Hi, We sold our mid 30s plastic boat a couple of years ago. I want to downsize to a quality boat that is easy to single hand and fun to sail. I have been looking at the BCC but have been steered to also look at the FC. I would love to hear from owners about the boat - what they like and don’t like. In looking at FCs are there certain things to be particularly aware of?
Thanks.
Brent
Brent,
Other than “perfect” and perfectly “beautiful boat”, what surprised me, coming up on my second anniversary in hull number 25, was that there have never been more than 40 Falmouth Cutters built. For all the deserved and lavish magazine articles and the John Vigor and Ferencz Mate accolades, I had mentally built up a fleet of a hundred at least! With two here on Barnegat Bay and one on Raritan Bay, New Jersey hosts over 7% of the whole shebang.
The Forum will, I’m sure, take advantage of your invitation for boasting, but, fact is, this merry band is small.
Dennis
Dennis, Its interesting there seems to be only one FCC for sale on the continent - at the north end of Vancouver Island. I’m here in NC and thinking of taking a trip to the West Coast to look at a BCC in California and this FCC on Vancouver Island. May also take a look at a couple of Shannon 28s that are for sale in California. The FCC really appeals to me - as just a wonderful sailboat and then you can trailer it as well. What could be better.
Brent
Brent,
Kate & Bernie of Rogue Wave have a Falmouth Cutter for sale. She isn’t factory finished but looks pretty darn good and is here on the East Coast. We once owned a Falmouth Cutter and found her to be a really sweet sailing joy. I sometimes think they sail better than a BCC. Just a bit small for us but still one heck of a boat. After seeing the video on building the Falmouth Cutter I do believe that they are without a doubt overbuilt in all of the important places where shortcuts are usually taken in boat building today. We bought our Falmouth Cutter from Kate & Bernie and she was everything they advertised that she would be. The trailer makes a difference in knowing that you can travel and sail when you get to the other end. Tow to Florida, launch and do the Islands. Head North and do Nova Scotia, the possibilities are endless. Good luck.
Bob & Lois
BCC Jolie Brise
Hello all,
I am looking at a 1995 Falmouth Cutter.
I believe it is hull#33, with a former name of “Seacall”. The current name is "Wee Billie Mac and is lying in Port McNeil, BC.
A surveyer has advised me that the Falmouths were out of production at Samuel Morses from 1992-1998.
Does anyone have info about production dates and if hull#33 was a Sam Morse factory finished vessel?
Thanks!
Larry Pepper
Port Townsend, WA.
(360)531-0977
e-mail: lepepper@mac.com
Larry,
Hull #33 was originally owned by Phil Cunningham. I had the occasion to visit Seacall at Dana Point, when I was in the process of buying my Falmouth Cutter. Phil bought Seacall from John Hoffman out of Michigan who was the original owner. Seacall is a Sam L Morse build boat and Seacall and John are actually featured in the Sam l. Morse video “Falmouth Cutter 22”. Hope this helps,
John V.
Hi Larry,
Your surveyor was wrong. The Falmouth Cutter was still in production at Sam L. Morse Co. between 1992 and 1998. In fact Seacall/Wee Billy Mac was built during that time frame. As were several other FCs. But the bulk of FC production took place in the early 1980s.
My investigation has found that 8 hulls were built by Heritage Marine as Nor’Sea 22s and 38 hulls were built at the Sam Morse Co. as Falmouth Cutter 22s. Sam Morse Co. did not build a hull number 13 so the last hull produced is hull number 39.
Nearly all Sam L. Morse Co. boats were built to order, not on a production line. That might be the source of your surveyor’s confusion.
ron walton
editor: FC News
John,
Thanks for the history of #33. I am venturing to Port McNeil in a couple of weeks to view and survey the boat.
Regards,
Larry
Port Townsend, WA
Ron,
Thanks for the info…yes, the surveyor was misinformed…the good news is he’s not my surveyor.
Just spoke with Phil Cunningham, the second owner of “Seacall” …nice connection as he bought it from John and sold it to it’s current owner in Port McNeil…
Nothing but praises for the boat…
I’m looking forward to sailing her.
I’ll keep you posted.
Regards,
Larry Pepper
Port Townsend
Hi Larry. I’m curious as to what happened when you looked at the boat,what your accessment of it is and why do you feel it hasn’t been purchased to date? Thanks Frank
Frank,
I had both an engine and out of water survey done on this boat.
There were some problems.
I also had issues with the integrity of the broker.
My lesson: even though the FC is steeped in Lyle Hessness and is certainly an exquisite vessel it still is just a boat and not perfect. And a lot of money.
Now I understand why they assign women’s names to boats…it is like falling in love and sometimes love is blind.
Larry Pepper
Port Townsend
Thanks for responding. As I’m about to go and look…could you share the ‘problems’ that were found … before I fall in love 
I’m also interested in the problems that were found with this one. For anyone else who’s interested (as I’m unable to buy at the moment), this boat has dropped $10,000 in price to $37k USD!
More on the “never-ending saga” of SeaCall, now renamed Wee Billie Mac. I took a look at her last week, and like Larry told me, she shows very well.
My findings were that there is about $1,200 CAD of engine work and a yet-to-be determined amount of repair to a bent mast. There is some minor stress cracking on the deck, and the current owner just replaced a shroud that was damaged. I could not tell if this mast issue could have been caused by the same accident that damaged the shroud or not, but it looked like possible impact on the aft edge. Perhaps something fell on it when demasted.
I decided that she was in good enough condition to accept these issues and made a full-price offer yesterday (10/28). The owner decided not to accept this full-price offer, because someone else from North Carolina (Brent?) is looking at her today (10/29). Due to my personal time constraints, I cannot consider her unless I can survey, etc on 10/30. My offer is currently withdrawn, and the owner now will have to deal with one buyer in a buyers market.
As with all boat sales, things get weird, but this one is really weird. I’m not sure that this sale is being conducted ethically. Perhaps they do things differently in Canada … I would have expected the opposite.
tom,
do you have an offer currently pending on this falmouth cutter?
thanks in advance for taking the time to reply.
jross