1988 Ted Brewer Custom Bluewater Steel Cutter

[kkuhlmann]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking into SV Iron Mistress and am trying to learn more about it. I know it's a Ted Brewer design and that the previous owner sailed it around the world, which is impressive!

I'm really curious about how it actually sails and how it stacks up against other similar boats. I can't seem to find much on sailboatdata regarding the yachts Specifications or Calculations to compare against other similar sized yachts. Is it a complete one-off custom design, or is it based on another Brewer model? If anyone has any information or firsthand experience on one, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

K

Link - https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...utter-9961681/

[jordanbettis]

Unfortunately Ted Brewer died a few years ago and his website is offline. He used to be responsive by email, and had a full list of plans on his website.

Given the size and deck/keel design and round bilges my bet is that it's one of the many variations on the Corten design.

https://web.archive.org/web/20220120...eel/corten.htm

You could probably ask the broker though

[kkuhlmann]

That looks very similar, much appreciated.

Does anyone know how they sail?

K

[wholybee]

Ted has drawn over 250 designs, many of them one off designs, so information on a specific yacht might be impossible to track down. That said, Ted was well regarded as a naval architect, and I would expect a boat of his design to sail well. Ted came up with the "Comfort Ratio" formula, so he understood what makes a boat sail well. (he also said CR was created tongue in cheek and was to be taken with a grain of salt)

That said, with a 33' LWL, I would expect it to be slower than a modern 45 footer.

All of Ted's original drawings were sent to the "Marine Museum of the Great Lakes." I don't know their policy or cost of obtaining copies. But his widow told me that is where everything went. So, in theory it is all still available.

https://greatlakesmuseum.ca/

[jordanbettis]

No direct experience but Ted's a good designer and you can expect the boat to do what he intended. The Corten is a cruising sailboat design and not a motorsailer so I would expect it to move just fine under sail. The design has a sa/d of 16+ which is good for a cruising boat and it should have adequate canvas for light wind sailing.

The long keel and lower aspect cutter rig means it won't point as high as a fin keeled sloop but with superior directional stability and motion comfort it probably be a decent upwind boat for cruising. It will be harder to maneuver under power and you'll have to make full advantage of propwash and walk.

Make sure the boat was actually built to the plans. For instance she should displace 14 tons and spread 1000 of canvas. Make sure she wasn't built heavy or with a reduced rig.

[jordanbettis]

By the way I'm against changing boats's names. I'm proud that I'm perception's fourth owner and she still has the name she was built with. But I would change that boat's name.

[JPA Cate]

Maybe change the name to "Irony".

[Bowdrie]

You're already ahead of the game, you'll have a Lighthouse windlass.
Good seagoing interior that's not a dark cave and the real pilot berth is a plus.
The non-gimbaled stove will require some due-diligence with proper pots/pans, (a higher backsplash behind the stove would have been SO very nice).
I'd make sure those thin metal sea-rails can take it when someone grabs them.
Another plus for a bobstay fitting that won't spend 24/7 underwater when the boat's on its marks.
The galley sink will be more user friendly with the faucet fixture bulkhead mounted, (if it can be made so).
Overall it appears to be a nice design.

[kkuhlmann]

Thanks for everyone input

[kkuhlmann]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the modified full keel with cutaway forefoot? I am looking for a boat with a full keel, but is the cutaway forefoot going to reduce the boat to track well or heave to? Or is it more a modern take on the full keel (understanding the boat was designed a long time ago, so the keel design is by no means modern). What are positives/negatives on the cutaway forefoot?

K

[Bowdrie]

The forefoot is only "cut away" in the sense that it isn't typical of a Colin Archer rescue boat.
Its hull form is not unlike 100s of yachts that came from the big name designers of the last century.
That form reduced the wetted surface, (drag,) and moved the center of lateral plane/center of lateral resistance, (CLP/CLR,) aft, allowing more efficient sail plans.
Now you got a boat that was not only faster but would turn without needing a Texas county.

[MicHughV]

There's a lot to like about this boat and not a lot to dislike.

Every boat on the planet has it's plusses and minuses, and this one is no different, and you can quibble about anything and everything and get a gazillion opinions, but ultimately only you can decide whether or not you'll want it.

Once it's yours you'll be free to change, upgrade, modify, etc, to your hearts content.

From where I stand, this boat ticks most all the boxes, and most importantly it is not that old. Old, yes, but not that old. Bear in mind, that you'll want to sell the boat at some time in the future. and this boat will likely be easier to sell than many other models.

[kkuhlmann]

Thanks, yes the boat is nice, it is steel so unsure if it is the right fit for us, but no boat is perfect.

[jordanbettis]

If that forefoot is cutaway then so is Perception and her design dates back to 1924. She heaves-to like a lighthouse and I would think this boat would do about as well allowing for the fact that it's considerably smaller.

I definitely wouldn't encourage someone whose not committed to owning a steel boat to buy one, same with wood. The commitment is different than with a plastic boat. That being said that boat appears to be in excellent condition from the photos and I'm impressed by the number of photos of the bilge. The broker seems to be trying to emphasize that the interior coatings are intact.

My one recommendation if you decide to move forward is to hire a surveyor who has an expertise in steel boats. Don't go with the local guy who does plastic boats all day long. I hired a guy who talked a huge game about doing steel fishing boats up on lake superior all the time but he missed stuff he should have been able to see without even getting out of his truck.

[MicHughV]

Well, I owned a home built steel boat for 15 odd years, and looking at the pics of this boat, would not hesitate to buy it.
My old boat, now in it's 45th year is still afloat, looking none the worse for wear and still going places, 'jes sayin'.

Steel boats get a bad rap from some shoddy home built boats, but this boat does not qualify for such endearments.

This boat seems to have had exceptional care from the pics I saw.

As noted above, get a boat surveyor that is experienced with steel boats.

You yourself, can purchase a metal thickness gauge online for around $300 on Amazon and can test plating thickness to your heart's content.

All in all, looks like a mighty fine boat to my eyes.