Pocket Gaffers

[wombat88]

Pocket gaffers

I'm looking for a small gaff boat, most likely in GRP.
It needs to be not much longer than, say, 25ft overall including any bowsprit, transom hung rudder etc (marina fees). Waterline could be as short as 16ft.
I'm after a keel boat with inboard diesel (1GM10 etc), draft around 3ft, no more centreboards please.
I'd like a cutter rig. Cutter rigged boats often allow one to be able to retract the bowsprit without the mast falling down (marina fees again ) .
I'd like a topsail to give me some strings to play with.
Open, cuddy or tiny cabin, it depends. I'm not going to sleep on it or cook, so minimum accommodation is only required.
I am not going trailer sailing...ever.

So far the search has offered up the following. Heard Tosher and Oysterman 16 (which I understand can be quite lively) and possibly a Memory 19 (some of which I am told have inboards???).
It won't be new!

What else is there out there?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Shrimper? Maybe fails some of your must haves. Eg cutter rig and keelboat. Quite a few about though.

 

[penfold]

The big brother Crabber is the same, meets many of the criteria but has a centreboard.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Not a gaffer, but Swallow Bay Raider may be interesting. Looks like a lug rig. Water ballasted.

BayRaider 20 - Swallow Yachts

 

[FWB]

Heard 23, 19.829 € | iNautia.com

 

[wombat88]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

The Bay Raider is too 'modern' for me, the Shrimper is excellent but I am surrounded by an armada of them already. That Heard is great but too big. The latter two have far too much acommodation for my requirements.

I suppose I could summarise by asking what 16-20ft gaffer has a long keel? (A baby two and a half ton Hillyard almost fits the bill.)

 

[Tranona]

cornwall.boatshed.com/golant_gaffer-boat-323030.html

Just the ticket. Hitch it up to your land Rover (if you have one!) and tow it home.

 

[wombat88]

cornwall.boatshed.com/golant_gaffer-boat-323030.html

Just the ticket. Hitch it up to your land Rover (if you have one!) and tow it home.

Lovely, I'm checking to see if the bowsprit can be retracted. Don't like paying marina fees on just a simple long pole!

 

[wombat88]

This one caught my eye a while back and resulted in me starting a thread about Dolphin engines.

OGA - index

I decided against her for two reasons:

The first was the idea of shuttling between forward and reverse in marina situations using a system that stops and runs the engine in the opposite direction.

The second was that she draws 4ft.

 

[penfold]

This one caught my eye a while back and resulted in me starting a thread about Dolphin engines.

OGA - index

I decided against her for two reasons:

The first was the idea of shuttling between forward and reverse in marina situations using a system that stops and runs the engine in the opposite direction.

The second was that she draws 4ft.

It won't steer astern anyway, why worry? Given the low asking price you could budget for a swap to diesel or electric.

 

[DownWest]

While the older boat oozes character, I would be far more tempted by the Golant, even the given the price difference.

 

[wombat88]

Or this but not sure about the electric inboard. However it seems to tick most of my boxes.

Oysterman 16 — David Morris Yacht Brokerage

 

[DownWest]

Or this but not sure about the electric inboard. However it seems to tick most of my boxes.

Oysterman 16 — David Morris Yacht Brokerage

Quite a small gaffer. The build of the Golant in strip and epoxy, plus the extra room and handling qualities still wins by a good margin. If you are not balking about the price..

 

[wombat88]

The price is one thing but I do not need all that accommodation. I think the Golant may be too much for me though I will keep it on the list.

I had a quick look at this this afternoon while walking the dog. It is too big for me but has some lovely bits of carpentry in and on it. I do wonder about maintenance on these older but new fangled strip plank/epoxy boats...and that's coming from someone who sails traditional clinker dinghies and is happy steaming ribs.

27 ft o/all McMillan Gaff Rigged Cutter | eBay

 

[DownWest]

Not against it, but the rear cabin bulkhead looks more Dutch style than classic brit. ?

 

[Tranona]

That has been for sale for some time, steadily dropping in price and deteriorating. The big weakness is the hull/deck interface where the danger is that fresh water gets into the core. Not helped by having all that teak covering the deck and the toe rail attached on top giving plenty of opportunity for hidden paths for water.

Lovely things to look at though - I remember seeing that boat when it was new. Like a bit of bespoke furniture.

 

[Tranona]

Not against it, but the rear cabin bulkhead looks more Dutch style than classic brit. ?

That was Sean's trademark in his early designs. Does not work too well on a 20', but he made bigger ones, 30' + which looked much more in proportion. Add stainglass windows in the doors and Delft porcelain tiling , sink, washbasin etc and you get the picture.

 

[Scarboroughsloop]

I may know of an Oystercatcher 16 available around the Southampton if that's any interest?

 

[DownWest]

That was Sean's trademark in his early designs. Does not work too well on a 20', but he made bigger ones, 30' + which looked much more in proportion. Add stainglass windows in the doors and Delft porcelain tiling , sink, washbasin etc and you get the picture.

You mention the core? Is the hull composite?

 

[wombat88]

I may know of an Oystercatcher 16 available around the Southampton if that's any interest?

Certainly is of interest to me, I'd like to hear more, I'm only down the road near Chichester.