Fisher 25

Summary

The Fisher 25 or Fisher 25 MS (for motorsailer) is a British trailerable pilothouse sailboat that was designed by Wyatt and Freeman as a cruiser and first built in 1974.[1][2][3]

Fisher 25
Development
DesignerWyatt and Freeman
LocationUnited Kingdom
Year1974
No. built255
Builder(s)Fairways Marine
Northshore Yachts
Fisher Boat Company
Fisher Yachts International
RoleCruiser
NameFisher 25
Boat
Displacement10,079 lb (4,572 kg)
Draft3.71 ft (1.13 m)
Hull
Typemonohull
Constructionglassfibre
LOA25.23 ft (7.69 m)
LWL21.00 ft (6.40 m)
Beam9.35 ft (2.85 m)
Engine typeBeta 27 hp (20 kW) diesel engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board typelong keel
Ballast4,705 lb (2,134 kg)
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
Sails
Sailplanmasthead sloop
Total sail area276.00 sq ft (25.641 m2)

Production edit

The design was previously built by Fairways Marine, Northshore Yachts and the Fisher Boat Company, all in the United Kingdom. Production started in 1974, 255 have been built and it remains in production by Fisher Yachts International.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Design edit

The Fisher 25 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of glassfibre, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop or optional ketch rig, a raked stem, an angled transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a wheel in the pilot house and a tiller in the cockpit, and a fixed long keel. It displaces 10,079 lb (4,572 kg) and carries 4,705 lb (2,134 kg) of iron ballast.[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 3.71 ft (1.13 m) with the standard keel.[1][3]

The boat has a Beta diesel engine of 27 hp (20 kW) for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 40 U.S. gallons (150 L; 33 imp gal) and the fresh water tank also has a capacity of 40 U.S. gallons (150 L; 33 imp gal).[1][3]

The design has sleeping accommodation for five people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, an L-shaped settee with a drop-down table and a straight settee in the main cabin. The galley is located on the starboard side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and an ice box. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. Cabin headroom is 72 in (180 cm).[1][3]

The design has a hull speed of 6.1 kn (11.3 km/h).[3]

Operational history edit

The boat is supported by an active class club, the Fisher Owners Association.[9]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Northshore Yacht Yards in Itchenor, Sussex, England, (a company that bought the former builder, Fairways Fisher) builds this chubby 25-foot motorsailer. The design is now over 30 years old, and in those years more than 250 have been built. Options include either a sloop or the ketch rig shown here. She can be steered from a tiller in the aft cockpit, or from inside, in the comfort of the pilot house. Best features: her pilot house will be welcome in cold, clammy environs, Worst features: The sail area, only 210 sq. ft. measured with 100 percent foretriangle, is tiny ... Consequently, don't count on the sails to move this boat in less than 10 knots of breeze. Sailing in sunny weather, there's poor visibility from the cockpit, and if it's hot, it would be nice if the pilot house were equipped with an air conditioner."[3]

A 2009 review in Yachting Monthly reported, "to date 255 of these stout little ships have been built. Perfect for a couple wanting an easily handled, take-anything cruiser, her bluff bows contain a spacious, two-berth cabin. The saloon is roomy with a generous galley to starboard and a dinette opposite. A Quarterberth provides either a seaberth or guest accommodation. The wheelhouse has good headroom and contains the navigation station. The cockpit is also a reasonable size but visibility forward is restricted. In light conditions and to windward, the rig provides stability but little more. But off the wind in Force 4 she potters along happily."[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Fisher 25 MS sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Wyatt and Freeman". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 343. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
  4. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Northshore Yachts (UK)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  5. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Fisher Yachts International (UK)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  6. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Fisher Boat Company". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  7. ^ Fisher Yachts (2021). "The Compact Build – The Fisher 25". fisheryachts.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Fisher 25". Yachting Monthly. 6 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  9. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Fisher Owners Association". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Photo of a Fisher 25 sailing
  • Photo of two Fisher 25s sailing, one with sloop rig and one with ketch rig