cornish crabber shrimper first boat?

little shack

little shack

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I'm still learning to sail awayfarer at the moment but hope to buy atrailersailer next yearas my first real boat. I've been looking about at that type of boat to try and get an idea. I do like the look of the cornish crabber range and think the shrimper would be ideal for what ihad in mind abit of gentle sailing of the east coast.Any ideas as to the suitability as anovice.:)
 
I reckon a Shrimper is smashing small boat but they weren't around when I bought my boat. They are not cheap though!

The alternative would be to buy something much cheaper as a starter boat a Corribee or a Sea Wych for example
 
Agree with Vic. Shrimper (and teh whole crabber ranger) is a cracking boat. A real sense of classic charm.

Not cheap by a long-shot though. Not the kind of investment i'd want when 'cutting my cloth' at sailing.
 
little shack said:
I'm still learning to sail awayfarer at the moment but hope to buy atrailersailer next yearas my first real boat. ....
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(gasp of horror!) Wayfarer not a real boat?!
I'm told that Shrimpers etc are nice boats but you don't have to be in too much of a hurry to part with your Wayfarer. (Assuming it's your own Wayfarer of course.)
 
blackbeard said:
(gasp of horror!) Wayfarer not a real boat?!
I'm told that Shrimpers etc are nice boats but you don't have to be in too much of a hurry to part with your Wayfarer. (Assuming it's your own Wayfarer of course.)
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A Wayfarer is most certainly a real boat! I've had mine for about eighteen months but pressure from SWMBO led us to acquire a 27ft Vega this year. Learning on the Wayfarer made this step up so much easier than starting from scratch.

Of course a Shrimper will be a bit slower than a Wayfarer but I suppose it all depends on your priorities. I (or, rather, SWMBO) didn't see much point in taking such a small step up from 16ft to 19ft.
 
Shrimpers have a cabin and a couple of berths. They are not rockets, but not everyone wants a race boat. They are lovely and I would have one like a shot, apart from the price.
I was out yesterday and noticed a Shrimper having a nice sail in a steady breeze.
I've not sailed one so it may be a case of "nice to look at, but not so nice to be on" but I regularly come across an older couple who sail one on the lake who love theirs.

They may be a bit pricey to buy, but they hold their price.

Lulu on the lake

Lulu01.jpg
 
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Lakesailor said:
Shrimpers have a cabin and a couple of berths. They are not rockets, but not everyone wants a race boat. They are lovely and I would have one like a shot, apart from the price.
I was out yesterday and noticed a Shrimper having a nice sail in a steady breeze.
I've not sailed one so it may be a case of "nice to look at, but not so nice to be on" but I regularly come across an older couple who sail one on the lake who love theirs.

They may be a bit pricey to buy, but they hold their price.
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From the few reports i've had, they sail alot better than their somewhat 'traditional' appearance would have you think.

I'm developing a soft-spot for the new Crabber 26. From initial views etc, that looks right up my street.
 
Had a look at a Shrimper at the boat show, very cramped inside and the interior finish was very poor, the Cape Cutter was far superior in my opinion, just as cramped but far better finish, as has been said they are very expensive for a small craft, I am sure there are better options for the East Coast , Red Fox, Benny 211, Etap etc
 
Is the OP looking to buy new? Just for £20k secondhand you can get a hell of a lot more boat than that.
 
]yes of course awayfarer is a real boatand if they made a20fter with a nice little cabin so you could spend a few nights i would consider it in a flash.I don't own the one i'm learning in but it is great fun.As always if money was not a object I would probably buy big or new but it is.if i buy older but bigger say atrapper27 or a cobra which i do like the look of as a first boat it may be too much to keep up to and to sail single as would be most of the time.and I do like the look of the shrimper and it looks like it could be fun if not racey and easier to maintain than a larger boat allowing me to sail more. plenty of time to decide:)
 
Lakesailor said:
They are lovely and I would have one like a shot, apart from the price.
I've not sailed one so it may be a case of "nice to look at, but not so nice to be on" but I regularly come across an older couple who sail one on the lake who love theirs.
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I have a Cornish Yawl, one of the Shrimper's bigger sisters. Not what I originally set out to find, but now I've got her I can't imagine having white plastic, aluminium spars, and two white triangles just like everybody else. Boo-ooring :-)

I took a friend out for the first time the other week and as we were motoring down the river he was peering all over the boat trying to see what we'd accidentally got wrong (warps trailing or whatever) to cause everyone to look at us as we passed. I had to explain that people look at you wherever you go in a boat like this :-)

Fire99 said:
From the few reports i've had, they sail alot better than their somewhat 'traditional' appearance would have you think.
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Well, in a handful of outings this first year, the fastest I've seen was 6.6 knots. I reckon that's not too bad for a heavy, full-bodied 24 footer with bilge keels. Might be able to hit some higher numbers with the right wind and more care (wasn't really trying). Although on the other hand the log is hardly carefully calibrated...

Fire99 said:
I'm developing a soft-spot for the new Crabber 26. From initial views etc, that looks right up my street.
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Only thing I'm not keen on there is the mandatory centreboard. Most Yawls have centreboards, and although I haven't been on one I know where the case would go and it would be really annoying if KS had one there. I don't know how much of an effect the bilge plates have on performance, but I reckon it's probably worth it. Drying out completely upright is potentially another bonus, especially when I get her down to the West Country where you'd generally dry out on top of sand rather than sunk into mud.

Although the mizzen is allegedly the reason the Yawl was discontinued after only 30-something boats (customers thinking it would be too complex), I rather like it. It adds further character, and it mostly self-tends during any maneouvring so doesn't really add extra work (it's very light to get up and down too). It takes some of the area out of the main making it more easily managed (not that it would be especially hard otherwise, I suspect) and taking it down is a useful step in the reefing sequence. Alternatively you can sail with just mizzen and headsails (the "geriatric rig") although I think pointing ability is probably reduced.

Dragging myself back onto the topic of Cornish Crabbers generally rather than the Yawl specifically, I also like the ability to use wooden mast hoops (although the standard system is a lacing). They're the epitome of low-tech, but for ease of getting the mainsail up and down they're way better than any boltrope, slug, or wheeled car system I've ever used. No friction whatsoever on the way up and down (they generally "fly" around the mast without touching it when the sail's not drawing, supported by the luff tension). No need to bring the boat head to wind either - the hoops are round, the mast is round, so the position of the hull underneath them is immaterial. With the wind on the beam you just let the boom out until it's parallel to the wind and hoist away.

Turns out I'm a fully-converted Modern Gaffer - can you tell? :-)

Pete
 
michael_w said:
You'll find a Shrimper heartbreakingly slow after the Wayfarer.
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I doubt it. The Shrimper will not get up on the plane like a Wayfarer obviously, but I have seen the frustration on many 'traditional design' dinghy crews faces as they try to pass my old Trident when they can not get up on the plane. Compare that with the smug smiles of the average Shrimper crew as they pull ahead..... Excellent little boats but far too expensive for what they are IMHO.

In OPs situation I would go for something like a Coribbee, Navigator, Trident, or one of the smaller Westerlies for a quarter the money of a Shrimper, until he is sure he likes 'bigger boats'. And to me, sailing short or usually single handed, the mandatory Centreboard is a big no-no. Tried centreboarders and dealing with big heavy plates (compared to the Wayfarer) is a real pain.
 
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PRV is absolutely right. We are just starting our fourth season in a Cornish Yawl; it is a fantastically sea-kindly boat, has everything a much bigger boat has, and is fantastic value. For the price of an average 19ft Shrimper, you can have a 24ft Yawl! Standing headroom, separate heads, allegedly five berths (we only use two), cooker. Don't be frightened of all the string - everything has a logical purpose to make it easier to sail. Check out the very underpriced example at Boatshed Medway. If it is still for sale - grab it - you won't be sorry. Pete and I will advise you. Yawl have a good time, now.
 
hawk 20

These sail really well and are fast.

With a centre plate keel they sail like a wayfarer and will plane with the kite up.

I frequently raced against one and they sailed well above their rating.

That said you can fill them with people for a leisure sail also.

They also sit upright when they dry out

They launch in shallow water - you could even dry sail it

Accommodation - none unless you but the newer version at lots of £££.

After a couple of years you will more or less get your money back also

Might not be exactly what you want but worth considering if you have shrimper money.

I have no connection - was just impressed with it.

Another thought - how about a sailfish? if you following the lead of PBO columnists?
 
Hmmm. I considered a Sailfish when I was looking for my current boat. I looked at a couple and they seemed to suffer a bit with the ravages of time. They also have some keelbox leak issues. Apparently they sail pretty well so a good example could be worth considering.
I also fancied a Hawk 20 (too dear) but on a swinging mooring they can be a bit of a chore.

At this size there are so many choices, but class will always out, so Foxcub, Prelude and Europa are all cheap and splendid boats.

I settled on a GRP clinker style Seahawk 17 which was both V cheap and a robust little boat. Trailable and pleasant to be on. ( a bit more beam than the racier designs, so the cockpit is a nice place to be)
 
Yes the shrimper is a lot of cash for a small boat, and as a gaffer, there's a bit more bits of string to worry about, esp. if you have the topsail and a ghoster. I'd not want to sleep on one for more than a weekend, myself and I find my 26footer OK for single-handing, but that's not a reason for you to turn away from it. The beaulieu river has a thriving fleet and a race programme; they race at spithead too so there's obviously a thriving community out there. I sailed one a few times, some years ago, in the Camel estuary and found it sea-kindly and easy to handle. Also they do rather hold their value well, esp if you get one with a trailler, which is all to the good when and if you decide on something bigger.

All that said, I'd go for something older and cheaper to start with and also without the complication of the lifting keel, if I were starting out. It's less heartwrenching when you bash it in the early days.
 
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