Description

ANNIE is the first of the Cornish Crabber Pilot Cutters. With this design Roger Dongray launched a wonderfully seaworthy and classic-looking GRP gaff cutter into a market where such a thing was a rarity. It is hard to name a better-looking design from that time.
Built in 1985, she was acquired by her current family owners in 1987, from her designer/builder. ANNIE has spent the winters since 1987 in a cosy boat shed for at least 7 months of every year. Her gaff rig includes a new mainsail. Her engine is her original Volvo 18hp diesel, which has never missed a beat despite its age. With a centreboard, (draft 1.07m-1.6m) this boat has to be one of the best designed modern gaffers, and is often called the prettiest boat in the bay - certainly a modern classic. Below she has two "snug double" quarterberths, two saloon berths, and a full sized chart table to stbd opposite the galley. Her gimballed two burner gas cooker with grill and oven dishes up the goods. Through a varnished pine door to the forecabin, the head is offset, unusually, to one side, allowing more space to dress in privacy, and to get at the locker forward. A Taylors paraffin stove keeps the crew warm and dry even in the colder and wetter Scottish summers. Her interior, well lit with clear hatches above and portholes in the saloon is all varnish/oil and white paint. There are heavy cotton cushion covers for each bunk as well as the seagoing waterproof covers. She has no electronics currently but there are places for echo, vhf and an electronic log... ANNIE has had wheel steering but is now back to her original tiller. All the gear for the wheel is available. She has fisherman and cqr anchors on heavy chain. Her tabernacle-stepped mast and the spars are maintained with Sikkens Cetol. Blakes red and green paint has replaced most of the varnished brightwork on the coamings around the large cockpit and on rubbing strake and toe rail, making maintenance easier and bringing her back to her working boat roots. Her glass sheathed plywood deck is soon to be repainted. ANNIE is a boat that looks after her crew, and with her easy motion and versatile gaff rig makes a fantastic cruising home. After a whole winter, or even just an hour ashore, her crew never tire of returning to ANNIE.
ANNIE'S JUNK RIG: We converted ANNIE to a junk rig (JR) in 2017/18, moving the mast forward to a point which proved that perfect balance IS possible, and removing her original tabernacle and other gaff-related fittings. The JR was a resounding success, exceding all expectations. However, the one drawback was that the enormous unstayed mast had to go plumb in the centre of the head compartment, meaning that the head was a squeeze for broader members of the crew. After offering ANNIE for sale with her JR, without success (the head arrangement being the main obstacle, swiftly followed by a natural wariness of something so radical) she is now in the later stages of conversion back to her original gaff rig. All the hard bits have been done. It remains only to replace the gaff-related fittings and repaint the deck, and re-decoration of the head compartment.

Specifications

Accommodation

BUNKS "Cosy double" quarterberths and two settee berths.
STOWAGE under all bunks, in galley, under chart table and chart table seat, above chain locker forward. Bookshelves above chart table, above bunks in saloon.
STOWAGE on deck in two huge lockers in the quarters. Isolated gas locker aft.

Construction

Heavy grp, with 20mm sheathed plywood deck. The centre plate is galvanised steel, housed in the keel of inside ballast which is formed from resin and steel punchings the whole length of the boat. Extremely strong and this inside ballast - like her working boat ancestors - gives her the kindly motion for which these boats are well-known.

Equipment

ON DECK:
Gaff rig with 2 roller headsails. Brand new gaff mainsail by Steve Hall at North Sea Sails. Headsails are serviceable. Jib on Wykeham Martin roller, staysail on reefable foil roller - very useful. Yard topsail can give her half a knot.
Bowsprit, white-painted. Boom in Douglas fir (new 2018), recently refitted spruce mast, spruce gaff , all maintained with Sikkens Cetol. This rig is extremely strong with (aft) swifter stays well aft, though there are running backstays for off the wind sailing in brisk weather. Stainless wire shrouds of unknown age, bottle screws. Whisker (bowsprit) stays on lanyards, heavy chain bobstay. Some trad looking running rigging in natural-looking multiplait/braid, some standard braided rope.
25kg fisherman main anchor stows on the rail, on lots of heavy chain (to be measured). Approx 20kg CQR second anchor with 10m approx heavy chain and nylon rode. Vertical electric windlass with foot-operated switch. Heavy home-made lead "chum" (allowed to ride on the anchor chain in heavy weather - very reassuring). Electric deck wash pump and deck-length un-kinkable rubber hose
Headsail winches on cockpit coamings. Tiller steering (equipment for non-original wheel steering is available). Large cockpit with varnished benches each side and forward (adapted layout - improves on the original). Double-ended mainsheet to a cleat on each quarter. All very manageable from the cockpit.
A selection of fenders and mooring lines etc all stowed in the cavernous quarter deck lockers. Isolated and ventilated gas locker with space for 2 bottles right aft.

BELOW:
Accommodation as described above. Waterproof covers on settee and quarterberth cushions. Warmer heavy cotton covers go over these in all but longer offshore cruising.
Taylors paraffin heater essential for UK cruising. Pressurised tank under cabin table. A new German burner in the stove makes lighting very much easier, and keeps it going far longer with more heat. A long-awaited improvement. Paraffin lamp on the mast compression post improves the atmosphere. Traditional electric lighting (i.e. not blue light)
Gas cooker, Flavel Vanessa, in the galley with 2 burners, grill and oven. The burners are quite tired though we may be able to supply more recent ones. An excellent cooker sadly no longer made. If you don't like gas, a replacement cooker, paraffin or spirit, may be available. Galley sink has foot pump for fresh water. Stowage behind and below the galley. Please contact me if you wish to know anything at all. I will have left a lot out..

Navigation Equipment

There is wiring for and through-hull fittings for echo sounder and electronic log, and wiring in the mast / through deck fittings for the VHF. None of these instruments are present as in recent years we have relied on a lead line and handheld gps and VHF. Thus a new owner can update the instruments to their own spec and to suit the budget.

Engine(s)

Her original and reliable Volvo 18hp diesel.

Sails & Spars

Please see equipment above...

Safety Equipment

Four man Plastimo life raft (2004) in bag. A constant incumbrance on the boat but many will find it reassuring. It is in need of a service. Numerous fire extinguishers and a fire blanket.

Location Map