There’s no doubt about it, this is a salty little boat that, while new in North America, has had a long and popular run in its native England. The Cornish Shrimper is a 19-foot gaff-rig sloop that’s part of the line of 12- to 26-footers available from Cornish Crabbers. Notable exterior features of the Shrimper are the Sitka spruce spars, a 3-foot bowsprit, and detached rudder. The plumb bow, tanbark sails, and lapstrake fiberglass hull complete the classic presentation.
The Cornish Shrimper has an active owners association in Europe, and the boats are cruised extensively and even raced on the other side of the pond. With a large cockpit, the Shrimper makes an excellent daysailer for a family, and the basic yet comfortable accommodations below allow the boat to be a simple coastal cruiser. The cabin is available in either a classic two-berth arrangement or with a different configuration, called the 2+2, that allows for a V-berth, a portable toilet, and a tiny galley.
The centerboard offers the freedom of 1-foot-6-inch board-up draft or 4 feet with it down. Offering even more cruising-range flexibility, the Shrimper is also an easy-to-manage trailer-sailer that can be powered with either an inboard 9-horsepower Yanmar diesel (this version is priced at $50,180) or an outboard engine ($37,190). No matter what you do with this boat—coastal cruising, gunkholing, or racing—you’ll definitely turn heads while sailing though the harbor.
Cornish Crabbers
0-1208-862-666
www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk
