Dawson 26

Dawson 26

Class symbol
Development
Designer	Robert Finch
Location	United States
Year	1973
No. built	300
Builder(s)	Dawson Yacht Corporation
Role	Cruiser
Name	Dawson 26
Boat
Boat weight	4,700 lb (2,132 kg)
Draft	5.33 ft (1.62 m), centerboard down
Hull
Type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	25.58 ft (7.80 m)
LWL	22.17 ft (6.76 m)
Beam	8.00 ft (2.44 m)
Engine type	Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	stub keel and centerboard
Ballast	1,165 lb (528 kg)
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	29.25 ft (8.92 m)
J foretriangle base	10.00 ft (3.05 m)
P mainsail luff	24.00 ft (7.32 m)
E mainsail foot	10.33 ft (3.15 m)
Sails
Sailplan	Masthead sloop
Mainsail area	146.25 sq ft (13.587 m2)
Jib/genoa area	123.96 sq ft (11.516 m2)
Total sail area	270.21 sq ft (25.103 m2)
Parker Dawson 26  →

The Dawson 26 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Robert Finch as a cruiser and first built in 1973. ^{[1] [2]}

Originally known as the Midship 26, the Dawson 26 design was later developed into the Parker Dawson 26, a boat with a lighter displacement and ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

Production

The design was built by the Dawson Yacht Corporation in the United States, with 300 examples completed between 1973 and 1982, but it is now out of production. ^[1]

A brochure, created in 1976, described it as, "a center cockpit, trailerable, auxiliary yacht, engineered and built without compromise for extended ocean going capability. Two separate cabins, five full size berths, sloop or ketch rigged." ^[4] The "D" for Dawson became a trademark on 8 February 1977 and was used in company advertisements. It was cancelled on 5 July 1983. ^[5]

Design

The Dawson 26 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig or optional ketch rig, with a mizzenmast. It features a raked stem, a plumb transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a wheel and a retractable centerboard. It displaces 4,700 lb (2,132 kg) and carries 1,165 lb (528 kg) of ballast. ^[1]

The design has an unusual configuration for a boat of this size, with a center cockpit and an aft cabin. ^[1]

The boat has a draft of 5.33 ft (1.62 m) with the centreboard extended and 1.67 ft (0.51 m) with it retracted, allowing beaching or road transportation on a trailer. ^[1]

The boat is optionally fitted with a Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 18 U.S. gallons (68 L; 15 imp gal). ^[1]

Operational history

In the Story of the Windship 'Prodigal', Bob Lengyel wrote about a journey across the Atlantic Ocean on the Dawson 26 Prodigal. Lengyel sailed in June 1975, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, stopped at the Azores, arriving in Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1975, having sailed 4,400 nmi (8,149 km) in 42 days at sea. This was a "warm up" for the 1976 OSTAR, which Lengyel completed in his Dawson 26, during the summer of 1976. ^{[6] [7]}

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Related development

• Parker Dawson 26

Similar sailboats

• Beneteau First 26
• Beneteau First 265
• C&C 26
• C&C 26 Wave
• Contessa 26
• Discovery 7.9
• Grampian 26
• Herreshoff H-26
• Hunter 26
• Hunter 26.5
• Hunter 260
• Hunter 270
• MacGregor 26
• Mirage 26
• Nash 26
• Nonsuch 26
• Outlaw 26
• Paceship PY 26
• Pearson 26
• Sandstream 26
• Tanzer 26
• Yamaha 26

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Dawson 26 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Robert Finch". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
3. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Parker Dawson 26 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
4. Dawson Yacht Corporation, 1976, Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Justia (2022). "Image Trademark with Serial Number 73090105". trademarks.justia.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
6. Lengyel, Bob (1975). Story of the Windship 'Prodigal'. Dawson Yacht Corporation.
7. Hollingsworth, Hank (6 October 1976). "Bob Lengyel: The Loneliness of the Long-distance sailor". Press-Telegram Sports.