NETTIE

NETTIE

1997 Fenwick Williams 24 Gaff Cutter | Asking $48,500

Builders: Paul McKinney and French & Webb, Belfast, Maine
Length on deck: 24 ft | Overall with bowsprit: approximately 31 ft
Draft: approximately 4 ft | Displacement: approximately 10,000 lbs
Location: Dutch Wharf Boatyard, Connecticut

NETTIE is a double-ended gaff cutter designed by Fenwick Williams and built in Belfast, Maine, by Paul McKinney with completion work by French & Webb. Her sweeping sheer, varnished mahogany trim, spruce spars, and traditional three-sail rig give her the character of a much older yacht, in a size suited to coastal sailing and weekends aboard for two.

Her present owner has undertaken substantial maintenance at Dutch Wharf, with particular attention to the brightwork. Cap rails, eyebrow molding, companionway doors and hatches, cockpit seats, and the butterfly hatch have been refinished, while the grab rails were rebuilt. The brightwork was taken back to bare wood and finished with ten coats, followed by three additional coats in 2026. Recent photographs show this work.

A Yanmar diesel, updated Garmin navigation equipment, a composting head, and a simple two-berth interior provide practical comforts. NETTIE offers an appealing combination of Maine boatbuilding pedigree, substantial recent care, and straightforward systems. 

NETTIE is traditionally carvel planked in cedar over steam-bent white oak frames, with bronze fastenings, an external lead ballast keel, and a transomless double-ended hull with an outboard rudder and tiller steering. The decks are marine plywood sheathed in fiberglass and Dynel. Mahogany cabin joinery and cap rails are complemented by a teak cockpit and spruce spars.

Recent work includes recaulking and repainting the hull; extensive refinishing of exterior mahogany; rebuilt grab rails; removal, refinishing, and reinstallation of cockpit seats; painted cockpit well risers; and a new raw-water strainer and elbow. A bronze garboard drain plug and Whale diaphragm bilge pump were also installed.

Accommodations

Two amidships berths flank a folding table, with storage arranged throughout the cabin. Mahogany companionway doors have summer screens. Lighting includes six electric lights and a gimballed oil lamp.

The galley has manual water pumps, including a recently installed Whale saltwater pump with an adjustable spout, and a portable RTIC high-efficiency cooler. The galley also includes a single-burner alcohol stove. A Trelino composting head has replaced the former marine toilet and holding tank, and the associated seacocks were removed. A Dickinson solid-fuel cabin heater is available but is not installed.

Spars and Sails

Gaff cutter rig with spruce mast, bowsprit, boom, and gaff. The mainsail, jib, and staysail are Oceanus cloth by Gambell & Hunter, with approximately 405 square feet of sail area. The sails are in good condition following washing, inspection, and minor repairs, and have new sail covers.

Traditional bronze deck hardware and belaying pins complement the rig. 

Machinery and Equipment

Yanmar 2GM20F two-cylinder, freshwater-cooled diesel, rated at 16 hp. Shaft drive with a two-blade bronze propeller. 

Navigation equipment includes a recently installed Garmin Echomap unit on a custom stainless-steel swing-out companionway bracket, a Ritchie HB-740 compass with custom bronze mounting hardware, and a Standard Horizon floating handheld VHF.

Equipment includes two 12-volt batteries, a new Whale V-pump Mark 6 diaphragm bilge pump, an electric bilge pump, a fisherman-style anchor with chain and rope rode, and a spare Danforth anchor. 

An October, 2023 condition and valuation survey is available. NETTIE may be seen by appointment through Artisan Boatworks. Additional photos and the survey are available for review upon request.