Imagine this: Depart British Columbia, cruise south to the Panama Canal, transit to the Caribbean, up the coasts of North America, then set a course for the Azores and on to mainland Europe. Arrive in the Mediterranean, explore the coastlines of Spain, France, and Italy, then transition inland through the French canal system to the heart of Europe. With Tsimshia, this is not a fantasy—it is a realistic plan, and the primary design consideration was expeditions of this nature.
Her design is function-first. Safety, efficiency and self-sufficiency were paramount when designing and building this boat. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean and then cruising the European canal systems were the primary objectives of the design brief. More lifeboat than trawler, her thick fiberglass hull was made to weather North Atlantic depressions. Her height is dictated by the bridge clearance in the French canal systems and her engines and drivetrains were chosen because they are incredibly strong, efficient, reliable, and serviceable by owners. The owners' trip from Salt Spring Island, B.C., to Ketchikan, Alaska and back without refuelling is a testament to her efficiency and great range.
The same family that designed and commissioned Tsimshia still owns her. They have kept the original drawings, calculations and even templates if you need to replicate a strut. There is also an incredible amount of spare parts and a documented history from day one.
If you want a capable, long-range, blue water cruising powerboat at a very affordable price, have a look at Tsimshia. She looks unique, and she is. The owners would love to sell her to an explorer who will continue to take Tsimshia on more adventures.
Covered boatshed moorage is available in Nanaimo with management approval.
Stepping aboard Tsimshia, you understand her thoughtfully designed tri-cabin layout that balances offshore functionality with the warmth of a classic liveaboard. Built to be a home away from home on long transoceanic passages, the interior features a timeless, traditional aesthetic with wood veneer panelling and solid wood trim.
The layout is configured as two-stateroom yacht with two enclosed heads, offering excellent privacy for owners and guests on extended voyages.
Forward Cabin (Guest Stateroom):Accessed via the helm station, the forward cabin serves as a comfortable guest stateroom with a large V-Berth. This space features its own enclosed head complete with a vanity-mounted sink and marine toilet, providing a private retreat for overnight guests or crew. There is access to the engine room from the forward cabin.
Main Cabin, Helm Station, Galley:Steps lead up from the forward cabin into the bright and spacious main cabin, which acts as the central hub of the yacht:
Helm Station: Forward in this space, the captain enjoys excellent visibility at the single-station helm.
Salon & Dinette: A welcoming salon is in the same space as the helm station. The area features comfortable seating and an adjustable table, perfect for dining, entertaining, or spreading out charts for passage planning. It can go higher, lower and fold into a large and medium table.
Galley: Located conveniently adjacent to the salon, the galley is well-equipped for long-range cooking. It features a counter-mounted sink, a 2-burner pressurized kerosene cooktop alongside an AC microwave oven, and a below-counter AC/DC refrigerator with an icebox and a below-counter AC/DC 1.9 cu/ft freezer.
Deck Access: Port and starboard doors lead directly from the main cabin to the side decks—a critical safety and convenience feature for docking and handling lines in locks.
Engine Access: Hatches in the cabin sole provide additional access to the engine/machinery space for quick checks.
Aft Master Stateroom:Steps lead aft and down from the galley into the owners stateroom. This large suite is appointed with two berths and features its own enclosed head. The head is a standout feature for a vessel of this size, offering not only a vanity-mounted sink and toilet but also a separate tub/shower—a rare luxury that significantly enhances comfort during extended liveaboard cruising. A door leads from the aft cabin directly out to the aft cockpit.
Built in Canada by Kettle Creek Boat Works Ltd. , Tsimshia is a custom tri-cabin trawler-style motor yacht designed for serious offshore capability by engineer D.C. MacPhail and yacht consultant P.L. Friedman. This is not a production boat—she was conceived, designed, and built with one purpose in mind: to cross oceans while also ensuring comfortable cruising on Canada’s remote and rainy west coast. Her displacement hull with soft chines, raked bow, cruiser stern, and long keel was engineered for seaworthiness in heavy seas.
With a fuel capacity of 2,800 litres, Tsimshia possesses the range to undertake transatlantic passages—from Canada to Europe—and then continue seamlessly into the Mediterranean and the inland canal systems of France, Holland, and beyond. .
This yacht has been carefully maintained and was professionally surveyed in April 2022, with the surveyor concluding she is “heavily built and appears to be in good overall condition” and “fit for her manufacturer’s intended use.”
If you are looking for a capable, go-anywhere, solidly built, fiberglassass cruiser that can take you long distances, efficiently and safely.
The Lister HRW3MGF is a legendary, heavy-duty 3-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engine built by R.A. Lister & Co. (now Lister Petter). It is known for its bulletproof mechanical reliability with a reputation for 50,000 hr lifespans before requiring any major overhaul. Simple, strong and reliable.
Twin 1982 Lister HRW3MGF 3-cylinder naturally aspirated diesel inboards—46 HP each
Fuel capacity: 2,800 litres in four welded steel tanks
Newage Marine PRM-160 gears with 3.0:1 reduction
1-3/4″ stainless steel propeller shafts with mild steel intermediate shafts.
Bronze 3-blade propellers (RH & LH)
Hydraulic Wagner steering with emergency tiller
Single-station Morse cable controls
Fresh water cooling via engine-mounted heat exchangers
DC Electrical (12V):
2 x Group 27 starting batteries
2 x Group GC 6V house batteries
Engine-mounted alternators
Victron battery charger
Fuse-protected DC panel at helm
AC Electrical (120V):
30A marine twist-lock shore connection
Genset driven by the starboard propulsion engine
Electronics
Uniden Solara VHF with DSC
Marine 480 depth sounder with flasher
Wagner S50 autopilot
Wagner rudder angle indicator
Internally gimbaled magnetic compass
Raymarine depth sounder with digital readout
Fresh water system with 2 pressurized aluminum tanks and 2 stainless tanks with a hand pump.
Two enclosed heads with manual marine toilets
Blackwater holding tanks with shore pump-out only. A hand pump can be used when required.
2-burner pressurized kerosene cooktop
AC microwave and toaster oven
AC/DC refrigerator and icebox
Below-counter AC/DC NovaKool 1.9 cu ft (54 L ) freezer.
Water heater with AC electric and engine coolant heating coils
Fortress F37 lightweight anchor
CQR plow style and stockless spare anchors
Hydraulic windlass driven by the port propulsion engine
Wood cabin-top handrails and cast aluminum cleats
3 x 12V electric bilge pumps with auto function
2 x manual bilge pumps
3 x 1A10BC and 2 x 6A80BC dry chemical fire extinguishers
Fire axe
CO detector
Lifebuoy, buoyant heaving line, reboarding device, crew-overboard pole with flag.
Electric and portable air horns
Navigation lights
Radar reflector
Gale Rider drogue
Livingston tender on back deck launched and retrieved with electric winch and manual wormdrive topping lift.
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.
Details
ManufacturerCustom Craft
ModelKettle Creek Boatworks 42 LRC
Year (Build / Refit)1982
Length12.8m
Total Power92 hp
Beam3.7m
Specifications
Dimensions
Length12.8m
Max Draft1.2m
Beam3.7m
Hull
MaterialGRP
Weight
Displacement16.3 t
Accommodation
Guest Cabins2
Bathrooms2
Features
Windlass
Propulsion
Engine 1
Engine MakeLister
Engine ModelHRW3MGF
Engine Hours3200
Engine TypeInboard
Drive TypeInboard Direct-Drive
Fuel TypeDiesel
Power46 hp
Year1982
Engine 2
Engine MakeLister
Engine ModelHRW3MGF
Engine Hours3200
Engine TypeInboard
Fuel TypeDiesel
Power46 hp
Year1982
Listing details on this page are provided by Kelly Yacht Sales as marketing material. Please contact the broker directly for full details.