Cornish Crabbers

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Cornish Crabbers LLP
Company type Privately held company
Industry Boat building
Founded1974
FounderRoger Dongray
Peter Keeling
Ken Robertson
Defunct2024
Headquarters,
Products Sailboats, powerboats
WebsiteArchived web.archive.org/web/20231222101951/http://www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk/

Cornish Crabbers LLP is a British boat builder based in Rock, Cornwall. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of glassfibre gaff-rigged sailboats and powerboats. It was founded by boat designer Roger Dongray, as well as Peter Keeling and Ken Robertson in 1974. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The company is organized as a British limited liability partnership. [3] In March of 2024 Cornish Crabbers declared insolvency owing £1,000,000 in debts and has been placed into voluntary liquidation. [4]

History

Cornish Shrimper 19 Cornish Shrimper 19 sailboat Starfish 3813.jpg
Cornish Shrimper 19

The company was formed as Westerly Boats and later renamed Cornish Crabbers. The first boat was the Cornish Crabber 24 Mark I, initially a wooden boat, later built in glassfibre. [5]

The Cornish Shrimper 19 followed in 1979 and proved to be the company's best selling design. It is the also the best selling trailer sailer in Europe. Steve Henkel noted in his 2010 book, The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, "this is a character boat with concomitant grace, and with a good measure of performance and practicality, too. What she lacks in headroom, she makes up in charm. In England, she has cult-boat status." John Leather, writing in The Gaff Rig Handbook: History, Design, Techniques, Developments described it as "probably the most successful modern gaffer" (gaff-rigged boat). [2] [6] [7]

By 2001 the company had established itself as the leading producer of gaff-rigged boats. [7]

In 2021 the company was producing 12 sailboat designs and three powerboats in the Clam series. [2]

Boats

Summary of boats built by Cornish Crabbers: [1] [2] [6]

Cornish Crabbers Pilot Cutter 30 Le cotre Aletheia (5).JPG
Cornish Crabbers Pilot Cutter 30

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Cornish Crabbers". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cornish Crabbers (2021). "About Cornish Crabbers". cornishcrabbers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 Cornish Crabbers (2021). "Contact Us". cornishcrabbers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  4. Hodgetts, Laura (14 March 2024). "Cornish Crabbers appoints liquidator". Practical Boat Owner. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  5. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Cornish Crabber 24 Mark I". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 32. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
  7. 1 2 Leather, John (2001). The Gaff Rig Handbook: History, Design, Techniques, Developments. ISBN   9780937822678 . Retrieved 7 March 2021.