SILVER RUFFIAN is a custom-built Aluminium Schooner. She is currently in a Cyclone Pit where she has been in situ pre-covid and is now for sale.
Silver Ruffian is a strong, proven ocean going or 'expedition' aluminium alloy sailboat originally built in South Africa.
She has completed over 75'000 sea miles including one and a couple of halves around the world and more than ten trips from New Zealand to the Pacific Islands and back. Silver Ruffian is a British registered vessel and is deemed VAT paid in the UK.
Region
South Pacific
Vessel Location
Fiji
Usage
Family, Cruising, Live Aboard
Launch Year
1981
Rego
712766
Rego Expiry
28/09/2026
Designer
J Dewar
Builder
G. R. L Bates & Sons, South Africa
Length
51' - 15.54m
Beam
12 ft 2 in / 3.68 m
Draft
5 ft 10 in / 1.8 m
Displacement
13 tons approx GRT 15.99 tons
Keel / Ballast
Long Fin
Hull Material
Aluminium
Deck Material
Aluminium
Engine Make
Ford
Engine
Mermaid 70 HP four cylinder diesel engine (1995 supplied by Lancing Marine, Hastings, UK)
This is a marinized Ford FSD425 2.5 Litre engine.
Electric start from main cabin or cockpit.
Single lever engine control.
Number Engines
1
Horsepower
70 HP
Fuel Type
Diesel
Engine Hours
Approx 7000 engine hours.
Fuel
480 litres
Water
350 litre (80 litre fitted tank / 270 lit in drums underneath the saloon floor
Accommodation
The main hatch is slightly to starboard. A hanging wet locker is immediately to starboard, then at to port is a large navigation station with a large chart table and oposite is a bench seat and a 'one and a half berth convenient as an ocean sea berth. A stern locker accommodates long items, more stowage under the berth, the seats and the stairs.
The main saloon is open plan. A dinette is to port, with a removable table, which breaks down into a double berth, and a curved sofa is to starboard with book shelves, a stero unit and entertainment cupboard above.
Cabins
Forward begins the main sleeping areas. The main cabin has a double berth to port with stowage above, a good sized bookcase, and a sofa/single berth to starboaard with more stowage and mirrored lockers above and to either side.
Berths
4 singles or 1 double
Galley
The large galley area has a stainless steel sink with hot and cold freshwater mixer taps. A Gimblled cooker is stainless steel, two burner with over and grill and has a stainless steeel surround for safety and a fridge. There is plenty of work surface and stowage space.
Refrigeration
Built in fridge box with 4 ins + foam insulation, 12v peration, approx 6 cu ft
Stove
Gimballed cooker
Water Maker
PUR80
Shower
One shower in the head. The shower tray drains overboard via an automatic sump pump, but has a manua
Toilet
Head is to port with full sized toilet bowl, a sink with hot/cold mixer taps wit an extendable hose for showers.
Two engine mounted alternators
Space for four 120A 75 AH Lead acid 'accommodation' batteries in two banks.
Space for two 80A 600 CCA engine stater batteries.
Four 80 Watts solar panels with M. P. P. T. Smart regulator with two fixed in heavy alloy frames and two emovable for mounting on the aft Binini during the coastal sailing season
Aerogen 6 wind generator with dedicated regulator.
Two fitted DC/AC inverters - a 450 Watt sign wave 240 VAC and a 400 Watt 110 VAC.
Electronics
Mechanical wind steering and an electrically driven autopilot.
Hydrovane wind powered self steering system.
Autohelm/Raymarine radar which is probably not working.
Raymarine ST60plus wind, depth and speed log.
VHF marine transceiver.
ICOM M700 SSB transceiver, with automatice tuner in stern locker. The starboard backstay has isolaters to act as the SSB aerial.
Plastimo Horison 135 Helmsman compass at the helm.
Sail Inventory
Aft and forward main sails (identical in dimensions and construction) Sails speciality, New Zealand in great condition.
Roller genoa
Orange storm trisail, a storm stay sail and a storm jib.
Spare roller genoa.
Blue sunbrella covers for the mainsails.
Mast / Rigging
Equal geight masted schooner, sometimes called an Ocean 60 rig.
Two deck stepped masts and two 'Z spars' slb reefing alloy booms.
Twin running poles.
Stainless steel wire standing rigging. Twin forestays, triatics and back stays. Sailspar roller headsail gear on one of the forestays. An inner 'baby' stay for the storm stay sail is backed by rope running back stays.
Two barlow 26 genoa winches, four lewmar 30 winches for hallyards and reefing lines.
Lewmar 'jamming' cleats.
Deck Gear
Aluminium alloy mast steps, boarding ladder, cockpit table, two aluminium alloy boathooks.
Alloy stantions, plastic covered staniless steel safety lines, pulpit and stern alloy guard rails, handrails, deck safey line fore and aft.
Remarks
Since ownership was taken in 2017 Silver Ruffian sailed around the Yasawa Islands. Pre-covid and due to family commitments she was put in a cyclone pit and will remain there until she is sold.
She was previously owned by the same owner for 24 years spending 16 years in Fiji where she was imported and is therefore not subject to cruising permits. They would either sail her to NZ for cyclone season, stay in Fiji or most often put her into the cyclone pit for security storing her contents in a storage shed at Vuda.
Any owner could feel complete confidence in her strength and seaworthiness in even the heavies weather. Silver Ruffian will need some mainenance however there is no question about her integrety and she has been maintained by the same professionals over the years.