Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk I Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Cornish Crabber 24 Mk I on the brokerage market means weighing traditional looks against the realities of a 1970s plywood-decked centreboarder. The Mk I shares its hull moulding with the Mk II and has been in production in various forms continually since 1973, so used examples span decades of ownership. Roger Dongray's gaff cutter with jackyard topsail and a 2'4"–4'3" centreboard draft defines the type.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Mk I is a single-cabin boat with a forepeak carrying two berths and a marine WC between them, plus a saloon with a berth either side of a table on the centreboard case and a small galley to starboard. Headroom is sitting headroom only, a function of the almost flush deck. Ex-charter examples are common on the used market.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Chartplotter, autopilot, and solar are commonly fitted, meaning most boats will already have basic navigation and power replenishment sorted. Heating and teak decks are often seen, the latter a notable point on a design whose decks began as ply over GRP. Hot water, a bimini, and AIS are less common and usually owner upgrades. For a buyer, the teak deck question matters more than the gadgets: it sits over the original plywood substrate and any refit hides or complicates the underlying rot risk.
What to Inspect
The ply cockpit and decks over the GRP hulls are the first place to look. Press the deck and cockpit sole for soft spots and trace any dark staining to failed sealant around fittings; rot here is the boat's chronic enemy. The metal centreboard pivot should be worked up and down on a haul-out or with the boat dried out, watching for stiffness from corrosion or growth that can jam the plate. Any musty smell below near the centreboard case hints at long-standing leakage.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. Before you commit, walk through this short list:
- Check the chainplate and deck-fitting bedding for cracks or stains.
- Probe ply decks and cockpit for softness with a screwdriver handle.
- Work the centreboard up and down for free movement.
- Sniff the saloon near the centreboard case for damp.
- Confirm the Yanmar YSB8 diesel installed in a box in the forward part of the cockpit is accessible.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk I. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 6 | $51,593 | — |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $35,276 | -31.6% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $95,090 | +169.6% |
| Apr 26 | 10 | $40,612 | -57.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $19,032 | -53.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $54,369 | +185.7% |
| Jul 26 | 3 | $28,549 | -47.5% |
| Aug 26 | 5 | $40,775 | +42.8% |
Where they're listed
Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk I listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 27 (96.4%), followed by Netherlands.
Country view
28 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $48,877 | 27 | 8 | 96.4% |
| Netherlands | $28,549 | 1 | 1 | 3.6% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk IYou are here | — | $ 44,826 | 28 | 9 |
| Moody 33 Mk I | 33' | $ 20,975 | 12 | 5 |
| Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk V | 24.02' | $ 86,556 | 11 | 4 |
| Tamarisk 24 | 24' | $ 13,594 | 5 | 2 |
| Rustler 24 | 24' | $ 51,168 | 4 | 1 |