Crowther 85

[seaskip]

Hi all,
I’ve been watching and learning for years, and maybe my search skills aren’t up to scratch, but I’m struggling to find info on Crowther design 85. There seem to be a few around, and I’d like experienced people’s thoughts on this design for a family cruising cat with some legs.
I’m a commercial Skipper with a fair few miles on sail, power and we’ve had part ownership of a 38 ft cat for the last 5 years. Crews still pretty green so far, but partly because I’ve tried to make it fun rather than survival stuff.
Thanks I hope.
Jeff

[seaskip]

No one?

[Fore and Aft]

Seaskip what is the design name? I have never heard of the design number being quoted? Let us know the design and then you might get some more replies.
Cheers

[chrisr]

i think this is a fairly old design now, although crowther is a quality name. do you have a particular boat in mind ?

have a look here

https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/c...sign-85.36972/

cheers,

[seaskip]

Thanks folks. I haven’t really tracked down a name. Still trying. [emoji106]

[catsketcher]

Crowther gave his early designs names such as Spindrift, Kraken, Buccaneer and Twiggy but in the 8os he mainly did design numbers.

Design 85 was a bit of a breakthrough at the time. It was one of Lock's first pure cruising cat designs and had his new (at the time) more buoyant bows and sterns. The hulls were canted slightly and had the new style bulb bows. The rig was modest but the boats developed a good reputation for being solid sea boats and good cruisers.

The first one of the design was Scotfree. (built at Montys in QLD about 85) Sadly she burnt down within a couple of years. I have met a few owners of different variants of the design and they liked the design. It is a solid cruiser, not like the cruiser racers like the Windspeed series that lock also drew.

I like the boats. They have wide flat decks that are easy to walk on and they have quite vertical windows so they get less heat inside from sunshine. There were many different builders of the design, and the design evolved over time, so there will be a fair bit of variation within the boats.

cheers

Phil

[catsketcher]

Here is a catalogue including the design

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qnq...NF5iA2VsR/view

[seaskip]

Thanks so much Phil.
They look wonderful to my eye at least.
I’ll let you know how the search goes.
Crossing fingers.