Scimitar II - Miller 40 - $115,000
The Owners Story.
SCIMITAR11 is a Miller & Whitworth 40, designed by Bob Miller, as Ben Lexcen was previously known. When launched in 1975 she was called "WOFTAM 1V". I leave you to work out the acronym. A subsequent owner had the kindness to rename her and the "11" was no doubt to enable her to be entered on the Australian Registry of Shipping. She remains registered. The class was regarded as the "gun" boat of itís day, the first (possibly the plug) "Rampage" winning the 1975 Sydney ? Hobart Race.
SCIMITAR 11 had a busy but inconspicuous career. She went to Hobart 3 times and competed in most of the other offshore classics until she was no longer competitive. Her history thereafter is not known to the present owners until around 1990 when she was acquired by a couple who used her to cruise the South Pacific and for short-handed sailing events.
The present owners purchased the vessel in 1996. On purchase a considerable amount of work was undertaken in the skilled hands of Castlecrag Marine, including a complete overhaul of the steering assembly. She was taken to Port Stephens where she participated in inshore and offshore races conducted by the Port Stephens Yacht Club.
In October 2002 she returned to Castlecrag where all standing and wire running rigging was replaced, the galvanised floors replaced with stainless steel, and compression framing around the mast step replaced. The topsides were resprayed, the lifelines replaced and a new s/s watertank installed. On her return to Port Stephens the owners completely rewired her, installing a new instrument panel and a new GPS. A new s/s fuel tank was installed doubling the previous capacity. The deck and cockpit were repainted and a frame fitted to provide a canopy for the cockpit and a mounting for solar panels and antennae for GPS and VHF radio. A HF radio and a 16-nm radar were fitted. She then spent the winter months in Queensland waters exploring the coast. On her way south she was hauled at Mooloolaba and 30 years of antifoul build-up removed. The exposed hull was thoroughly restored with a number of gelcoat blisters treated, 2 coats of epoxy resin, 2 coats of epoxy hi-build and a vinyl primer applied.
SCIMITAR11 now lives at the recently opened Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Marina in NSW. She is for sale because the owners need something more spacious to accommodate their aging bodies and increasing numbers of grandchildren. She is an excellent seaboat that will punch her way to windward in choppy conditions and is surprisingly dry. She flies downwind. Even with a cruising set of poled out genoa and main she will outsail most monohulls of a comparable age and size downwind. The deck is a pleasure to work on at sea being contoured so as to be reasonably level when the boat is heeled. The motor is a Volvo with independent cylinders for ease of maintenance. The propeller configuration is a talking point and usually draws a crowd when she comes out of the water. It is driven by a shaft facing forwards. It pulls the boat rather than pushes her. This has no disadvantages and in fact is a plus when motoring into a choppy sea as the screw is seldom exposed by a pitching motion.
SCIMITAR 11 is an honest boat that will take you most places in comfort and safety.
Contact : Simon Dixon on 0407 223 001