Fairline Mirage 29 - cruising abilities?

Durcott

Durcott

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Hi folks,

interloper from raggie land here...

I'm trying to simultaneously live on and refurbish an old yacht. I'm getting nowhere slowly :-(

I've been offered a Fairline Mirage at a reasonable price - I'd like to think I could do more with it than just use it as a floating bedsit.

Can anyone comment on how suitable it might be for use in the Bristol Channel, and what the limits of its weather handling might be?

(I promise not to rush out into a F5+ just 'cos you say it could handle it :-) )

Thanks very much

Jeff Adams
 
I own a Mirage but I cant honestly answer your question. I do know that a Mirage joined one of the Motor Boats Monthly cruises in 2006 and cruised to the continent with all the "big boys". I heard she performed extremely well.

you might look up the Vice Commodore of the Brentford Cruising Club , he has a Mirage and is a regular & experienced English Channel Cruiser.
info@brentfordcruisingclub.org
 
Excellent boat in sensible conditions. Cruised with one some years back.
Actually he went far faster than us but had to keep diving off to fill up with petrol.
Be a little wary. Many are petrol engined but would achieve a very respectable speed well above 20 knots, if you can afford the petrol.
The diesel engined ones tend to be either 2 x 75hp which was insufficient for it to plane, which is fine if you want to travel at sub 10 knot displacement speeds or single 125hp which suffers a similar fate. Not sure there were many if any alternative diesel powered options.
 
yes, good observation. Before dieselisation I had twin 145 HP petrol Volvos (twin carbs) .. fast but very thirsty.
Diesel Mirages (except the aft cabin version) are rare and still sought after.
 
Hi,
We were on the MBM 'cruise in company' with the Mirage mentioned above. It may not be representative because the owners had had it re-engined with brand new twin deisels.

However most of the fleet couldn't keep up with him. I think his top speed was 32 knts. We cruised alongside them several times at close to 30knts.

So although few Mirages will have this type of engines fitted I can assure you the boat is seaworthy. We were out in F4 once on that cruise and he still maintained 20knts +. I also know that they have often been out in the F5's you mention.

They probably use the boat more than 95% of other boaters. In fact I every chance they get. They take it everywhere. Up rivers, over the channel, up the East Coast. They stay on it frequently and they keep a meticulous log book that's about 3 weeks thick !

I'd give you a contact number but you'd never get hold of them because they'll be out on their boat !
 
There were a handful with V8's that were good for nearly 40 knots!

Later version with the bunks were better but all in all an amazing amount of room for 29 feet in those days.
 
We owned one based in Bristol for 13 years. Cruised Upper Bristol Channel, Portishead etc and every summer up channel to Sharpness and beyond,River Severn to Stourport and Avon to Stratford. Loads of accomodation, usually picked good weather for sea trips but only because of crews worries not boat capabilities. Had twin petrols, economical cruising on river and even for the few sea trips we did, not too wallet bursting!!! Sold her on Thames but managed to get down onto tidal Thames with her before she sold and coped with the chop outside the Houses of Parliament well.
 
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