Design and Construction
The Mk V wears its heritage plainly. The old-fashioned lines are a defining feature, but beneath them lies a thoroughly modern structure. The hull and deck are solid fiberglass, with iron ballast and a centerboard-keel arrangement. The draft ranges from 1.40 meters to about 70 centimeters, allowing access to shoal creeks with the centerboard raised and providing offshore stability when it is lowered.
The boat displaces 2,250 kg, with a beam of 2.66 meters and a hull length of 7.32 meters. Those compact proportions recall its ancestors while meeting current build standards.
The deckhouse is the defining visual and practical feature. Its rather pronounced shape is a solution that has almost disappeared in favor of wider beams. On a boat of this size, however, it provides interior headroom that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.
Rig and Handling
Six cockpit winches handle all sail controls, keeping the crew seated and centrally placed. Two halyard winches sit beside the companionway, leaving the primary cockpit pair and the remaining winches for sheets and tacking.
Steering is by tiller rather than wheel, reinforcing the traditional feel at the helm. With 32.62 square meters of sail area, the boat relies on manual systems rather than powered assistance. That suits its character as a hands-on coastal cruiser.
Accommodations
Below, the deckhouse does more than recall a bygone era: it allows a person to stand upright, a genuine concession to comfort in a 24-footer. The interior includes a proper galley area and a separate bathroom, an uncommon degree of separation at this length.
The berth plan includes a double berth in the bow and two additional berths that can be made up in the saloon. In the stern are two storage spaces, one of which converts into an extra guard berth. The pronounced deckhouse volume makes these spaces genuinely habitable rather than merely nominal.
The Verdict
The Cornish Crabber 24 Mk V succeeds as a modern boat with the soul of a classic. Wolstenholme’s design respects its 1980s pedigree while addressing the perennial small-boat problem of headroom through bold deckhouse geometry. It isn’t a minimalist trailer-sailer, but a proper miniature cruiser with enclosed facilities and a flexible berth plan.
Pros
- Liftable drift centerboard provides a draft range of 1.40 m to 0.70 m for shoal and offshore use
- Standing headroom from a pronounced deckhouse at 24 ft LOA
- Separate bathroom and proper galley, both unusual at this size
- Six cockpit winches keep all sail handling centered around the crew
Cons
- Traditional tiller steering and manual systems require active handling
- Old-fashioned lines and a narrow beam trade modern interior volume for a period aesthetic
