Cornish Crabber 24, what's it worth?

longjohnsilver

longjohnsilver

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A good friend of mine has a 1984 model of the above that's in very good condition, he's had it for about 10 years and it's spent most of its time ashore being cosseted. He's meticulous in making sure that anything that needs doing is done properly. It was copper coated a few years back and to my untutored eye looks great.
However, his partner doesn't want to go boating any longer and he's probably spent about an average of 3 days a year on board so it's just not being used so he reluctantly has decided to sell her. The problem is arriving at a realistic sale price, there seem to be no others of a similar age or size on the market. And as a mono owner I've got no idea of its worth, so any guidance from here would be useful. His gut feel is to put her on for around £14K and expect to get £12,500. Does this sound reasonable?
 
On paper this seems pricey, without having seen the boat. It depends on location - if he could move it to somewhere that casual viewers could easily see it and appreciate its condition that would help him to achieve a better sale price.
 
Perhaps bring her down to a Hamble marina during the boat show period. I know a few do second hand sales. I'd say that the price looked about right, assuming that it included a trailer, etc. The Old Gaffers might be a good place to get a fair valuation, they might even be able to advertise her for your mate. There is a whole social thing around the OGA and the Memory Class is well represented, which I think adds some value in itself because buying into your crabber opens up a whole social scene (if you want it).
 
They're expensive boats, price sounds reasonable, especially if it's meticulously looked after with no major items needing replacement or attention. Anything he can do to make it easier for buyers to view or even have it transported (i.e. get a few quotes) will help. A dedicated website with loads of recent photos is a good way to market a very well looked after older boat - see the link in my signature...
 
longjohnsilver said:
And as a mono owner I've got no idea of its worth, so any guidance from here would be useful. His gut feel is to put her on for around £14K and expect to get £12,500. Does this sound reasonable?
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Good CC17s go for that sort of money, I am assured. Well, easily £10k-ish.

A new CC22 will set you back very nearly seventy grand, and the company is asking £38,950 for the single CC24 they have listed, a 2005 one.
 
12.5 to 14k sounds under priced to me for a good CC24 but nearly 40k even for a 2005 one sounds optimistic
 
Topcat47 said:
+1 These boats hold their value if they're well looked after. I"ve never seen one advertised for less than £20k.
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There are three on boatsandoutboards currently. The cheapest is £24k, but it is 1997.
With older boats condition is just as important as age, I'd suggest an advertised price a bit higher than you've suggested.
It's easy to come down in price, impossible to go up...
 
It's a 1984 model. So it's probably the Crabber Mk1 which is quite different from the modern Crabber 24 which is all plastic and is a different design. The Mk1 has a grp hull and wooden deck and interior...lovely boats. I had sail number 209. It might just be a Mk2 which was all plastic but looked similar and had a slightly larger rig. Mk2 sail numbers started at 300.
This one sounds in great condition, the price seems reasonable to me.
 
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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'll pass them on to the owner, hopefully he'll get it on the market sooner rather than later, although he should have done it a few years back!
 
A 1984 model would be a Mk2 model - ie should be referred to as a "Cornish Crabber Mk2" (a Cornish Crabber 24 is a totally different shape). The Mk2 has a GRP deck (Mk1 is ply) and a longer bowsprit and higher peaked gaff.

Two and a half years ago I would of paid 20k for a Mk2 in good condition, but couldn't find any Mk2's at all. I eventually got a good Mk1 in Holland. Some of the Mk2's had 2GM20 engines - how I searched for such a boat, and did find one in mid France but was too chicken to buy from there.

Most of the problems re Mk1's I'm aware of relate to the ply decks (and then bulkheads and cockpit seating) and the YSB 8 engines, none of which could be an issue on a Mk2. However we split what appeared to be a good mast to do wiring and found internal rot, this would apply to the Mk2's.

My view if in decent condition would be to start at 20k just in case there's somebody out there looking for the (rarer) Mk2.
 
I remember...probably in the late 80s or early 90s, the arrival of the Cornish Yawl, which I'm pretty certain was 24ft. Was this simply an existing Crabber 24 hull, with added mizzen?

EDIT: I've just looked on a dedicated Crabber website, and found virtually the same question, asked three years ago by Zagato, of this forum. Nobody answered him. :(
 
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dancrane said:
I remember...probably in the late 80s or early 90s, the arrival of the Cornish Yawl, which I'm pretty certain was 24ft. Was this simply an existing Crabber 24 hull, with added mizzen?

EDIT: I've just looked on a dedicated Crabber website, and found virtually the same question, asked three years ago by Zagato, of this forum. Nobody answered him. :(
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No, the Cornish Yawl was a different hull design to the original 24 Mks. 1 & 2. The current 24 was a development of the Yawl hull, but with a long keel rather than lifting, as on the Yawl. As someone else has commented they seem to have dropped the 24 from the range probably because not that much cheaper than 26 which is faster (David Thomas design) and has more accommodation. IMV the 24 was the odd one out in not having a lifting keel plate but better looking than the 26. BTW Cornish yawls seem better value than either the preceding 24 or the (recently) current one.
 
Thanks Eddystone, I can stop wondering now.

Drifting into a different area...I expect it's against Cornish Crabbers' approved custom to suggest the introduction of 'new' designs, but in a period when smaller boats have often been dropped from builders' ranges because of the industry's economies of scale - ie, there's more money to be made from building fewer large yachts than lots of little ones, I've often wondered why Cornish Crabbers doesn't build a big, characterful 45ft ketch, or dare I say it, a gaff schooner? :D

According to conventional knowledge on this forum, anyone who can afford a bigger yacht, tends to want whatever conveniently banal AWB is currently de rigueur...

...but I don't believe the company would suffer by its visual styling and build quality being advertised grandly, wherever such a yacht appeared. It would be at the top of my wish-list.
 
They have had several goes at that - although not as big as 45' and have just built another new Pilot 30.

Plenty of yards such as Heards, Luke Powell, Covey Island Boatworks in Canada etc have built bigger gaff cutters loosely based on the pilot cutter or similar designs, but never more than a handful before they either satisfy the tiny market or decide there is no money in it.
 
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