Family fun boat or useful cruiser?

The Skipper 12 and the similar Skipper 14 were produced in great numbers and many are still available second-hand cheaply and in fair condition. Some see the Skipper as a plaything beneath the consideration of proper sailors, yet one was featured on a Yachting World cover and favourably reviewed by that prestigious periodical, and a DCA Past President cruised with his wife in a Skipper 14. A silver medal was also awarded at a London Boat Show. These notes examine the Skipper 12's pros and cons for dinghy cruising.

I use my ancient Skipper 12 as a second boat mainly for daysailing in winter. Its light weight enables me to drag it up and down a beach despite my age and back problems, and it has the great advantage for winter sailing in that it is a very dry boat so spray has never been a problem. The huge rear locker provides ample dry stowage. The double-moulded GRP hull provides ample buoyancy and enables one to sail on even if the outer skin is punctured. The unstayed mast enables one to let the mainsail fly if caught by a gust from astern, rather than broaching and capsizing. The buoyant tubular aluminium spars require no maintenance. Without the metal 'railings' on the bows, and with a normal sloop rig it is a shapely little boat. The standard gunter sloop rig provides surprisingly good sailing performance. I have never slept on board, but there would be adequate sleeping room for two if sleeping boards were provided at thwart level. It is light enough to be carried car-top.

On the other hand I find that with its 4 foot daggerboard and gunter rig the Skipper is harder to control than my more powerful bermudan rigged centreboard Leader, and I feel less confident in challenging conditions. Also the hull of my particular Skipper is very thin and easily damaged, and more than once I have had to sail home with only the inner moulding providing buoyancy. The 4 foot daggerboard is a great handicap in shallow water sailing, and has to be removed before rowing. However it can be taken out to reduce weight for hauling out, and unlike a centreboard it never jams with shingle! The bathtub' cockpit can be awkward to grip when going about and I have capsized when caught by a windshift on the wrong side of the cockpit.

Testing a normal 100° capsize, I found recovery easy. Recovery from an involuntary 140° capsize, where the gaff hitting the bottom no doubt prevented total inversion, was also easy. Righting from 180° is however said to be difficult, but with a practised crew the Skipper would probably meet EU capsize and flotation requirements for coastal sailing. My wife, who rarely sails, feels much safer in the Skipper than in my 14 foot Leader, but I feel safer in the Leader! With its round sections the Skipper has little lateral resistance, and I find it more difficult to sail than classic sailing dinghies such as the Leader.

Unusual features are (a) the twin skegs, and (b) the well in the bows, which is designed to drain into the cockpit. In practice the drainpipe from the well tends to leak and is usually sealed off, but I have never had problems with the water collecting in the well. This well, would you believe it, has been advertised as a suitable place for dogs or children! I use it for anchor, warp and fenders. Many Skippers are fitted with a railing round the bows, but the boat looks much better without it. I have tried a number of rigs, all on tubular unstayed masts:

(1) The standard Skipper rig, a simple straight leech gunter main with pathetic little jib fit only for entertaining small children. (2) A Minisail's una main (pocketed luff), and (3) A Vagabond jib and gunter mainsail with deep reefing points, with tubular spars adapted to suit, and a smaller more manageable daggerboard. I find that the smaller Vagabond rig adequate for single-handed cruising, and even with its small main deep reefed and the jib taken in I can still get to windward against a strong tide stream. A standing lug rig might well be considered for its ability to be dropped and cleared fast for rowing against the wind in shallow water once the daggerboard is removed.

8 foot oars give efficient rowing, but there is only inside stowage room for 6'6" oars.

Facts:

Designed by Peter Milne (Fireball designer) Length overall 12'O" (3.66 m) Beam 4'9" (1.45 m) Sail area* 78.5 sq ft (7.26 sq.m) Claimed weight* 145 to 16Olbs Racing performance: PHR (1976) = 116 (Tideway 125**, Mirror 122, Heron 120, Gull 118, Leader and Wayfarer 97)

These figures vary from one manufacturer to another.

I find this performance difference hard to believe!

Conclusions: Worth considering as an alternative to the Mirror as second dinghy or for short range cruising. Adequate for DCA South Coast rallies. Compared with the Mirror, the Skipper is larger but no heavier, has much more stowage room, and of course would require minimal maintenance. The hollow aluminium spars also provide some turnturtle capsize resistance.