Balboa 20

Balboa 20

Development
Designer	Lyle C. Hess
Location	United States
Year	1967
Builder(s)	Arthur Marine Coastal Recreation, Inc
Role	Cruiser
Name	Balboa 20
Boat
Boat weight	1,700 lb (771 kg)
Draft	4.42 ft (1.35 m) with keel down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	20.00 ft (6.10 m)
LWL	17.50 ft (5.33 m)
Beam	7.08 ft (2.16 m)
Engine type	outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	swing keel
Ballast	450 lb (204 kg)
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	20.70 ft (6.31 m)
J foretriangle base	8.80 ft (2.68 m)
P mainsail luff	21.00 ft (6.40 m)
E mainsail foot	8.70 ft (2.65 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	91.35 sq ft (8.487 m2)
Jib/genoa area	91.08 sq ft (8.462 m2)
Total sail area	182.43 sq ft (16.948 m2)
Racing
PHRF	276

The Balboa 20 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Lyle C. Hess as a cruiser, at the request of Richard Arthur and first built in 1967. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The success of the Balboa 20 allowed Hess to become a sailboat designer on a full-time basis. ^{[2] [4]}

The Balboa 20 hull design was used for two 1972 raised deck boats, the Ensenada 20 and the RK 20. ^{[1] [3] [5] [6]}

Production

The design was built by Arthur Marine and Coastal Recreation, Inc in the United States, starting in 1967, but it is now out of production. ^{[1] [3] [7]}

Design

The design goals for the boat were low cost and good seaworthiness. ^[4]

The Balboa 20 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, an angled transom, with a lazarette, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting keel. It displaces 1,700 lb (771 kg) and carries 450 lb (204 kg) of cast iron ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 4.42 ft (1.35 m) with the keel extended and 1.58 ft (0.48 m) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. ^{[1] [3]}

The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two quarter berths in the main cabin. The galley is located on the starboard side just forward of the companionway ladder. The head is located under the bow cabin berth. Cabin headroom is 48 in (120 cm). ^{[1] [3]}

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 276 and a hull speed of 5.6 kn (10.4 km/h). ^[3]

Operational history

In 1977 it was reported that the designer's personal boat was a Balboa 20, named Genesis. ^[4]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Lyle Hess’s designs are usually thought to be prettier (or handsomer?) than most, but in this early design it is hard to see a clear distinction from many other trailer-sailers of the era. Worst features: The cast iron swing keel, weighing more than a quarter of the total boat and controlled by a winch in the cabin, is at best a maintenance headache and at worst could cause serious leakage in the hull due to strain." ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Related development

• Balboa 16
• Balboa 21
• Balboa 22
• Balboa 23
• Balboa 24
• Ensenada 20
• RK 20

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Balboa 20 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Lyle C. Hess 1912 - 2002". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
3. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 84. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
4. Malseed, Chuck (January 1977). "Lyle Hess: A Profile". Cruising World. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
5. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Ensenada 20". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
6. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "RK 20". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
7. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Coastal Recreation Inc. 1968 - 1981". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.