Balboa 26

Balboa 26

Development
Designer	Lyle C. Hess
Location	United States
Year	1969
Builder(s)	Arthur Marine Coastal Recreation
Role	Cruiser
Name	Balboa 26
Boat
Boat weight	3,600 lb (1,633 kg)
Draft	5.00 ft (1.52 m) with swing keel down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	25.58 ft (7.80 m)
LWL	20.83 ft (6.35 m)
Beam	7.96 ft (2.43 m)
Engine type	outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	swing keel
Ballast	1,200 lb (544 kg)
Rudder(s)	internally-mounted spade-type
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	30.00 ft (9.14 m)
J foretriangle base	10.80 ft (3.29 m)
P mainsail luff	24.80 ft (7.56 m)
E mainsail foot	10.80 ft (3.29 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	133.92 sq ft (12.442 m2)
Jib/genoa area	162.00 sq ft (15.050 m2)
Total sail area	295.92 sq ft (27.492 m2)

The Balboa 26 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Lyle C. Hess as cruiser and first built in 1969. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Production

The design was initially built by Arthur Marine starting in 1969. It was then built by Coastal Recreation in the United States, between about 1972 and 1976, but it is now out of production. ^{[1] [4] [5]}

Design

The Balboa 26 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. The boat is all solid laminate fiberglass, with the deck plywood cored. The boat has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a slightly angled transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting keel or optional fixed fin keel. The keel is actuated by a 12:1 mechanical advantage winch. The rudder can be removed from the transom from the cockpit. The boat displaces 3,600 lb (1,633 kg) and carries 1,200 lb (544 kg) of ballast. ^{[1] [5]}

The fixed keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of 5.0 ft (1.5 m), while the lifting keel-equipped version has a draft of 5.00 ft (1.52 m) with the keel extended and 1.83 ft (0.56 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer. ^[1]

The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. ^[1]

The design has sleeping accommodation for five people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a straight settee in the main cabin on the starboard side and drop-down dinette table that converts to a double berth on the port side. The galley is located on both sides of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove to starboard and an ice box and sink to port. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. The standard cabin deck was shag carpet, with teak optional. Cabin headroom is 65 in (170 cm). ^{[1] [5]}

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker. ^[1]

Operational history

In a 2008 review in Cruising World Matt Djos wrote, "Under sail, the Balboa 26 is quite stiff. The boat is fast and maneuverable, but it's a handful for a novice sailor. The 26 has noticeable weather helm, and the tiller requires constant attention. As with most boats of this type, the swing keel has a tendency to rumble at hull speed, which is a little more than 6 knots." ^[5]

David Liscio, writing for Sailing Magazine in 2017, noted, "the Balboa 26 is a trailerable, stoutly-constructed, economical cruising boat ideal for a couple or small family planning to gunkhole or sail the open sea." ^[6]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Balboa 26 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 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. Malseed, Chuck (January 1977). "Lyle Hess: A Profile". Cruising World. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
4. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Coastal Recreation Inc. 1968 - 1981". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
5. Djos, Matt G. (5 March 2008). "Balboa 26". Cruising World. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
6. Liscio, David (1 July 2017). "Balboa 26". Sailing Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.

External links

• Photo of a Balboa 26