Cornish Crabbers Crabber 17 Buyer's Guide
The Cornish Crabber 17 on the used market is a 17-foot gaff-rigged trailer sailer designed by Roger Dongray and built in Cornwall. She appeals to buyers wanting a lightweight, head-turning pocket cruiser for camping-style weekends and day sails rather than a fully enclosed cabin boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Cornish Crabber 17s follow the standard open-plan camping layout: a long, spacious cockpit with hinged teak seats and a fold-down spray-hood that raises to form a two-berth cabin extending under the foredeck with abundant stowage. Shelter is only partial, provided by the dodger, and a Porta Potti is required for overnights. With the centreboard up she draws under 2 feet, making her easy to keep on a trailer or in shallow moorings.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Teak decks are often seen on brokerage boats, a notable cosmetic and footing upgrade over the base moulding. The standard spec already includes the canvas sprayhood on stainless frame, forward cockpit cover, mainsail cover, bilge pump, and sails with rigging; the aft hidden well takes a 2.5- or 5-horsepower outboard. Buyers should note that creature-comfort additions beyond the often-seen teak are typically owner choices rather than factory common fitments.
What to Inspect
The practical inspection points are the gaff rig and its attendant running gear, the fold-down spray-hood frame and canvas condition, the centreboard pivot and trunk, and the hidden aft motor well for outboard mounting corrosion. Confirm the trailer is the custom road type and that single-handed launch geometry is intact.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Ireland. For a shopper, the checklist is brief: verify the gaff rig and tanbark sail condition, confirm teak deck wear if fitted, check centreboard and motor well, and ensure the road trailer is present and serviceable.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cornish Crabbers Crabber 17. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $13,526 | — |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $9,905 | -26.8% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $13,594 | +37.2% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $14,342 | +5.5% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $32,619 | +127.4% |
Where they're listed
Cornish Crabbers Crabber 17 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 7 (87.5%), followed by Ireland.
Country view
8 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $14,342 | 7 | 1 | 87.5% |
| Ireland | $9,905 | 1 | 0 | 12.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Com-Pac Sun Cat 17-2 | 17.33' | $ 18,225 | 30 | 14 |
| Cornish Crabbers 24 Mk I | 29.25' | $ 44,826 | 28 | 9 |
| Honnor Marine 19 | 23.62' | $ 19,198 | 28 | 7 |
| Cornish Crabbers Crabber 17You are here | — | $ 14,308 | 8 | 1 |
| Haber 660 | 23.46' | $ 28,632 | 8 | 1 |