 A Cracksman 20 under sail. Photo taken in 2017 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Michael Henderson |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1963 |
| No. built | 150 |
| Builder(s) | Newbridge Boats Ltd |
| Name | Cracksman 20 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 1,151 lb (522 kg) |
| Draft | 0.82–2.76 ft (0.25–0.84 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Catamaran |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 20.00 ft (6.10 m) |
| LWL | 16.01 ft (4.88 m) |
| Beam | 8.01 ft (2.44 m) |
| Engine type | Outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | Dagger Boards |
| Rudder(s) | Twin transom-mounted rudders |
| Rig | |
| General | Fractional rigged sloop |
Cracksman 20 Mk II →
| |
The Cracksman 20 is an early and pioneering cruising catamaran, built by Newbridge Boats Ltd from 1963. Designed by Michael Henderson in the early 1960s, the boat's shallow draft (when sailing) of less than three feet allows the boat to sail with versatility in even the shallowest of waters. When not sailing, the dagger boards can be removed, reducing the draft to just 8 inches.[1] This allows the boat to easily operate in tidal areas and beach for quick loading and unloading of crew and equipment.
However, there are some significant problems with the early version of the Cracksman 20; whilst the boat did grow popular fast, this was more due to its sailing performance than the interior amenities (or lack thereof). Therefore, having received feedback from owners and testers, Michael Henderson and Newbridge Boats Ltd decided to launch a second model, the Cracksman 20 MkII, which along with some minor structural differences, aimed to address the lack of interior amenities.
- ^ "CRACKSMAN 20 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 2018-01-14.