Design and Construction
Dongray's 17-foot design measures 6.1 metres on the builder's spec, with a beam of 2.06 metres and a weight of 657.7 kilograms; a separate review records a 20-foot overall length, 16-foot waterline, 6 foot 9 inch beam, and 1,450-pound displacement, so sources differ on the principal dimensions. She carries 217 pounds of bilge ballast and draws just 1 foot 7 inches with the flat plate centerboard raised, opening to 4 feet when lowered flat plate centerboard. Hulls can be moulded in the buyer's choice of colour from a wide selection, and the boats are finished in Cornwall as ready-to-sail units complete with bilge pump.
Rig and Handling
The 17 is a gaff-rigged sloop carrying 16.54 square metres of sail on the builder's card (178 sq ft in the review data) and a surprising sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 22.2, which reviewers flagged as unexpected for her size. Owners in the fleet tend to favor tanbark sails, and a small spinnaker is shown in period reviews. With the centerboard up she floats in barely 20 inches, and the internally mounted 5HP outboard—or a 2.5HP unit in the aft hidden well—gives quiet auxiliary push. She can be launched or retrieved single-handed from her custom road trailer, and sailingmagazine.net found her an ideal trailerable boat that turns heads.
Accommodations
This is a true camping-style cruiser rather than a fully enclosed cabin boat. The open cockpit is long and spacious, and raising the fold-down spray-hood on its stainless frame transforms the boat into a light cabin with two berths extending under the foredeck and abundant stowage. She accommodates up to five for day sailing. Shelter is only partially provided by the dodger, and a Porta Potti is needed for any overnight use. The standard boat ships with hinged teak cockpit seats, forward cockpit cover, mainsail cover, and sails with all attendant rigging.
Equipment and Standard Spec
From the factory in Cornwall the standard Crabber 17 is ready to sail with bilge pump, canvas sprayhood on stainless frame, forward cockpit cover, hinged teak cockpit seats, mainsail cover, and sails and rigging. She can be specified with a choice of extras, and the hidden aft well accepts a 2.5- or 5-horsepower outboard. The gaff rig and tanbark preferences give her the classic Crabber silhouette.
The Verdict
The Cornish Crabber 17 is a strong, pretty weekender built around simplicity and charm. She rewards the sailor who wants a light, head-turning trailer sailer for estuary camping and day sails rather than a fully enclosed coastal cruiser.
Pros
- Single-handed launch and retrieval from dedicated trailer
- Gaff sloop with 22.2 SA/D and centreboard for 1'7" to 4' draft
- Fold-down hood creates two-berth cabin with abundant stowage
- Choice of hull colour and specified extras from new
Cons
- Only partial shelter from dodger; Porta Potti required
- Camping-style cruiser, not a fully enclosed cabin boat
- Limited to 2.5–5 HP outboard auxiliary power
