Design and Hull Form
The Shrimper's upright stem is not decorative. The upright stem lengthens the waterline and enhances potential hull speed, extracting every foot of sailing length from a 19-foot hull. Beam of 7 feet 2 inches gives the boat meaningful initial stability: a 160-pound person stepping into the cockpit provokes barely a bob, hinting at the reassuring rigidity underfoot. The 700 lbs of ballast is partly provided by the galvanized steel centerboard, which does double duty as stability and a variable draft solution — centerboard up draws just 18 inches, centerboard down reaches 4 feet. The rudder is a plywood laminate housing a stainless-steel drop plate to extend effective area below the keel. The flush deck cabin is a deliberate trade-off: it suppresses windage and delivers a 360-degree view from the cockpit while cramming usable space below without a tall coachhouse interrupting the sightlines. The low displacement means the boat is light enough to tow without needing a large four-wheel drive vehicle, opening up distant cruising grounds to owners who don't live on the water.
Gaff Rig and Sailing Behavior
The gaff rig is not open for negotiation at Cornish Crabbers, and managing director Peter Thomas has been explicit about why: at these sizes, the gaff rig is far easier to handle shorthanded than a Bermudian-rigged boat. The lower mast height also matters for trailer-sailors — it fits neatly within the length of the boat and is easier to step and unstep. Once the mainsail is properly sorted, the Shrimper gravitates to its comfort zone and sails with confidence across a wide, forgiving range. The tiller is all but neutral — fingertips are all it wants or needs. In building gusts, the boat heels to about 15 degrees and there reassuringly stiffens up, and a first reef costs only 0.2 knots of boat speed with no change in balance. The boat has two reefing positions. A boom-vang tackle on the galvanized tabernacle helps pull the gaff into improved alignment upwind — an unusual refinement for a boat this size. The Shrimper also offers a mainsheet traveler mounted just forward of the transom and movable jibsheet fairleads. Upwind, the boat tacks through about 110 degrees; it turns into a tack rather lazily, losing more momentum than it should as it crosses the wind, and the jib is needed to carry momentum through in lighter conditions.
Accommodations
Below decks, the flush-deck compromise delivers a cabin that surprises despite its limitations. Both berths extend through the aft cabin bulkhead and under the cockpit seats for a total length of 6 feet 7 inches. Mk I headroom stands at 43 inches, enough for seated comfort, and the Mk II offers 6 inches more headroom. The cockpit is large enough for day sailing with three or even four people on board while still offering a genuine overnight cabin. The recessed foredeck provides large, easily accessed anchor and rode storage. Most boats use an outboard well at the back of the cockpit; keeping the motor's weight low and inboard helps the boat's balance, and the arrangement reduces the chances of the prop breaking the surface in a head sea. From the late 1980s a small diesel inboard became available. That option — typically the Yanmar 1GM — brought the fuel economy and reliability of diesel inboards with enough power to motor to windward even in a strong breeze, at the cost of some towing weight.
Known Issues
The Mk I outboard well presents a persistent practical problem: the transom cutout isn't tall enough to allow tilt-up of the motor. A 60-lb four-stroke outboard becomes inconvenient to remove for every sail. The Mk II has not resolved this, though the builder now offers inboard diesel and electric options. The jib furler on the tested Shrimper uses a flexible cable rather than a rigid tube, so partial furling to reef the jib doesn't work — a meaningful limitation when conditions deteriorate. Another known concern is the cockpit: the cockpit on late Mk I boats is not self-draining, requiring an automatic bilge pump arrangement with its own complications. Only the recessed foredeck well drains itself. The Mk II version, introduced in 1995, addressed many ergonomic and stowage issues, brought improved moulding standards, and reduced external woodwork, which both reduces maintenance and keeps less-than-immaculate boats looking better as they age.
Marks and Significant Variants
Two production marks define the used fleet. The Mk I ran from 1979 to 1995, with the characteristic heavier brightwork load and the cockpit drainage limitation noted above. The biggest change came with the Mk II version in 1995, which brought many detailed improvements to ergonomics, stowage, and sail handling, along with new tooling for an improved standard of finish. The Mk II also gains those extra 6 inches of headroom that meaningfully change the feel of the interior. A Bermudian-rigged variant, the Adventure 19, was also offered from the same hull. Current new builds offer an extensive range of options, including a chartplotter, autopilot, carbon-fiber mast, and custom hull colors, and electric inboard and outboard power is increasingly available for owners whose home waters favor quiet motoring.
The Verdict
The Cornish Shrimper 19 earns its following honestly. It is so easy to sail casually and so well-mannered that a beginner could quickly build confidence; at the same time, it has enough sail-management tools that an expert could stay happily busy. The build philosophy has never chased volume at the expense of quality — the early boats are still very active and perfectly sound — and the active owners' association means knowledge, parts, and a social fleet are never far away. Those willing to live with the low headroom and the gaff's modest upwind angles will find a boat that rewards its owner with aesthetics, stability, and a character almost entirely absent from conventional trailer-sailors.
Pros
- Exceptional initial stability for a 19-foot boat; reassuring stiffening response in gusts
- Gaff rig handles well shorthanded and fits within boat length for easy trailering
- Both berths reach 6 ft 7 in; cockpit seats three to four comfortably
- Active owners' association; hull and build quality proven over decades of production
- Variable draft from 18 inches to 4 feet suits tidal harbors and shoal anchoring
Cons
- Mk I cockpit is not self-draining; requires pump solution
- 43-inch headroom in Mk I interior is limiting for sailors above average height
- Flexible-cable jib furler cannot be used for effective jib reefing
- Mk I outboard well cutout prevents motor tilt-up; heavy four-stroke outboards become awkward
- Lazy tacking behavior in light air requires careful jib management through the tack
