Fika
Fika is a 48-foot center-cockpit cutter-ketch, launched in 1972 and built heavy for blue water. She's also a bit of a hybrid. Below the deck she's a Mason 48: the hull is Al Mason's design, built by a yard that wasn't actually authorized to build it. From the coach roof up, rig included, she's an Alpha 48.
Mason's plans were later sold to Sparkman & Stephens, and the design went into production as the S&S 48. So Fika shares a hull with those boats but predates them, and nothing else quite matches her. Her early history is thin, so we're piecing it together as we go and will only put things here once we can back them up.
To us, Fika is about slowing down and enjoying the small things in life.
Her mark, the script F, is on both sides of her bow.
As she is today
- Design
- Mason 48 hull; Alpha 48 deck, coach roof, and rig
- Rig
- Center-cockpit cutter-ketch, 48 ft
- Launched
- 1972
- Hull
- Solid hand-laid fiberglass
- Engine
- Perkins 4.236 diesel, rebuilt 2025
- Fuel
- Two 150 gallon aluminum diesel tanks, cleaned and epoxy-lined 2026, with a fuel polishing system
- House bank
- 800 Ah lithium (8 × Battle Born 100 Ah)
- Solar
- 3 × 415 W
- Inverter/charger
- Victron MultiPlus 12/3000
- Monitoring
- Victron Cerbo GX
- Generator
- Honda EU2200
- Heat
- Dickinson Newport solid fuel stove, diesel air heater
- Galley
- Force 10 propane stove and oven
- Tender
- 12 ft hypalon RIB, Honda 15 hp
The refit
12 of 22 major jobs finished.
- DoneBottom rebuilt and reinforced
- DoneLithium bank, solar, and Victron system
- DonePerkins 4.236 rebuilt and exhaust redesigned
- DoneMotor mounts cleaned, inspected, and welded
- DoneShaft seal replaced
- DoneRebuilt fridge and new freezer
- DoneFuel polishing system
- DoneFuel tanks opened up, cleaned, and epoxy-lined, with new vents, deck fill, and level senders
- DonePropane system and Force 10 stove and oven
- DoneDickinson solid fuel heater
- DoneVHF/AIS radio and stereo
- DoneAll lighting converted to LED
- UnderwayNew water tank (remove old tank, final plumbing)
- UnderwayAft head remodel
- To doMore CO alarms
- To doFloor repair
- To doGearbox resealed
- To doSteering system rebuilt
- To doNMEA 2000 network and wiring the chartplotter
- To doB&G radar
- To doWire up the new fuel tank level senders
- To doRemaining electrical wiring