Watkins 23

Watkins 23

Development
Designer	Johannes "Jopie" Helsen
Location	United States
Year	1973
No. built	400
Builder(s)	Watkins Yachts
Name	Watkins 23
Boat
Displacement	2,500 lb (1,134 kg)
Draft	6.00 ft (1.83 m), centerboard down
Hull
Type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	23.00 ft (7.01 m)
LWL	19.80 ft (6.04 m)
Beam	8.00 ft (2.44 m)
Engine type	Outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	stub keel and centerboard
Ballast	900 lb (408 kg)
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	24.00 ft (7.32 m)
J foretriangle base	9.00 ft (2.74 m)
P mainsail luff	21.00 ft (6.40 m)
E mainsail foot	8.75 ft (2.67 m)
Sails
Sailplan	Masthead sloop
Mainsail area	91.88 sq ft (8.536 m2)
Jib/genoa area	108.00 sq ft (10.034 m2)
Total sail area	199.88 sq ft (18.569 m2)
Racing
PHRF	276

The Watkins 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Johannes "Jopie" Helsen, modified by Watkins Yachts and first built in 1973. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The Watkins 23 is an authorized development of the Helson 22, produced with permission of the designer. ^[1]

Production

The design was built by Watkins Yachts in the United States from 1973 to 1980, with 400 examples completed, but it is now out of production. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Design

The Watkins 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a near-vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed stub keel with a centerboard. It displaces 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) and carries 900 lb (408 kg) of ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 6.00 ft (1.83 m) with the centerboard extended and 1.50 ft (0.46 m) with it retracted, allowing 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 five people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a drop-down dinette table that forms a double berth in the main cabin and an aft quarter berth on the port side. The galley is located on the port side just aft of the bow cabin. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located in the bow cabin, under the "V"-berth on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 58 in (147 cm). ^[3]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 276 and a hull speed of 5.9 kn (10.9 km/h). ^[3]

Variants

Watkins 23

Base model, introduced in 1973. ^{[1] [5]}

Watkins 23 XL

Improved model with a full fiberglass interior and headliner, introduced in 1977. ^{[1] [5] [3]}

Operational history

The boat is supported by an active class club, the Watkins Owners. ^[6]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote of the 23XL model, "best features: You get basic sailing transportation for very little money. Worst features: Construction is mediocre, with equipment such as a galvanized boat trailer winch (which can quickly rust in salt water) mounted in the cabin to hoist the centerboard." ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Similar sailboats

• Beneteau First 235
• Hunter 23
• O'Day 23
• Paceship 23
• Paceship PY 23
• Precision 23
• Rob Roy 23
• Schock 23
• Sonic 23
• Stone Horse

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2019). "Watkins 23 XL sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2019). "Johannes "Jopie" Helsen". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
3. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 211. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
4. McArthur, Bruce (2019). "Watkins Yachts". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
5. Watkins Owners Association (3 May 2008). "History of Watkins Yachts". watkinsowners.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
6. McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Watkins Owners". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.