There are probably as many “ideal” boats as there are people looking for them, but there must be quite a large number of common factors that will feature fairly high on most lists. There is stability, for example, and handle-ability (both on water and on trailer), and space, and cost, and many, many others, including appearance. One on many lists would be minimum maintenance.

The search for a boat can be long and frustrating, and often involves owning one or two before finding out they don’t quite suit, or don’t allow one to fulfil ambitions, or don’t fit in with family circumstances.

A Shipmate, though, ought to fit the bill for a great many people. The specification is not too ambitious, and reads as follows:-

Length overall 16’ 3” (4.96 m) Length waterline 14’ 2” (4.32 m) Beam 6’ 3” (1.90 m) Draught (c/p up) 11” (0.28 m) Draught (c/p down) 3’ 6” (1.07 m) Sail area (main & jib) 104 ft² (9.66 m²) Genoa area 46 ft² (4.27 m²) All up weight (approx) 675 lbs (305 kg)

These basic details indicate a beamy boat which should be stable, not over-canvassed, and not excessively heavy. Incidentally the Shipmate is built of fibreglass.

So, straightaway many of the average person’s basic requirements are met. She is indeed extremely stable, and although no “official” inclining tests have been done, two adults (total weight 20 stone) can sit on the gunwale — one hanging onto the shrouds and leaning out — without water coming into the boat. The cast steel centreplate must weigh nearly I20 lbs. and certainly helps in this, but is made easy to lift by means of a block and tackle.

The sail area is not excessive for a boat this size and full sail can be carried in winds up to force 4 without excessive heel. Sitting out is not necessary, or indeed to be advocated.

The fibreglass construction makes routine maintenance easy, as do the aluminium spars, but a teak rubbing strake adds a finishing touch to the appearance. The Shipmate looks a well proportioned boat too. Underneath there are two mini bilge keels which certainly help to keep it from lying right over when taking the ground at low water, and this makes camping much more comfortable.

The Shipmate can be driven along very well with a 2½ to 4 h.p. long shaft outboard for those who feel the need for some power source other than oars. She handles well under oars as well, but the fairly large freeboard can make it hard going in windy conditions.

Trailing is no trouble at all, launching can be done single handed by a 7 stone weakling, but recovery is only possible single handed under good conditions, even with a winch and jockey wheel. It is easy with two in most conditions. The mast can be stepped and unstepped single handed too. The standard rig is Bermudan, and for those who like it, this works well, but this isn’t the time to raise that subject!

Another contentious issue is the fact that the Shipmate mark II has a “cabin”. The purists will argue that she isn’t really a dinghy and that it is cheating, and so on, but one has to admit that there comes a time in many people’s lives, due to family demands or old age, that a cuddy or permanent lid of some sort is very tempting. It is extremely practical too, as much of the sleeping and cooking and other perishable gear too can be kept dry, and much of the other gear too can be left on board if the boat is left on a mooring for any length of time. The permanent lid can’t be blown off in a gale on a mooring either.

On the Shipmate the ‘cabin’ occupies about half the boat, being about 9’ long, and can sleep 2 adults comfortably. There is only just sitting headroom on a flat false floor (ceiling actually) divided in two by the centreplate box and mast support strut. Two more can sleep in the 7’ long cockpit, but this is more comfortable if on boards across from the side benches.

When sailing one can see over the cabin quite easily, and there is less water shipped during a rough passage because the small foredeck and cabin roof help to keep it out.

There doesn’t seem to be many drawbacks except perhaps for those used to wooden boats — one can’t try out cleat positions and screw-on fixings etc. nearly as easily on fibreglass, but that is a difficulty not peculiar to the Shipmate, and maintenance certainly is a lot easier.

The boat was designed by Norman Howard for Small Craft (Blockley) Limited. The current price for a craft like this including VAT and including the usual extras like sails (main and jib), oars, cleats, bow roller, anchor and warp would be of the order of £1900. The trailer would be about £300 more (including rear lighting set and lashings) and a 4 h.p. outboard is about another £250. Altogether the price of a new 16’ boat with cabin ready to trail/sail/motor away may seem high at first glance, but shop around, say at the Boat Show, and I think you will be surprised.

And there is always the possibility of a second-hand one coming available.