Which small gaffer

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Aquaboy

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I'm looking at various small second hand gaffers.
The 3 on the short list are a Shrimper, Norfolk Gypsy or a Cape Cutter.

Disregarding price I suppose the most important question from my point of view is which sails best?

I quite like the idea of an inboard but my assumption is the Cap Cutter gives the most rewarding sail especially to windward.

I do like the Gypsys'

Any thoughts?
 
Do you need to trailer sail her, and does she need to be plastic?

The various little modern gaffers tend to be quite expensive for what they are and you can pick up a decent small wooden boat for much less money, complete with her history... look for Hillyard 2.1/2 ton, Blackwater sloop, Johnson and Jago...
 
Thanks guys, yes I spotted the Sea Otter and its very nice.

I don't really want to go down the wooden route, I'm much more a sailor than a painter/varnish-er. I know modern epoxy coating can make wooden boats almost plastic anyway some would say.
The trailer isn't important but shallow draft and able to take the ground is. At the moment I've a Drascombe Coaster and she gets used all year round. I want the versatility of the Coaster but with better sea keeping. I suppose I feel I've outgrown her
and want something a little more substantial.
 
Right-oh. If you won't be trailing but will be taking the ground, add weight, both in the form of external ballast keel and in the form of more GRP.

The Memory is indeed a very nice boat and sails properly; so does the Norfolk Gypsy but some Memories are better built than others whilst the Gypsy was very well built from the start. You should not buy the Otter if you are not comfortable with wooden boats. The name of Dudley Dix says all that needs to be said about the Cape Cutter's performance. I think you might find the Shrimper's performance rather below what you might be hoping for.
 
I used to leave a Shrimper far behind, while sailing a Topper at Chichester in the 'eighties. Until I left a Colvic Watson standing as if she were a lighthouse, last year, the Shrimper was the slowest boat I'd met.

I saw a Cape Cutter at Ashlett a few summers back. Wonderful proportions, and very nice for not being instantly identifiable, I thought.

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My vote goes for the memory out of those mentioned. A lot of sail on them, so be prepared to reef early, but even with a reef in...... you are not short of sail. When I sailed a shrimper I felt I was sort of sitting on top of it. On the Memory I was sitting in a powerful boat. Horses for courses.
 
Romeo said:
My vote goes for the memory out of those mentioned. A lot of sail on them, so be prepared to reef early, but even with a reef in...... you are not short of sail. When I sailed a shrimper I felt I was sort of sitting on top of it. On the Memory I was sitting in a powerful boat. Horses for courses.
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+1. And she will put up with drying out, etc. Proper boat.
 
Had a trip around too the Deben at the weekend in the Drascombe. All worked fine, a beat down the Orwell Friday against a sea breeze which gradually died away as I got out and worked my way towards Felixstowe Ferry. Motored in against the last of the ebb, shallow in places but I don't really take much notice of those red and green things floating in the entrance........
Made it up to the Rocks where a pleasant night was spent. On shore breeze next morning so a nice beat back down river with the last of the morning ebb until the ferry where a stop for breakfast was needed.
That of cause was where all the trouble started, because moored in the middle was a lovely green Cape Cutter. Not saying its for sale or anything but it is rather gorgeous and all my contentment slipped away for awhile...........

I was surprised how low the cabin is but also how substantial everything else was..

There seems lots of support on here for the Memory's and they are very pretty. The rig seems well oversize, reminiscent of the racers from the 1890's with boom and bowsprit
sticking out each end a fair way. Would explain the performance especially in light airs.

So I now need to sit below in a Cape Cutter and find out what the head room is like.

Back to the Deben. After breakfast pushed out against the flood and had a brilliant reach across the front of Felixstowe back to Landgaurd and then home.

A decent sized Hallberg Rassy came out behind me but followed those red and green things for some reason......
 
Cape cutter for performance. They have plenty of niggles though. There is some good owners chat info available.
Not sure you should go down the Memory route as its probably not a substantial enough boat for you. Nothing wrong with them mind and performance is enviable.
 
I noticed earlier there's a couple of Norfolk Gypsys in the brokerage at Titchmarsh Marina, if you fancy a bit of tyre kicking.
 
Thanks Simon,
I noticed the Gypsys at Walton a few weeks back, the green one looks especially nice.
They do seem quite substantial and I like the large cockpit and the idea of an inboard.
I've literally just returned from a trip around to the Ore and up to Snape. There are all 3 of my short list moored at Orford though the Crabbers far out weigh the rest.
I noticed the Cape Cutter has her mast much more centrally located and I like the idea of a modern design approach to the rig. I just wish you could rise the outboard, not so much for performance but longevity. I know you can remove it but I'm lucky enough to be able to sail most days if I want so its a hassle.
 
thanks Zagato, sail a much modified coaster at the moment.
The newer second generation Drifter (Selway) would be a consideration but with the standard rig I don't think so....... and its a case of been there done that.
 
sideshowbob said:
Cape cutter for performance. They have plenty of niggles though. There is some good owners chat info available.
Not sure you should go down the Memory route as its probably not a substantial enough boat for you. Nothing wrong with them mind and performance is enviable.
Click to expand...

What niggles are you referring to? Thinking of buying one.
 
tidclacy said:
What niggles are you referring to? Thinking of buying one.
Click to expand...

I have the plans for it's big brother, the Cape Henry 21. Got up to planking her, before I had to change plans.. Good sitting headroom and room for a galley and potty. But, only available as a self build. The Cape Cutter is also available as a self build, just depends if you are a builder, or sailer...
I would also like to hear about the niggles.

Dix did do a set of plans for a 30, as requested by a US client. But it was not built. Also, reading between the lines, he thought it was interesting, but a stretch too far. He has plenty of other designs.
 
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