Cormorant:Catboat from Cornwall Page 3 |
Little Extras
Auxiliary propulsion for Cormorant comes in two forms: oar and engine. Both stow neatly forward — the 2-horsepower engine next to the centerboard, the oars under the side decks, with the blades neatly tucked into the forepeak. The engine mounts on a notch in the transom, once the rudder is removed, and would serve nicely for crossing long distances in a calm, or
pushing a party of four around the harbor.
My preference is for oars. They are quieter, take up less space, and weigh less. Besides, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get some exercise after a day’s sail.
Seated on the cedar rowing thwart abaft the centerboard case, with my feet braced against the aft seat, I thought she moved easily and carried her way well, though she does cut a wide wake. The oarlock sockets built into the side decks are too high in relation to the thwart to
row comfortably for a long time, but to change either probably would compromise Cormorant’s looks or her sailing performance. She’s a sailing boat, after all.
She is also a camp cruiser, if you’re so inclined. With her waterproof nylon boom tent, a $197.00 option, Cormorant becomes a very serviceable, floating pup tent. The tent has flaps at either end and two plastic windows (without privacy flaps) to let in plenty of air and light. The floorboards are raised to the level of the cockpit seats, making a sleeping platform long enough for a 6-foot person and wide enough for two, if they are cozy. Lying inside this boat/tent, inhaling the sweet scent of the cedar that emanates from the floorboards, I could easily imagine taking
Cormorant for a cruise. As long as I had a pad to cushion against a stiff back in the morning, exploring out-of-the-way gunkholes aboard Cormorant would be a tempting proposition.
Cormorant can also be equipped with a pair of wheels for easy, one-person launching. This galvanized steel trolley carries Cormorant on a special trailer, so boat and trolley can simply be pushed off the trailer and into the water. It spares the trailer a corrosive dunking, and opens up a lot of sites that would otherwise be unsuitable for standard trailer launching.
It’s no accident that Cormorant incorporates so many little extras and that she handles so well. Cornish Crabbers actually built Dongray’s design in wood lapstrake, outfitted it, sailed it, and slightly modified it before going into production. Once they were satisfied that everything was right, they used the wooden model as the plug for the fiberglass mold.
Their concern that the boat functions properly didn’t stop there, however. When I pointed out that the transom drain holes tended to suck water into the cockpit and onto the seats when she heeled (Cormorant dragged a bit of water behind her transom regardless of where I sat), Cornish Crabbers obligingly moved the drain holes inboard 3 inches. Also, when I mentioned that the test boat had a wobbly tiller, Britannia Boats, Ltd., the U.S. importer for Cornish Crabbers, relayed my comments and the builder devised a new rudder head that should take care of the problem. Such attentiveness speaks very well of the builder’s ongoing desire to produce a product of the highest quality.
If I owned a Cormorant, I’d change only three things. First, I would add a self-cleating block to the mainsheet. A day spent gripping a sheet can be pretty tiring, and even the most tenacious skipper needs a break once in a whole. Second, I’d switch the locations of the
Clam cleats and the horn cleats next to the centerboard slot. This change would provide two secure anchors for the halyards in case they were accidentally jerked out of the Clam cleat, and give me greater control over lowering the gaff. And finally, I’d use a braided no-stretch halyard line. The standard issue polyester line was pretty rough on my uncalloused hands, and made halyard adjustments underway difficult. Small details, to be sure, but they would make a very
good little boat even better.
Handsome and well-built, Cormorant is a fine, friendly boat with the appealing character seldom seen in today’s dinghies. Her manners are sedate, and her speed undramatic, but she’s roomy enough to daysail with friends and family, stable enough to shrug off any undue carelessness, and still responsive enough to make sailing her fun. And she’s versatile. But most of all, she’s a boat for anyone in the mood to enjoy the simple pleasures of a traditionally-styled boat.
To be cradled in Cormorant’s deep cockpit, watching her spruce gaff and maroon main sway in the wind, listening to the soothing chuff of her bow wave, is an experience most sailors with salt in their veins would find difficult to resist. Such pleasures come at a price ($3,445, with sail), but considering how often you’re likely to use her, and how many ways you can enjoy her — to say nothing of the admiring glances she’ll attract — Cormorant is quite a bargain.
