By Chris
Specification:
Length 31ft (9.5m)
Beam 10ft (3.07m)
Draught 3ft (920mm)
Max Weight 5tons
Engine Ford D Series, 6 cylinder 130 HP
Gearbox Borg-Warner 2:1 reduction
Country of manufacture: UK
For those interested in buying something a bit larger to keep on a permanent mooring then here is my report on the Mitchell 31 MKI.
The Mitchell was built as an out and out angling boat, so built for a price. To save money they did not skimp on build quality but there were no frills and extras, it was built for a purpose. This resulted in a basic, but very well constructed boat, but a bit noisy as there was no sound insulation installed. I have added a fair bit of sound insulation, which reduced the noise considerably and I will probably add more in the future. Originally there were two versions, one with a cuddy and one with a fully enclosed wheelhouse. Today you will see many types, the original versions and those modified to give extended wheelhouses and even shortened ones.
The open cockpit deck was originally constructed of simple plywood boards, which allows water to run in to the bilge. I found this not to be a very good set-up as all sorts of rubbish used to find it's way in to the bilge and it didn't take too long for the plywood to start delaminating, mainly due to rainwater damage. I therefore replaced this with an all-weather deck of ply sheathed in fibreglass mat and resin finished with flowcoat (gelcoat) and sharp sand to produce a non-slip finish. This necessitated introducing scuppers to allow the deck to drain, two in the stern and one each side, just aft of the wheelhouse. This system has worked very well and it is now very easy to wash down the deck after a day out fishing. Below the deck there is a huge amount of storage space, accessible by 3 raised hatches, which were incorporated into the new deck.
The wheelhouse has the helm position on port side with a bench helm seat and a wooden steering wheel operating the hydraulic steering, which is not standard. This makes the steering extremely light and you can steer with one finger! On Tamar Lady the steering is connected to a Neco autopilot which has performed very well and found to be near essential on a long voyage. Low down on the port side there is a locker for the batteries and on the starboard side there is another storage locker. The wheelhouse has two forward facing windows, the starboard one had a forward opening split window, it also had non-opening side windows. Last year I replaced all the windows, the side windows are now sliding. Below the forward facing windows is a full width shelf with ample room for all electronics etc. Below the floor of the wheelhouse is the steel fuel tank with a 120-gallon capacity.
Below deck in the cabin immediately on the port side is the heads with a proper sea toilet. Opposite on the starboard side is where the galley is normally positioned, consisting of a draining sink and twin burner / grill cooker. Last year I stripped out the existing galley completely and built a brand new one on the starboard side of the wheelhouse, building in a new cooker incorporating an oven (luxury!). The main idea was to make it a lot easier to have a brew at sea without having to go down below, plus of course the hot pasties / pies etc. this has worked very well. Where the old one was positioned I built a new unit incorporating a chart table and storage.
Back on the portside, immediately next to the heads there is a hanging locker, but I have modified this to give storage shelves. Forward there are twin V bunks, below the bunks again I have done some modifications to give more storage. Above the bunks I installed full-length shelves, which gives great storage space. In the roof there is a forward facing opening hatch, I have modified this to be rear facing for safety reasons.
The forward deck is protected with stantions and guard wires which gives good safe access to the bow for anchoring. The Mitchell usually has a small wooden rear-sloping mast with cross-tees mounted centrally on the forward face of the wheelhouse. Tamar Lady however has a large metal mast mounted on the rear of the wheelhouse roof, this gives good high mounting for aerials and antennae, radar reflector, radome and steaming / anchor light.
The hull is round bilge, flattening out at the stern and to a fine V at the front. A solid heavy wooden keel and two mini bilge keels on the sides gives very good lateral stability and holds a course extremely well, the mini bilge keels also protect the hull if you need to dry out and let the boat take the ground. The rudder hangs outside the boat on external pintles, these were in poor condition and have been replaced with stainless steel ones. The rudder itself is a bit small and results in poor handling at low speeds and especially in reverse. For this reason the rudder balance was extended forward slightly, as other owners have done, this has improved things considerably.
The engine is a normally aspirated Ford D Series 130 HP diesel, marinised using Bowman parts. The engine can be described as a carthorse rather than a thoroughbred! But has been extremely reliable and economical (2 gal / hour), an engine like this will just keep on going.
The Mitchell MK I is a full displacement boat, therefore is not designed to go above her theoretical hull speed, so there is no real advantage in over-engining her as you will just burn up fuel for very little extra speed. Fully laden she will cruise economically at 8 knots (2000 rpm), she will make 9 knots (2300 rpm) and may even make 10 knots if I didn't carry so much stuff on her!
At sea she is stable at anchor and even in a big sea she is a very dry boat. Six anglers can fish with no problem and with four it is positively spacious.
Major advantages: safety, space, sea-keeping qualities and economical to run.
Disadvantages: lack of speed, a bit noisy.
Disclaimer: Everything written in these reports are based on personal experience and the individual's opinion only. I have tried my best to present the facts correctly, but I/we take no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions.