Anyone Sailed A Fisher 34/37.

[dewent]

Interesting to hear if anyone has sailed a Fisher 34 or 37.

Cruising around the Irish Sea 6 to 8 months of the year, and trips up the west coast of Scotland is our normal trip.

We like the idea of being able to keep warm and dry in bad weather.

Only ever sailed fin keel boats so interested to know:

A) do they sail ok or would most time be spent motoring?

B) how comfortable are they in a blow and at anchor?

 

[spearhead]

I have experience only of the smaller editions, but believe they are all pretty similar.

These boats are impressively solid and don't move when you walk round the decks. They sail well on a reach, in a stately manner, and can be quite difficult to overtake. Not much fun on a dead run, as you can only get two of the three sails to work properly.

When it comes to going to windward (and that's most of the time when you're cruising!) you reach for the starter button and smash your way through the chop. So you need a good engine and to maintain it well (and that applies to the screen wiper too). Fortunately the diesel tankage is usually generous....

For your proposed cruising area they are excellent. Enjoy and to hell with the expense!

 

[Greenheart]

Rumour or reputation had it that the sloop version of the F34 was easily the best of the bunch, for sailing to windward...

...no quarter-tonner, but quite a nice tall rig.

At the boatshow, it struck me as regrettable that the old-school motorsailer deck & wheelhouse form is gone. The upwind efficiency of sleek 'deck-saloon' yachts gladdens purists in fine weather, but how much more often does a wheelhouse suit chilly UK waters?!

 

[EuanMcKenzie]

re fisher 37

met a guy in the Crinan Canal at Ardrishaig who way heading south on his round Britain. He was from the east coast somewhere and had gone anti clockwise including Orkney.

He admitted they motored to windward but otherwise sailed when off the wind and it was windy enough which was most of the east coast.

What impressed was that he and his other half handled it between them including the canal.

Met them again in Tarbert. They had motored down into a short chop with a typical Loch Fyne F5-6 and hadn't felt a thing.

would seem the ideal beast for relaxed cruising up west if you're really honest rather than optimistic about our northern weather paterns.

Only issue is the price!

 

[stearman65]

Motor Saiors

The Fisher would be my second favourite, first would be the Nauticat 32 motor sailor, big boat for your money, not to be confused with the 33.
Stearman65

 

[stav]

Nver sailed one, but use to have a 9ton hillyard amny years ago, tacking angle of 100 degrees at least but the long water line meant she averaged reasoanable passage times with a breeze, wouldn't surf though.
More recently bought a second hand light weight sail for my conway and was marked as being for a fisher 37. If I had a fisher 37 I would have kept this big light weight sail, formy conway it means I am sailing satisfactorily in 10 knts.

Lovey looking boat and seems so well made sesible for our waters but would want to sail one first.

Good luck with it and post some pics when you get one.

 

[Tranona]

there is a review of heavy motor sailers, particularly Fishers, in PBO this month.

 

[E39mad]

Sailed both the F37 (bowspritted to 42'6" on later models) and F34 sloop.

I am from a dinghy and racing background and whilst they are not fast in under 15 knots apparent nor close winded (55 degrees at best) I was pleasantly surprised by the performance.

The F37 later versions are cutter ketches with approx 1000 sq ft of sail iirc. With a long waterline length they can reach 7 knots + quite easily (again with over 15 across the decks).

The F34 has a narrower bow entry and sails very well in sloop form in particular. The later Mk 3 layouts from around 1995 had a bigger fwd cabin and aft head (same head module as the Vancouver 34). Also the sloop version allows for double doors to the pilot house.

 

[Cantata]

I've journeyed on a 30 and a 34 quite a bit.
Solid as a rock.
Will sail to windward reasonably well in smooth water but not really in a chop. Off the wind they will stamp along nicely.
In a cross-sea they roll, can be qute wearing.
Overall they are a nice boat but not my cuppa tea.

 

[olddog57]

I have one

Last spring bougt a Fisher 34, called her "Sea Otter" (ex Mitra III - you can see her at hers builder, the Northshore, WEB site)
Not enough experienced, particularly so with this heavy boat, I was really impressed be her sailing ability so far.
You can see a bit here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEpVe7AYSTU&feature=channel&list=UL

When motored with no wind near the Portuguese coast she rolled heavily on not so heavy Atlantic swell - I was warned before and expected this, though.

 

[stearman65]

Fisher

Old Dog
That brought the memories flooding back, was one of the clips Cape St Vincent? Looked like a sloop? Originals were ketch's. comment about rolling when motoring, did you have the main up to steady you?

 

[E39mad]

Good post Olddog57.

See you have the Mk III interior and the better sloop rig.

Here is a F37 sailing video for the sceptics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL9GVpuNMio&feature=related

 

[olddog57]

Old Dog
That brought the memories flooding back, was one of the clips Cape St Vincent? Looked like a sloop? Originals were ketch's. comment about rolling when motoring, did you have the main up to steady you?

This on our way from Sines (Sinesh you should read) to Lisbon, last May. Cannot be sure now - I think the swell was about 1m high, and with main up to steady her I saw rolling (I think) up to 35-40 degrees sometimes (rarely), but all-in-all the motion was very unsteady. And, yes, this is mark III, sloop rigged (2003 year of construction).
Here is the next day motoring, much calmer sea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BCg9YeadCA&feature=channel&list=UL

 

[Vara]

Haven't sailed one, but I covet the one moored next to me, it's the deck house which appeals, warm, dry and panoramic views.

Make the helmsman as comfy as a tractor driver, seems like a good idea to me.

 

[jonic]

The F37 later versions are cutter ketches with approx 1000 sq ft of sail iirc. With a long waterline length they can reach 7 knots + quite easily (again with over 15 across the decks).

The F34 has a narrower bow entry and sails very well in sloop form in particular. The later Mk 3 layouts from around 1995 had a bigger fwd cabin and aft head (same head module as the Vancouver 34). Also the sloop version allows for double doors to the pilot house.

There is also a rare aft cabin version for the F37 . With the two cabins it seems to be a good layout. Her owner sailed her through the Med and said the sailing performance was really good. Solid as a rock and comfortable in a blow.

Do you know how many were built to that layout?

 

[stearman65]

This on our way from Sines (Sinesh you should read) to Lisbon, last May. Cannot be sure now - I think the swell was about 1m high, and with main up to steady her I saw rolling (I think) up to 35-40 degrees sometimes (rarely), but all-in-all the motion was very unsteady. And, yes, this is mark III, sloop rigged (2003 year of construction).
Here is the next day motoring, much calmer sea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BCg9YeadCA&feature=channel&list=UL

Did the same trip from Portimao in 2004 in a Moody 40 CC, had to mtorsail, 2 out of 4 of the crew were sick, engine failed just short of Sines had to crawl back to Portimao. Happy Days. It's not called windy corner for nothing.
Stearman65

 

[Colvic Watson]

There is also a rare aft cabin version for the F37 . With the two cabins it seems to be a good layout. Her owner sailed her through the Med and said the sailing performance was really good. Solid as a rock and comfortable in a blow.

Do you know how many were built to that layout?

Consider the Colvic Watson 34. We have the bowsprit 35 variant. Larger rig but similar sailing to the Fisher. Two pluses and one minus. The CW is bigger volume per foot, considerably so. The CW34 also came almost exclusively as an aft cabin. We have a second helm position on the aft deck it gives you a superb steering position and a wheelhouse for the other 90% of the year
We have one double cabin, two twin cabins and two heads, saloon and wheelhouse. We spent six weeks on board this summer and sailed rather than motored most of the time. Not closer than 50 degrees to the wind but rewarding and above all relaxing to sail.

Down side is that a Fisher will sell for more in the future and although The Lazy Kipper is the most beautiful yacht afloat, I could be persuaded to say that a Fisher 37 is a tad prettier.

 

[E39mad]

There is also a rare aft cabin version for the F37 . With the two cabins it seems to be a good layout. Her owner sailed her through the Med and said the sailing performance was really good. Solid as a rock and comfortable in a blow.

Do you know how many were built to that layout?

Not sure how many aft cabin F37's were built but iirc none produced after the mid 1980's. Probably used the same hull numbers as the std F37. Don't quote me but I'd be surprised if there are any more than 20 in total. There are a number of differing internal layouts over the years even for the aft cockpit models.

 

[jonic]

Not sure how many aft cabin F37's were built but iirc none produced after the mid 1980's. Probably used the same hull numbers as the std F37. Don't quote me but I'd be surprised if there are any more than 20 in total. There are a number of differing internal layouts over the years even for the aft cockpit models.

Thanks, I think it may be even less than that, which is odd because it looks to be a really good layout. Perhaps it was a bit ahead of it's time.

 

[jonic]

Thanks, I think it may be even less than that, which is odd because it looks to be a really good layout. Perhaps it was a bit ahead of it's time.

It seems that some had two heads and some did not etc. Were they almost semi customizable at the build stage?

(P.S Finally switched from an e39 to an e60 and have grown to love it. 530i)