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Cornish Crabber Pilot 30
Designer: Roger Dongray  ·  Builder: Cornish Crabbers Ltd. (Uk)  ·  First built: 1985
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About the Cornish Crabber Pilot 30

Designed by Roger Dongray and built by Cornish Crabbers Ltd. since 1985, this distinctive gaff topsail cutter represents traditional British yacht design adapted for modern cruising. The Pilot 30's classic lines and substantial construction reflect the builder's reputation for creating seaworthy vessels inspired by traditional working boats of the Cornish coast. With her moderate displacement of 14,000 pounds and generous ballast ratio, this fiberglass yacht offers excellent stability and seakeeping abilities. The gaff topsail cutter rig provides versatile sail handling options, allowing crews to adjust sail plan efficiently in varying conditions. Her keel/centerboard configuration draws 5.25 feet, offering access to shallow harbors while maintaining good windward performance. The Pilot 30 excels at coastal cruising and short offshore passages, where her comfortable motion and traditional character truly shine. Her impressive comfort ratio of 36.39 indicates a stable, easy motion at sea, while the capsize screening formula of 1.58 suggests good stability characteristics for extended cruising. The spacious 9.48-foot beam provides comfortable accommodations below decks, making her well-suited for family cruising or extended voyaging where comfort and safety take precedence over speed.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 38.98 ft / 11.88 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 25.75 ft / 7.85 m
Beam 9.48 ft / 2.89 m
Max Draft 5.25 ft / 1.60 m
Min Draft 3.50 ft / 1.07 m
Displacement 14,000.00 lb / 6,350 kg
Ballast 5,500.00 lb / 2,495 kg
Sail Area (Reported) 600.00 ft² / 55.74 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Keel/Cbrd.
Rigging Type Gaff Topsail Cutter
Construction FG
Designer Roger Dongray
Builder Cornish Crabbers Ltd. (UK)
First Built 1985
Associations Cornish Crabber Owners
Related Sailboats Swan 40 Ss · Rhodes 28 · Columbia 38 · Pj 40 Ss · Swift 40
Owner Reviews

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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
16.59
Ballast/Displacement Ballast to Displacement ratio shows what percentage of the boat's total weight is ballast. Higher values generally mean better initial stability and stiffer sail carrying.
30–35% — Typical cruiser35–45% — Stiff performance boatOver 45% — Racing oriented
39.29
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
366.06
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
36.39
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
1.58
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 6.80 kn
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 872.23 pounds/inch
Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Yanmar
Engine Model 3GM
Engine Type Diesel
Horsepower 27
Fuel Capacity 27 gals / 103 L
LOD 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
How It Compares

vs. Columbia 38, Pj 40 Ss, Rhodes 28, Swan 40 Ss, Swift 40

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
39.0 ft
Columbia 38
38.9 ft
Pj 40 Ss
39.3 ft
Rhodes 28
39.0 ft
Swan 40 Ss
39.3 ft
Swift 40
39.1 ft
LWL
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
25.8 ft
Columbia 38
25.8 ft
Pj 40 Ss
28.5 ft
Rhodes 28
28.0 ft
Swan 40 Ss
28.5 ft
Swift 40
31.0 ft
Beam
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
9.5 ft
Columbia 38
10.7 ft
Pj 40 Ss
10.8 ft
Rhodes 28
9.7 ft
Swan 40 Ss
10.8 ft
Swift 40
13.3 ft
Displacement
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
14 lbs
Columbia 38
14 lbs
Pj 40 Ss
19 lbs
Rhodes 28
18 lbs
Swan 40 Ss
19 lbs
Swift 40
24 lbs
Ballast
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
5 lbs
Columbia 38
6 lbs
Pj 40 Ss
7 lbs
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
7 lbs
Swift 40
8 lbs
Sail Area
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
600 sq ft
Columbia 38
650 sq ft
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
709 sq ft
Swift 40
Performance
PHRF Rating (lower = faster)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
Columbia 38
180 s/nm
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
126 s/nm
Swift 40
171 s/nm
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
16.6
Columbia 38
18.0
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
16.0
Swift 40
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
39.3 %
Columbia 38
45.7 %
Pj 40 Ss
41.6 %
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
41.6 %
Swift 40
36.8 %
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
36.4
Columbia 38
31.1
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
38.7
Swift 40
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
1.58
Columbia 38
1.77
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
1.63
Swift 40
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
366
Columbia 38
366
Pj 40 Ss
364
Rhodes 28
366
Swan 40 Ss
364
Swift 40
364
Hull Speed
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
6.8 kts
Columbia 38
6.8 kts
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
7.2 kts
Swift 40
Speed Number (higher = faster)
Cornish Crabber Pilot 30 ★
Columbia 38
1.4
Pj 40 Ss
Rhodes 28
Swan 40 Ss
1.3
Swift 40
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