Shipmate Dayboat Buyer's Guide
The Shipmate Dayboat is a 16-foot fractional-sloop dayboat designed by Norman Howard and built primarily by Smallcraft of Blockley from 1970, with 280 built. It is a centreboard coastal boat rather than a cruiser, and anyone shopping the used market should judge a specific hull on its shell condition and rig completeness rather than on pedigree alone.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The outboard auxiliary is a 1–2 hp unit, or a 13–16 lb thrust electric motor, used for docking and maneuvering, and a buyer should confirm the transom bracket and tiller clearance suit the chosen motor. The rig spec is the practical baseline — jib and genoa sheets of 16.2 feet and a 40.6-foot mainsheet, all at 5/16-inch diameter, with a 35.7-foot spinnaker sheet if a kite is fitted. A buyer should check that the running rigging present matches those lengths and that a spinnaker package, if advertised, is actually complete.
What to Inspect
Because the boat was built by more than one yard, check the hull lay-up thickness where you can reach it: the single Seaborne-built example has a thicker shell than the later Smallcraft boats, so an unexpectedly heavy or thick hull may be that outlier rather than a repaired Smallcraft hull thicker lay-up than the latter Smallcraft boats. Verify the centreboard pivot and trunk for wear, since the shallow-draft range depends on a board that lifts and drops cleanly. Confirm the fibreglass hull and deck are sound, as both are solid glass and any local thickening or patching deserves questioning. Check that the sheet lengths are present, since missing or shortened mainsheet and jib sheets point to a rig that has been casually re-rigged.
Buyer's Takeaway
- Confirm the centreboard moves freely and the trunk is dry
- Compare hull thickness to expected Smallcraft shell; note any Seaborne outlier
- Verify outboard bracket suits a 1–2 hp or 13–16 lb thrust motor
- Check all sheets match 16.2 ft jib/genoa, 40.6 ft mainsheet spec