Cockwells has released the design for the Duchy 21, a trailerable GRP day launch for twelve passengers with the lines of a Cornish harbour boat, ahead of this year’s Southampton Boat Show.
Cockwells has published the design for a new open day boat, the Duchy 21, and will show it at Southampton later this year. The Cornish yard has a reputation for building what it calls proper boats, and the 21 follows that pattern: hull lines borrowed from a traditional harbour launch, reworked with some fresh thinking, and built in GRP so the owner spends weekends on the water rather than on maintenance. It joins the Duchy Motor Launch range.
A harbour launch with modern manners
The brief shows in the numbers. The hull is proportioned to carry twelve passengers, yet Cockwells describes it as easily driven, a very capable sea boat and quick for its length. It also makes very little wake, which matters on any river where wash is policed, and it tows on a road trailer. That last point is the one that opens the boat up: it can be launched at the coast one weekend and on a river or a lake the next, without a marina berth in either place.
Seating all the way round
The cockpit is where the volume goes. Seating runs around the boat so a group can face each other, which is how most owners actually use a day launch: tied up in a bay with lunch under way. Cockwells says the layout was planned for cruising and unwinding with friends and family, and the detail list backs that up.
Swim, eat, listen
A boarding ladder meets the cockpit’s central steps, so getting back aboard after a swim is one movement. Cushions turn the forward seating into a double sunbed for drying off. There is a fridge for cold drinks, and a Fusion marine stereo in the helm console with Bluetooth and USB connections.
Food is taken seriously. A sink and a hob let you put together something better than sandwiches, and two folding oak tables turn the forward cockpit into an open-air dining space. For lunch on the beach, a picnic hamper undocks from behind the helm console, and the crockery travels in its own container with two fold-out leaves that serve as a table on the sand.
Two spray hoods, one enclosed cockpit
The feature Cockwells makes the most of in its description is the pair of spray hoods. They are out of sight when not in use, and can be raised individually, forward or aft, or both at once. Join the two and the cockpit is completely covered, at which point the forward sunbed becomes a double berth for a night aboard. On an open boat that is a useful trick: an overnight at anchor becomes an option without adding a cabin or spoiling the profile.
Built to order
As with every boat from the yard, the 21 is custom built by Cockwells’ craftsmen from top-grade materials, from the engine specification through to the finishing details. A teak deck is optional, and the joinery can be done in the solid timber of the owner’s choosing. The Duchy difference page explains how that process works. The published options list runs as follows:
- Wheel steering, or a tiller for those who prefer it
- A choice of diesel or electric power
- Road trailer
- Fridge, plus an icebox
- Hot and cold water
- A toilet that is simple to use
A Duchy 21 for Australian and New Zealand waters
A day launch that is sea-capable, trailerable, quick for its size and low on wash is a close match for the way small boats are used on this side of the world: harbours, estuaries, rivers and lakes, with the occasional coastal hop in fair weather. The low-wake hull is a real advantage in the speed-limited and no-wash zones found around Sydney Harbour and its rivers, the electric option suits quiet waterways, and tiller steering will appeal to owners who want the simplest possible boat.
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches. We can arrange a Duchy 21 build with Cockwells, with the engine, steering, timber and options specified for Australian conditions, and we handle the import, delivery and commissioning in Sydney. To talk through a specification, contact us; we can also advise on finance for a new boat, and if you have a boat to sell before a new one arrives, our brokerage service can take care of it.
Cockwells’ design announcement is on the Cockwells website.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Duchy 21?
Cockwells’ Duchy 21 is a new open day launch from Cornwall, with hull lines taken from the traditional Cornish harbour launch and built in low-maintenance GRP. It carries twelve passengers, has all-round cockpit seating, travels on its own road trailer, and is being shown at this year’s Southampton Boat Show.
Is the Duchy 21 suitable for open water?
Cockwells calls the Duchy 21 easy to drive and a very able sea boat that is also quick for its size. Because it produces very little wake it suits rivers and inland waters as well, and the road trailer means it can be launched at the coast, on a river or on a lake.
What options can be specified on a Duchy 21?
The options Cockwells lists are a toilet, hot and cold water, a fridge with an icebox, a trailer for the road, diesel or electric power, and a wheel or a tiller for steering. A teak deck is optional, the joinery can be finished in solid timber of the owner’s choice, and the engine specification is chosen with the buyer.
Can I order a Duchy 21 in Australia or New Zealand?
Yes. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches. Each Duchy 21 is custom built by Cockwells in Cornwall to the owner’s specification, and DMB arranges the import, delivery and commissioning in Sydney. Call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 to discuss a build.
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders. To talk about a new build, a demonstration on Sydney Harbour or a pre-owned Duchy, call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 or send an enquiry.
About the author
Sam Davis is the Director and Lead Broker at Davis Marine Brokerage, Fergusons Marina, Mosman. Brokering on Sydney Harbour for over a decade, he is a NSW State Councillor of the Boating Industry Association and the Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy, Hardy and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders.
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