27ft. HARRISON BUTLER OMEGA DESIGN BERMUDIAN CUTTER – 1994 – Re-Commissioning Required – Lying: Birdham Pool
The Omega Design dates from 1936 and is the last in a series of cruising yachts with a 22ft 6ins waterline and transom stern from the well respected designer and ophthalmic surgeon Dr. T Harrison Butler. The design conforms to the metacentric principal with the heeled and upright centres of areas practically coinciding. OMEGA is a development of the successful Cyclone and Englyn designs.
OMEGA BREEZE is one of five examples of the design and was built between 1986 and 1994 by the International Boat-building Training College, Oulton Broad, Suffolk for the current owners. The IBTC is recognised as one of the leading UK colleges specialising in teaching traditional skills. The keel was laid in 1984 at IBTC with working continuing over a period of eight years at the college. Great care and attention to detail was taken during the build with OMEGA BREEZE launched in 1994 approved to the authenticated design of THB’s original plans by the Harrison Butler Association. Surveyed for Lloyds on 9th February 1995.
Due to the owner’s failing health OMEGA BREEZE was never fully commissioned or rigged and was laid up ashore soon after launching. She has remained in the boat yard since, something of a time capsule, virtually a new boat other than exterior cosmetic finishes. The underwater hull was copper coat finished from new. The mast, in the boatyard mast rack will require refurbishment. The unused new rigging is in storage as are a set of Egyptian Cream terylene sails.
PORT OF REGISTRY – SOUTHAMPTON
OFFICIAL NUMBER –registry lapsed May 2020)
SAIL NUMBER – OA 264 (Harrison Butler Association)
REGISTERED TONNAGE – 6.56 Tons
THAMES MEASUREMENT – 7.5 Tons
OMEGA BREEZE is triple planked in iroko, glued and screwed to longitudinal oak frames. Solid iroko transom, stem and deadwood with cast lead 2.25 tons ballast keel having grade 1, nickel aluminium bronze keel bolts. The deck is swept teak laid over marine ply with varnished teak capping and rails with broad side decks a particular feature of THB designed yachts as he quite rightly claimed ‘standing headroom is only required in the centre of the ship’. The coach-roof and cockpit coamings are of solid iroko together with the cabin bulkhead, hatches and locker doors. The interior is beautifully finished in iroko and mahogany in a traditional style befitting a Harrison Butler yacht and has berths for five in two separate cabins with full standing headroom in the saloon.
Forward twin berth cabin with sail locker and stowage. Heads compartment with Simpson & Lawrence marine wc (new and not yet fitted) washbasin. Saloon with port and starboard settee berths with trotter box. Lockers, drop-leaf cabin table. Galley to the aft port corner with cooker, sink and pantry and crockery lockers. Starboard side chart table and quarter berth. Good sized aft cockpit, tiller steering, transom hung rudder.
BERMUDIAN CUTTER RIG, deck stepped pine mast, wishbone style bowsprit and bumpkin.
18hp VOLVO PENTA model 2002 DIESEL ENGINE, new 1984, low hours. 15 inch bronze three bladed propeller with 1 inch stainless steel shaft. Volvo MS2 gearbox.
INVENTORY – to follow.
FULL PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF BUILD.
BROKERS NOTE:
Undoubtedly a totally unique opportunity to purchase a virtually new Harrison Butler cutter to a highly successful 1930s design. Built to the original Omega plans, using modern construction methods to produce an extremely strong triple laminated planked hull. Remarkably OMEGA BREEZE has been laid up for twenty-five years so will understandably require some re-commissioning however she is offered at a fraction of her build cost. This is a rare chance to own an authentic HB yacht. A dedicated association was established in 1973 for Harrison Butler owners which regularly meets for events around the Solent.
GUIDE: £12,000
LYING: Ashore – Birdham Pool, West Sussex
VIEWING: Through the agents – CLASSIC YACHT BROKERAGE – info@classicyachtbrokerage.co.uk
Disclaimer DISCLAIMER: Classic Yacht Brokerage offer the details and photographs of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information or images or warrant the condition of the vessel, machinery or rig. Buyers should instruct their representative, agents or their surveyors to investigate such details as the buyer requires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
