Winthrop Warner 33 Bermudan Cutter

Tara was designed as the Warner 33 by Winthrop Warner and built by James Graves, Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, in 1954.

Dimensions

Length on Deck – 33ft (10m)

Length Overall – 37ft (11.27m)

Beam – 10ft 4in (3.14m)

Draft – 4ft 10in (1.5m)

Tonnage – 9tons displacement

History

She is one of 12 believed to have been built to this design by the Graves Yacht Yard.

Tara is an exceptional yacht, her dimensions belie her size, her materials and construction are first class, her design is unusual on this side of the Atlantic, her performance is rewarding and her sea-worthiness proven by her years of off-shore sailing.

Winthrop ‘Wink’ Warner (1900- 1987) worked as naval architect in Connecticut and New Jersey producing over 200 designs as well as working as a draftsman for John Alden.

Although little known in Europe, his is a respected name in US yachting circles.

His papers (Plans) are lodged with the American Maritime Museum, Mystic Seaport, Maine.

Marblehead is celebrated as one of the great yachting centres on the US east coast and the Graves Yacht Yard is one of Marblehead’s best known yards building many great American yachts over the years.

After 8 years in first ownership she was purchased by Sir Kenelm Guinness of the brewing family, a merchant banker in Washington.

Tara remained with the Guinness family for some 30 years and in this time cruised the Eastern Seaboard from the Windward Islands up to Nova Scotia.

She was sold in 1992 to Englishman Mike Booth who sailed her across the Atlantic and cruised from N Spain to Ireland and the UK.

She was imported to UK VAT exempt under the Transfer of Residence Relief.

In 1996 she was sold by Mike Booth to the Kirkman Family and underwent a major refit at

Traditional Sail in Salcombe, Devon.

She had a major refit in 1996/7, the major items of work detailed in the specification below, to produce a 100% sound yacht in exceptional condition ensuring that future owners will have one of the best and most notable yachts of her size.

In 2016 she was sold to the Phillips’s, who transported her from Plymouth to the South of France where she has undergone further upgrading comprising of, Recaulking to underwater sections of the hull, fairing & repainting above waterline, stripping & revarnishing brightwork, new electronics, repainting of entire interior, new covers, new folding Mahogany cockpit table.

The design

 A conventional long-keeled yacht with a deep heel and rising fore-foot to a short spoon bow. 

A large rudder is hung on the slightly raked transom stern. This is a compact design with no expensive overhangs and a generous beam.

The hull

Planked in a very tight grained mahogany and when it was stripped to bare wood was found to be in perfect condition. A deep beam-shelf and full length clamp create a very strong girder around the deck edge.

The floors

 All heavy section cedar and oak on a wide keelson, the flat top surfaces carrying the cabin sole.

The planking is all bronze screw fastened to the frames.

All bronze screws drawn were found to be in perfect condition.

The frames

 Steamed oak, 2” x 1 ½” at 10” centres.

Many of the steamed oak timbers were found to have cracked over the years and were either replaced or sistered.

Refits

Long external iron keel with iron keel bolts which were X-rayed and 5 replaced

Small quantity of loose lead trimming ballast in the bilge.

In the 1997/98 refit the whole deck structure was removed and replaced in new.

A mahogany log was purchased by the yard for this work to ensure that all bright work was of the same grain and colour.

The major works carried out at this time were:

New laminated spruce deck beams and knees

New ply deck, grp sheathed and painted

New varnished mahogany coamings

New varnished toe rails

In a second stage refit 2000/2002

Rebuilt cock-pit.

New Volvo diesel and stern gear

Main boom rebuilt 2001

Roller headsail fitted 2002

In a third stage refit 2010

Rig refit at Mashfords Plymouth.

Mast stripped and revarnished.

Standing rigging replaced

The significant feature of the design is the large cock-pit and the stepped coach-roof with generous, clear side decks.

The new varnished mahogany coamings carry the original rectangular opening bronze port holes fitted with mosquito screens.

New coach-roof deck in epoxy glass sheathed ply.

Grab rails both sides on the coach-roof and the dog-house roof.

New chromed chromed bronze vents on varnished. Dorade boxes each side of the mast.

The bronze navigation lights are carried on the Dorade boxes

Fore hatch on the fwd end of the coach-roof with Perspex lid.

The cabin entrance from the cock-pit has a varnished mahogany sliding hatch and twin varnished mahogany full length doors with a 4” step over the cock-pit sole.

 Optional Perspex wash boards.

New chromed bronze vents either side of the sliding hatch. A large spray-hood on stainless steel frame with wide front window. Zip-on extension to provide a complete cock-pit tent.

The main deck is marine ply, epoxy/glass sheathed and painted to give a totally water-tight, leak free and low maintenance deck, exceptionally clear and free of obstructions with wide clear side decks and spacious working fore deck.

The plank bowsprit is lodged in twin, copper capped Sampson posts which take mooring lines.

Large bronze cleat each side of the fore deck.

New chromed bronze vent port side by the Sampson posts ventilates the fore peak

Guard wires carried on original bronze stanchion posts. The bronze stanchions continue round the stern to form a pushpit.

Bronze fairleads recessed into the toe rail forward and aft.

The large cock-pit has beautifully radiussed coamings running right back to the transom with wide teak laid seats each side.

Teak laid cock-pit sole with lifting panels to access the engine and stern gear. Below the sole, a copper gutter all round the aperture catches any water penetrating the joint and drains it to the bilge.

Sampson posts in the aft corners of the cock-pit.

Wheel steering on the original bronze quadrant.

Original polished Brass binnacle on a newly constructed varnished mahogany plinth which extends to form a cock-pit table 2016.

Bermudian cutter rig on varnished rectangular section mast. An interesting high aspect rig on a tall mast with relatively short boom and a short bowsprit.

Single spreaders, jumper struts above.

The mast is stepped through the coach-roof onto a massive galvanised plate across 3 floors.

Custom-made cast bronze mast fittings.

Stainless steel standing rigging with swaged terminals. All replaced new in 2010

Single lowers, intermediates to the jumper struts and cap shrouds.

Bronze rigging screws to internal bronze chain plates.

Outer fore stay, masthead to end of bowsprit.

Inner fore stay, jumper struts to stemhead.

Single standing back-stay to the transom.

Short plank-section bowsprit with fixed stainless steel bob-stay and guys.

New 2001 rectangular section varnished boom with bronze fittings sheets to the transom with double tailed sheet made up to a bronze cleat either side. Kicker on tackle.

The boom sits in a permanent boom gallows with varnished oak cross board and bronze pillars.

Sails

Jib on Facnor roller furling gear New 2002

Sheets led aft through cars on a bronze track on the rail.

Boomed staysail sheets to a bronze horse across the fore deck.

Slab reefing mainsail.

Varnished spruce booming out pole with bronze fittings. Track on the fwd face of the mast.

All sails serviced and laundered 2020

Winches

2 x Anderson 40 self tailing bronze sheet winches on the cock-pit coamings.

Engine

Volvo MD2040 40hp - (1250 hours Oct 2021)

Centre-line installation under the cock-pit to centre-line 3-blade bronze prop

 Max 7knts @ full revs ,5 knts @2000rpm @ approx 2lts/hr

Rope cutter on the prop.

Stainless steel shaft New 2003

Tides Shaft Seal and bearing New 2010

Morse single lever control in the cock-pit well to stbd.

Engine control panel behind sliding Perspex window in the port side cock-pit well.

Twin Lucas primary fuel filters with water traps, very accessible above the engine.

Tanks

2 x 40 gall (2 x 180lts) Monel metal fuel tanks either side of the cock-pit. Tanks cleaned and inspection plates fitted 2006.

Tank selector valves and balancing pipe.

2 x 40 gall (2 x 180lts) Monel metal water tanks under saloon cabin seats. Monel metal gives clean, taint-free water.

Electrical

1 x 12v Lucas 85AH AGM engine start battery (New July 2021)

2 x 12v Lifeline 105 AH AGM

Balmair 150amp high output engine driven alternator

Balmair Advanced Regulator battery management system New 2009

Sterling split charge diode New 2009

Shore power to Victron Blue Power 30 amp Battery management and AC supply New 2016

Main electrical power isolator switches under the galley

All rewired New 2016

All bulbs down below changed to LED Oct 2021

Accommodation

5 berths

Forward cabin with generous V-berths. Infill converts to a double berth.

Open chain locker forward by the exposed Sampson posts.

Lockers under the berths. Large hanging lockers each side.

Exposed hull sides, painted white.

Varnished coamings and deck beams above. Fore hatch over, opening port holes.

Stbd side doorway to passage aft to the saloon cabin

Port side door from fore cabin into the heads.

Heads compartment to port in way of the mast. The heads compartment has 2 doors, one into the fore cabin and

one to the passageway.

Jabsco sea toilet. The original Wilcar Crittenden bronze sea toilet is available.

Porcelain corner hand basin, H&C pressurised water, drains to a sea-cock below with original bronze fresh water

pump.

Full length mirror

Saloon cabin with staggered port and stbd settee berths

The stbd berth reaches further forward, the port side berth is set further aft with the heads compartment ahead and

pulls out 6” to make a wide single berth or cosy double.

Port pilot berth above the settee berth.

A large table folds up forward against the heads bulkhead and drops down for use over the port settee.

Staggered part bulkheads with varnished mahogany capping.

Stbd galley with smart, gimballed stainless steel Flavel gas cooker, 2-burners with fiddle rails, grill and oven.

Enamelled sink in a varnished hardwood work surface, mixer tap and foot pump faucet.

Plate stowage etc under the side deck behind.

Surface in the after port corner, top-opening built-in fridge. New motor and compressor 2010

Lockers under the side deck

Electrical switch board above.

Removable varnished mahogany 3-steps to the cock-pit.

Twin varnished mahogany doors. Optional Perspex wash-boards allow more light into the cabin.

12v lighting. Red light over the chart desk.

Webasto DL 2000 hot air heating with thermostat and twin outlets. Reconditioned 2016

Hot water from calorifier tank heated by the engine. New 2010

240v immersion heater for shore power.

Calorifier and all plumbing New 2010

Pressurised H&C to galley and heads.

Cock-pit shower with hot/cold mixer tap and flexible shower head in the port cock-pit locker.

Head-room

Dog-house in way of galley 6’6”

Saloon cabin midships 6’

Fore cabin 6’3”

Ground tackle

Lofrans Kobra electric windlass - (New windlass & electronics July 2021, 3 control points including wireless remote)

16kg Lewmar Delta anchor (New July 2021)

16kg KLI (USA) plough anchor

Danforth anchor

150’ (45m) 8mm galvanizes chain new 2018 attached to 100’ (45m) warp.

Safety gear

Ocean Safety 4 person Valise Liferaft

Horse-shoe life buoy

Flares

2 x fire extinguishers

Fire blanket at the galley.

Mahogany boarding ladder

Nav lights

Masthead tri-colour

Low level port and stbd bronze nav lights on the Dorade boxes either side of the mast.

Stern light

Deck flood lights. New 2010

Navigation gear

Large Danforth Constellation steering compass with light in the original Kelvin White binnacle  

Raymarine Wireless Instruments – Speed, Depth, Wind – 2 multifunction displays new 2016

Raymarine radar New 2005

Raymarine GPS chartplotter New 2005

Raymarine ST5 autopilot New 2016

Silva DSC VHF radio New 2008

All electronics interfaced through the course computer. Course computer replaced 2016

Deck gear

Beaching legs

All bronze original deck fittings.

Anchor ball

Bosun’s chair

Gas bottle in after cock-pit seat locker + spare.

Fixed step on the transom and rudder for bathers.

Varnished bathing ladder which attaches to port or starboard midships