David Rainsbury

Words and Pictures

About Kate

Kate is a Vancouver 274, built by Pheon Yachts in 1983 on mouldings by Northshore to a design by Robert Harris. She is 27’ overall and is cutter rigged.

The Vancouver 27 was designed for short handed ocean sailing, a function she performs admirably with many Pacific and Atlantic crossings and World circumnavigations to credit of the class.

The cockpit is small by modern standards and she is tiller steered. The 274 has a 4 berth layout, a single either side of the saloon and a Vee double in the forepeak. The galley is to port and the chart table to starboard of the companion.

Kate’s equipment

Sails: Main, stays’l, storm stays’l, Yankee, Genoa, Cruising chute.

Kate has a new Main and stays’l made by HOOD in cream Vectron

Engine: 20 HP 2 cylinder Bukh diesel.

Chart plotter: Standard horizon CP1000.  Tacktick instruments

NASA AIS engine. NASA Navtex, Faruno Radar, Icom VHF.

Autohelm tiller pilot. Schwing wind vane self steering

Plastimo Neptune cooker, with 2 rings, oven and grill. Flame failure devices on all burners. A Pilot gas alarm is fitted.

Beneath the navigator’s seat is a fridge cooled by an Isotherm fridge unit.