Our featured boat for March is ‘Gilda’, a gaff topsail cutter, produced by Cornish Crabbers at Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall in 1979 as a kit package. She was designed by Roger Dongray who designed the Crabbers, Shrimpers, Golant Gaffer and Cormorant dinghy some of which we featured last month. Due to poor health her build was contracted to Cantrell & Son, professional shipwrights, at Newhaven. In 1983 she was purchased by Gill and David (thus ‘Gilda’) Stacey and launched for the first time at Maldon. Through good times and bad, and a variety of owners, she has remained on the East Coast exploring its creeks and rivers.
Finding ‘Gilda’
Yvonne and I first saw ‘Gilda’ in October 2023, behind many boats in the TSL (Tollesbury Saltings Ltd.) yard, where she had been ashore since 2013. ‘Gilda’ had fallen on hard times, her cover having partially blown off and torn, she had been exposed to the elements for many years. Our main areas or concern were the state of the spars, the rotten foredeck and that the new Beta14 engine (alternator included) was under water, within ½” of the top of the dipstick. Notwithstanding all these issues we saw potential and felt her restoration was within our capabilities and importantly our budget.
Hull: GRP with centreboard
LOA: 29.25 ft LWL: 20.25 ft LOD: 24 ft
Beam: 8ft Displacement: 2,087 kg
Draft Max: 4.67 ft Draft Min: 2.42 ft
Sail area: 305.00 ft²
The project begins
We took the spars home to refurbish over the winter, this included splitting open the length of all seams, scarfing in new wood where required and epoxying them all back together, sanding and 9 coats of varnish. It never ceases to amaze me at how resilient wood can be. The following May, after purchasing a 4-wheel trailer, ‘Gilda’ was finally brought home to Walton on the Naze. I was away as crew, sailing ‘Teasel’ to the Netherlands with Martin Hill, when TSL informed that ‘Gilda’ could be moved. TSL had organised a crane and played a game of chess with boats to access ‘Gilda’. I was very annoyed at having to pay the yard to move their customers’ boats, an unusual situation, but they had us over a barrel. I certainly will not do business with them in the future. Good Old Gaffers, Pete and Clare Thomas offered to help Yvonne with securing and towing ‘Gilda’ home where, on 12 May 2024 and with the help of friends and neighbours, she was pushed towbar forward onto the driveway, fence panel removed and close to the workshop. With the Summer Cruise deadline three months away and concentrating our minds we set to with enthusiasm.
Ready in time for the Summer Cruise 2024
Over the next few months, the following tasks were ticked off the list:
Des
Replaced and epoxied, painted etc. the foredeck. Refurbished the sliding hatch and deck wood trim. Reinforced the mast step and rebuilt and painted part of the cockpit. Sanded the inside of the boat. Serviced the engine. Installed electrics. Polished the hull gelcoat and antifouled. Overhauled the rigging.
Yvonne
Sanded and varnished all internal wood trim. Insulated the hull and under the deck. Painted the inside and the bilges. Vacuumed and cleaned. Refurbished the boat cushions.
Gilda was launched 21 August 2024
Her shakedown cruise was a trip to the southern broads via Lowestoft before joining the OGA cruise. In 2025 I carved two name boards for ‘Gilda’. Added to the electrics including a solar panel. Built an aft deck and rebuilt the rudder, rudder shaft bearings and housing. The rudder has been given an aerofoil shape with a 10% lead ahead of the shaft to create a balanced rudder. This single change has transformed Gilda’s handling. Plans for 2026 include painting the hull, additional ballast, a jackyard topsail, wider bunks and new cushions. The centreboard pivot bolt is also due for inspection. Since launching in 2024 ‘Gilda’ has visited the Broads, Ore and Alde, Snape, the Deben, Woodbridge, Stour, Orwell, Colne and Brightlingsea as well as regularly sailing the Walton Backwaters.
So, what is my opinion of the Cornish Crabber 24 Mk1?
Personally, I like her lines and we have had much enjoyment sailing her. ‘Gilda’ is a comfortable boat if one accepts that headroom below is limited and the bunks too narrow. The cockpit is spacious and lovely for sleeping out in fine weather but too big for comfort or purchase when heeled in a blow. ‘Gilda’ sails well with the usual gaffer upwind limitations. She is under canvased in light airs but needs to be reefed early. As I often single hand ‘Gilda’, I have found a tiller pilot indispensable as she will not steer a straight course on her own. She makes a great East Coast boat due to her shallow draft enabling us to poke up shallow creeks or over sand bars. She heaves to quite happily and manoeuvres easily in close quarters.
Words and photos: Des Trollip
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