says:

    Ouch!!

  15. 31 August, 2018 at 12:39 pmTed Timberlake says:

    Given that the Fisher is a motor-sailor, and while the sailing performance is adequate, I would have thought that a very good enginein such a boat is a top priority, albeit new or a very well put together recon one. £6 or £7k maybe the cost new. Hopefully you can find one at the “right” price that does not need masses of other work, and pref a new engine installed. Good luck with the search and the savings. Ted

  16. 1 September, 2018 at 3:42 pmDavid Ellis says:

    Not sure if Colvic’s are your bag, this is over budget but in this day and age a cheeky offer…
    https://www.michaelschmidt.co.uk/boatdetails.asp?boatid=6701007

  17. 4 September, 2018 at 9:44 amTim says:

    Wise decision.
    ‘If In Doubt, Don’t..’ has always kept me safe in every sense including financially.

    Keep looking, spread the word what you are looking for.
    You will probably find it where you least expect it to be at a time that’s not convenient!

    Looking forward to future clips from Scotland; one of the joys of Autumn and Winter.

    Be Lucky!

  18. 4 September, 2018 at 10:02 amdylan winter says:

    You make a good point Tim – I agree – this was one to miss. However, when it comes to buying boats then I tend to be a bit cavalier about it. better to be sailing a crap boat than not sailing at all. This one would have required a lot of yard time – and travelling time too. Something will turn up. I considered about 20 centaurs before settling on Lily M (Centaur2). She did not sail was well as Centaur1(Harmony) but she still took me to some marvelous places – films to be posted this winter.

  19. 4 September, 2018 at 10:04 amdylan winter says:

    I have considered one of those – the accommodation is even worse than the fisher 25. Making one look good on a camera would also be a real challenge.

  20. 12 September, 2018 at 6:47 pmJustin Harley says:

    http://www.marineenterprisesltd.co.uk/

    Dylan have a look at these guys. They buy ship’s lifeboat engines which have hardly been used and refurbish them. They are available as they are being replaced as part of their certification requirements. You should be able to get a good engine for much less than £6k.

  21. 23 September, 2018 at 3:32 pmMartijn says:

    have you seen this one http://fr.eyb-boats.com/voiliers/monocoques-voile/fisher/fisher-25-freeward-1/660495.html
    seems in reasonable condition, at least from the pictures that is. Best of all its within budget

  22. 23 September, 2018 at 3:48 pmdylan winter says:

    Thanks M

    although the freeward is the same hull there is no inside steering for those November Hebridean sails. The price difference between a fisher 25 and a freeward makes very little sense other than there are a lot of cold old blokes who want to keep sailing.

    D

  23. 23 September, 2018 at 5:28 pmMartijn says:

    I can see why that’s a big disadvantage. will keep an eye out.

  24. 23 September, 2018 at 6:48 pmdylan winter says:

    Lidless sailing is not really a problem for those of us who live in a place with 25 inches of rain – like thee and me – but in scotland with over 100 – then both I and my stuff started slowly rotting.

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