Custom Morecambe Bay Prawner 38'

38’ Gaff Rigged Tops’l Cutter

Fully Restored Historic Offshore Yacht

At 122 years old, Ziska is one of the oldest actively sailing wooden yachts in the Pacific

Northwest—a rare opportunity to own and sail a living piece of maritime heritage.

She features traditional rigging, teak hatches and cabin, a sapele saloon, leather and bronze

accents, and custom cast bronze fittings. Ziska is a vessel of timeless beauty and honest

craftsmanship. She was shortlisted for Classic Boat’s Restoration of the Year (Under 40ft) and

Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarian of the Year, and has been featured in WoodenBoat, Soundings,

Classic Boat, and Professional BoatBuilder magazines. According to Classic Boat, she ranks

among the top 150 classic boats in the world.

With an 11-ton displacement, she’s steady and capable in all conditions: a traditional sailor’s

boat. She’s been cruised extensively by her current owners throughout the Salish Sea, including

the San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Discovery Islands, and Broughton Archipelago. She’s

surprisingly manageable for a gaffer and sails comfortably with a crew of two.

A recent survey confirms her excellent condition—Ziska passed with flying colors and continues

to receive regular maintenance and care.

Below deck, she’s warm, practical, and full of character: well-crafted woodwork, a no-frills

layout, and natural light filtering through a handcrafted butterfly hatch, as well as a charming

wood stove. Accommodations include one quarter berth, one double berth, and two settee

bunks in the saloon.

She comes with sought-after transferable moorage at Port Townsend Boat Haven (with

harbormaster approval).

History

Ziska was built in 1903 by the Crossfield Brothers of Arnside, England—just months before the

Wright brothers’ first flight. Built on the lines of a Morecambe Bay prawner and finished for

racing and cruising, she sailed under the Royal Cork Yacht Club, where her name is still

engraved in silver.

In 1997, 19-year-old Ashley Butler repaired her and solo sailed her engineless over 25,000

miles, including a transatlantic crossing and classic yacht regattas in the Caribbean. She was

trucked to Port Townsend when a local shipwright bought her. In 2017, her full restoration

began.

The Restoration (2017–2019)

A two-year effort led by Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding alumni and other master

craftspeople, Ziska’s restoration emphasized structural integrity, traditional materials, and clean

execution.

Highlights include:

● Douglas fir bird’s mouth hollow spars

● Traditional galvanized wire rigging, parceled & served with leathered soft-eyes

● Deadeyes and lanyards

● Custom black locust blocks

● POSH running rigging

● Sails by Force10 Sailmakers

● New 25kg CQR anchor

● New Websters anchor windlass

● Hull refastened and recorked

● Sapele interior: curved cabinetry, wood stove, butterfly hatch

● Restored original tiller

● Two bronze Edson manual pumps

● Photogrammetry-based hull lines

● Custom bronze fittings by Port Townsend Foundry

● Electrical system including 900AH of carbon foam deep discharge batteries

● WatchMate AIS transponder

● Smart Plug shore power cable

● Charles isolation transformer

● Victron battery monitor and solar controllers

● Two 100w flexible solar panels

● VHF radio

● WindPilot self-steering windvane

Performance & Systems

In 2019, just weeks after her relaunch, Ziska competed in the 750-mile Race to Alaska, a wind-

and human-powered race for engineless vessels.

After the race, she was outfitted with a modern auxiliary system:

● 10kW Torqeedo Electric Pod Drive

● 15kW Lithium-Ion Battery Bank

● Propane generator for offshore charging

All components were installed to preserve her classic character while offering dependable, quiet

propulsion when needed.

As her owner put it after adding the pod drive:

“Sail like a Luddite, motor like a starship.”

Specifications

● LOA: 52’ | LOD: 38’ | Beam: 11’ | Draft: 6’

● Rig: Gaff Tops’l Cutter

● Type: Lancashire Nobby

● Design: Morecambe Bay Prawner

● Hull: Carvel-planked wood on double sawn frames

● Interior: Sapele

● Auxiliary Power: Torqeedo electric pod, lithium batteries, LPG generator

● Location: Port Townsend, WA

● Moorage: Transferable (Harbormaster approval required)

● Condition: Dry, well-maintained, surveyed, sail-ready

Ziska: Timeless, Classic, Ready for Adventure

Whether you’re coastal cruising, showing her at the Wooden Boat Festival, or just daysailing

with friends, Ziska offers a rare mix of heritage, capability, and soul. If you’re looking for historic

character, salty feel, and a whole lot of story—this might be the one.

Further Reading & Documentation available by request:

● “An English Cutter Races to Alaska” – Soundings

● Slow Race to Alaska – Classic Boat (PDF)

● “Ziska built in Arnside in 1903 completes Race 2 Alaska” – Arnside Sailing Club

● Pod Drive for a Prawner – Professional BoatBuilder (PDF)

● “Ziska shortlisted for awards” – Arnside Sailing Club

● Ziska – WoodenBoat Magazine Register

● “Team ‘Ziska’: Race to Alaska, June 2019” – Sailing By

● “NWSWB Alumni Collaborate on Restoration” – Professional BoatBuilder