Newbridge Pioneer Pilot

Pre Amble

The Pioneer Pilot is one of the smallest pilothouse sailing cruisers around, being based on the Pioneer hull, but with an enclosed wheelhouse, with alternative tiller steering in the cockpit. She offers a quite roomy modern 26 foot hull with a smallish double berth aft cabin, and 2-4 more berths forward in an open plan layout. As you would expect from a Bill Dixon production boat design, The Pioneer and Pioneer Pilot have a good reputation as sensible family cruisers with good accommodation for their size and respectable sailing performance.

Newbridge Boats started life building a GRP version of the pretty little Robert Tucker designed 21 foot Corribee in the very early 1970s. They later also built the 23 foot Virgo, with a distinctive wrap-round painted stripe to help disguise the quite substantial coachroof. In the early 1980s they dropped the Corribee, as despite taking it through three versions, with progressive tiny increases in interior volume, it could never be regarded as spacious for its length. They thus introduced a range of more 'modern' designs, including the Navigator, Venturer and Pioneer, all sharing the distinctive style of a dark-painted band around the coachroof, although the hulls were not all by the same designers.

The Newbridge Pioneer was designed by Bill Dixon (well known for Moody designs) in 1985/86 as the largest of the range, and was built in two versions, the Pioneer Pilot having an added pilothouse moulding to give an interior steering position. Most boats sold were bilge-keelers, but fin-keel and centreboard versions were also built.

About 80 were built in total. 

Construction and Cabin details

White GRP hull, deck and superstructure, cast iron bilge keels, aft cockpit with tiller steering. .

• Double berth in fore peak
• Two single berths port and starboard midships
• Galley to starboard with twin burner cooker with grill and full oven
• Stainless steel sink unit and cool box
• Enclosed heads to starboard, wet locker and hand basin pressurized water
• Navigation Table to port 
• Central table, can be dropped to provide double berth
• Side and overhead storage lockers

 

 

Engine:

 

Volvo 18hp diesel engine, shaft drive to a three bladed propellor. Engine battery (2022) and 2x service batteries charged by alternator. Shorepower connected with battery charger.

 

Sails and Spars

 

• Aluminium mast and boom.
• Slab reefed
• Crusader mainsail
• Barton furling genoa.
• Mainsail boom cover.

 

Deck Equipment:

 

• Anchor with chain. Kedge anchor.
• Stainless steel pulpit, pushpit, stanchions and guard wires.
• Boom mounted mainsail cover.
• Sprayhood.
• Cockpit enclosure.
• Cockpit cushions.
• Boarding ladder.
• Fenders and warps.
• Boat hook.
• Seago dinghy and Tohatsu 6hp four stroke outboard motor.

 

Navigation Equipment:

 

• Plastimo thru bulkhead compass.
• Garmin Echomap GPS Chartplotter/ Sounder (2019).
• Garmin GPS 128.
• Nasa Clipper depth, speed log and wind instruments.
• Nexus DSC VHF radio.
• Raymarine handheld VHF.
• Navico TP1800 autopilot.
• Simrad autopilot.
• Radar reflector.
• Navigation lights.
• Clock and Barometer.
• Radio/ CD player.

 

Safety Equipment

 

• Lifebuoy. Danbuoy.
• Flares.
• Manual bilge pump.
• 2x fire extinguishers.

 

 

Summary

Ffantasi is a well maintained and upgraded Pioneer Pilot. 6 berth in two cabins including and excellent double aft for a 26' boat makes this a very attractive cruising boat With the added advantage of bilge keels for drying out. Early viewing a must.

Disclaimer

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.