Design Brief & Intent
Henderson’s vision for the Cracksman 20 centered on versatility and simplicity. Built for coastal day-tripping, beach camping, and tidal exploration, the vessel featured an exceptionally shallow minimum draft of just under ten inches with its boards and rudders raised. This enabled owners to explore muddy creeks, anchor in thin water, and beach the boat for effortless crew boarding.
With a beam of just over eight feet, the catamaran was exceptionally slim compared to modern multihull designs. This narrow configuration was intentional, allowing the boat to be legally trailered on public roads without the need for wide-load permits. While its contemporaries from Prout offered more commodious, heavy-displacement cruising options, the Cracksman 20 prioritized raw sailing efficiency and transportability. This focus on performance left the early interiors remarkably spartan. The interior fit-out relied more on a camper-style ethos than the traditional, heavy joinery of competing pocket cruisers, appealing to a younger, more adventurous class of sailors.
Variations & Configurations
The production life of the Cracksman 20 is defined by two distinct iterations. The original Mark I was rigged as a fractional sloop featuring hank-on head sails and a modest trunk cabin that was open at the aft end. This setup provided basic, dry shelter for gear and provisions out of the elements but left the crew exposed to weather while sleeping.
Responding to market demands for civilized overnight accommodations, Newbridge Boats introduced the Mark II. This version featured a fully enclosed cabin with companionway drop-boards, transforming the spartan day-boat into a true pocket cruiser. The Mark II cabin was expanded to accommodate up to four snug berths, a small galley cooker, and a chemical or sea toilet. Rigging also evolved over the production run; while the standard fractional rig offered easy headsail handling, later Mark II vessels were frequently retrofitted or delivered with masthead rigs and roller-furling genoas to maximize light-wind performance.
Sailing Performance & Handling
With an exceptionally light displacement of 1,151 pounds, the Cracksman 20 delivers a highly dynamic and responsive experience at the helm. The boat's displacement-to-length ratio of 125.21 places it firmly in the category of light, easily driven hulls that accelerate rapidly in response to wind shifts. This lively nature is amplified by a commanding sail area-to-displacement ratio of 29.13, which provides ample horsepower to drive the hulls even in light air, where many heavy monohulls of the era would languish.
In a seaway, the catamaran has a quick, motion-rich ride. While the capsize screening ratio of 3.06 and comfort ratio of 6.47 are formulas traditionally applied to monohulls, they physically underscore that the Cracksman 20 is a light, stiff, and lively platform rather than a heavy, momentum-driven ocean cruiser. At the helm, the linked twin rudders offer light, direct feedback. The dual centerboards allow the boat to point remarkably well for an early catamaran, though wise helmsmen raise the boards when sailing off the wind to eliminate drag and prevent the boat from tripping over its appendages in a beam sea. Under optimal conditions, the boat is capable of speeds reaching into the low double digits.
Known Issues & Triage
For prospective buyers, inspecting the daggerboard trunks is the first and most critical diagnostic step. Because the Cracksman 20 was often sailed in shallow, tidal waters, the trunks were frequently subjected to high grounding stresses. Over time, these lateral forces can crack the fiberglass joints where the trunks meet the hulls, resulting in slow, hard-to-detect leaks.
Additionally, early production models suffer from a fascinating historical quirk: the original plugs used by Newbridge Boats were slightly asymmetric due to a minor lofting error, leaving one hull marginally narrower than the other. While this asymmetry has negligible effects on recreational sailing performance, it requires careful alignment of the steering linkage to ensure tracking remains true. Furthermore, the rudder gudgeons, pintles, and steering yoke are prone to wear and slop; after decades of service, the linkages require bushing replacement or complete fabrication of modern aluminum or stainless-steel brackets to restore precise helm control.
Modernization & Upgrades
Modern owners have successfully kept the Cracksman 20 viable by adapting it to modern, low-maintenance technology. Since the vessel was designed without an inboard engine, auxiliary power relies on a transom-mounted outboard. While old two-stroke outboards were loud and heavy, many owners are now retrofitting these lightweight catamarans with high-torque electric outboards. These electric drives are highly compatible with the boat's light displacement and can be powered by a small bank of lithium iron phosphate batteries housed in the cabin, which double as the house bank for modern, low-draw LED lighting and basic navigation electronics. Upgrading the trailer setup to a modern, galvanized tilting trailer is another popular refit choice, allowing the boat to be easily dry-stored on land, which eliminates slip fees and protects the early polyester hulls from osmotic blistering.
The Verdict
The Cracksman 20 is a charming, historically significant pocket catamaran that offers a unique combination of shallow-draft versatility, lightweight performance, and trailerability. For the sailor who prioritizes the simple joy of fast, stable sailing in thin water over interior luxuries, this classic British design is a rewarding vintage boat that is easy to maintain and incredibly fun to sail.
- Extremely shallow draft with boards and rudders raised, perfect for tidal estuaries and beaching.
- High sail area-to-displacement ratio ensures lively, fast sailing and great light-wind performance.
- Narrow eight-foot beam allows for easy, permit-free road trailering.
- Enclosed cabin on Mark II models offers basic cruising capability with up to four berths.
- Twin centerboards and rudders provide exceptional maneuverability and pointing ability.
Cons:
- Original hull molds suffered from slight asymmetry, requiring careful steering alignment.
- Daggerboard trunks are highly susceptible to stress cracks and leakage from past groundings.
- Early models feature extremely spartan accommodations with no weather-sealed cabin aft.
- Lightweight construction leads to a quick, active motion in choppy seas that may fatigue some crews.
- Vintage rudder linkages and steering brackets often require custom fabrication to resolve play and wear.
