Cornish Shrimper

Sandro

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My brother recently bought Nordica, a Cornish Shrimper inboard, # 660 of 1996 (low coachroof), in Italy.
As usual on a newly acquired boat, he will make some changes, following his personal preferences.
We have a few questions for Shrimper owners or connoisseurs.
1- We plan to add two winches and a few stoppers for halyards and reefing pennants. Which is the construction type of the deck/coachroof (foam or balsa sandwich or else), in order to fit them?
2- How can a s.s. protection band be fitted under the keel and under the two bilge protection wings? Can one just drive screws into the GRP without fear of impairing the watertightness?
3- The lashing of mainsail to mast tends to jam while hoisting. Any suggestion?
The advice of someone that already tackled these operations would be invaluable, as well as any other opinion on the subject.
Thanking in advance for the help,
Sandro
 

TheoSr

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Ex Crabber owner, had the same problems.
1 never needed winches, use of proper technique gave plenty of tension.
2 Stainless under water is questionable, why not consider black plastic, cheap, strong, easy to bend and easy to replace. Steel bands under the Crabber were fastened with screws into the GRP.
3 Mainsail to mast, the secret is not to go around the mast with the rope, Put the rope throug a cringle and then go back so that the rope is only at the front of the mast. Tension the rope with the sail hoisted and it will not jam the next time.
Hope this is clear, could explain better in Dutch.
Happy sailing
Theo.
 

VicS

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There is a Cornish Crabbers OA and a website somewhere. I don't have a url for it but I am sure Google will find it. It includes Shrimpers and with luck there may be a forum/ message board that will enable you to contact other owners.
 

Sandro

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Thank youTheo
1- Personally I agree with you on the no-need of whinches, but the owner/skipper is my brother, and he wish to fit them. I act as mate and bosun.
2- the boat will live on a trailer, except when used, so we think there will be no corrosion problems
3- The lashing is already threaded as you suggest, as per the Shrimper manual book.
Happy sailing
Sandro
 

MikeBz

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[ QUOTE ]
There is a Cornish Crabbers OA and a website somewhere. I don't have a url for it but I am sure Google will find it. It includes Shrimpers and with luck there may be a forum/ message board that will enable you to contact other owners.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sandro has already asked on the Shrimper owners club forum (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/index.php?mforum=shrimpertalk) to be met with a deafening silence - i suspect because noone has done these things to a Shrimper before.

Select Yachts (http://www.selectyachts.co.uk/) make the Shrimper these days, I'm sure they could advise.

Mike
Mike
 

Sandro

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Tank you Vic
I posted the questions on the Shrimper Owner forum but had no answer yet.
PBO forum is much more widespread (is this the correct English term?)
Happy sailing
Sandro
 

VicS

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[ QUOTE ]
I posted the questions on the Shrimper Owner forum but had no answer yet

[/ QUOTE ] Hopefully you will get some response it'll be rather sad if you do not. I can promise you that a similar question on the Seawych OA forum would have got a response within 24 hours! (I'm one of the technical advisors!)

According to my info the Shrimper decks are 6½ oz layup with a 5/8 inch balsa sandwich but I do not know if that applies to the cabin top as well. It should be possble to judge though. If it is not a sandwich construction it will only be a few mm thick but if it is a sandwich then it is going to be 2cm or so.

I would hesitate to screw into the keel and bilge runners but self tapping screws set ito epoxy resin may be the way forward. Drill out the gel coat to clear the screws, though, or it will chip. You will also need larger holes to screw into than you would into other materials. Drilling and tapping holes for small bolts may not be an unreasonable idea.

Based on my experience with a gunter rigged dinghy I would suggest that you are lacing the mainsail too tightly to the mast.
 

mainmarine

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Hi Sandro
Welcome to the forum. I run the Cornish Crabbers Owners website. www.cornishcrabbers.org. the URL for the Shrimper owners is: http://www.shrimperowners.org
Re your question about the mainsail jamming when hoisting, try using parrell beads on lashings around the mast. If you need more details please send me an e-mail. malc@mainmarine.co.uk and I will send you a sketch.
Malc
 

samsonioni

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...on the other hand, halyard spinlocks do not half come in handy, and a winch is always a nice thing to have, particularly if you are seeking the ubertight luff while racing, as many Shrimper owners do. A winch is also a comfort given the highish average age of Shrimper owners. So I too am curious about mounting winches and jammers on what I assume to be balsa core decks without squashing the whole lot flat. Any ideas?
 

VicS

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[ QUOTE ]
So I too am curious about mounting winches and jammers on what I assume to be balsa core decks without squashing the whole lot flat. Any ideas?


[/ QUOTE ] Often been described in PBO. Basically you have to cut away the innerskin and replace the balsa core with a wooden pad.
 
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