Why your next boat should be a gaffer
The chances are that your first boat was… Spritsails are part of the family!
We welcome a wide range of boats and rigs:
- Gaff, lug, sprit…
- Old and new
- Large and small
- Wood, GRP, concrete…
- Production and one-off
- Anyone who is interested
Some are endless commitments to sandpaper and varnish, others require just a quick scrub now and then. Cruising, racing, or just pottering about. Some have crossed the Atlantic, many never leave the sheltered waters of the Solent. A few never leave the shed!
And then there’s the active and friendly community, admiring looks wherever you go and never ending interest from those you meet. Check out our list of events for the year.
Whatever you want from a boat, there’s a gaffer to suit, often at a competitive price.
The OGA Boat Register includes listings of boats currently for sale. You never know what you might find.
The boats below are not listed for sale, but show some of our members’ boats and why they chose them.
“A thoroughly modern gaff cutter”
Why Ivy Green? Look at the picture! And yes she sails as well as she looks.
Having raced dinghies and one-design yachts, we wanted a boat that wouldn’t get you wet if you looked away for a moment, but would also make us grin under sail. So many modern boats are about taking the modern conveniences of home to a marina. We wanted to enjoy the sailing. A few extra ropes makes it more interesting, but no more difficult. Just take your time.
After a childhood with varnished clinker dinghies, I had sworn I would never buy a wooden boat… But the world is just better in a wooden hull. Strip plank, epoxy and a little glass fibre keep the maintenance to a minimum… The douglas fir gleams down below, but never touches the salt water. 2 pack paint on the topsides and CopperCoat below… Both have been replaced just once in 20 years.
Quality never comes cheap, but compared to the production boat we might have got for the same money, Ivy Green was great value. Designed by Ed Burnett and built at The Elephant Boatyard, Classic Boat described Ivy Green as “proper… a thoroughly modern gaff cutter”.
Beyond choosing a boat, we knew we were choosing a community. There are lots of yacht clubs around the Solent, but much of the waterborne social side is around racing. We didn’t want a hard racing scene, although we greatly enjoy the gaffer and classic racing. The gaffers were welcoming and fun. Hopefully we still are.
Find more details on the OGA Boat Register: Ivy Green
Shrimper 19
Cornish Crabbers describe the Shrimper as:
“…classic styling that appeals to sailors from any generation … We have built over 1100 Cornish Shrimpers since 1979 with the original boats still being sailed all over the world.”
An easy boat to sail, with the support of large scale production and a loyal community. Go anywhere with a trailer and shallow draft, or enjoy beating larger gaffers on the race course.
135 years old and going strong
Launched in 1889, Spinaway X has had a long and varied life. Starting life as a fishing boat she has cruised as far as Scotland and the Mediterranean.
She’s now a regular on the race scene at Cowes.