Imperial 23

Imperial 23

Development
Designer	L. Wakefield
Location	United Kingdom
Year	1966
Builder(s)	Russell Marine
Role	Cruiser
Name	Imperial 23
Boat
Displacement	2,700 lb (1,225 kg)
Draft	2.75 ft (0.84 m)
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	glassfibre
LOA	22.50 ft (6.86 m)
LWL	20.00 ft (6.10 m)
Beam	7.50 ft (2.29 m)
Engine type	inboard engine or outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	twin keels
Ballast	1,120 lb (508 kg)
Rudder(s)	skeg-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	25.00 ft (7.62 m)
J foretriangle base	7.83 ft (2.39 m)
P mainsail luff	23.00 ft (7.01 m)
E mainsail foot	10.00 ft (3.05 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	115.00 sq ft (10.684 m2)
Jib/genoa area	97.88 sq ft (9.093 m2)
Total sail area	212.88 sq ft (19.777 m2)

The Imperial 23 is a British trailerable sailboat that was designed by L. Wakefield as a cruiser and first built in 1966. Starting in 1968 it was sold as the Islander 23. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Production

The design was built by Russell Marine in the United Kingdom, from 1966 until about 1970, but it is now out of production. It was imported into the United States by Wells Yachts. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Design

The Imperial 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of glassfibre, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem plumb stem, a slightly reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed twin keels. It displaces 2,700 lb (1,225 kg) and carries 1,120 lb (508 kg) of iron ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 2.75 ft (0.84 m) with the standard twin keels. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat is normally fitted with a small 6 hp (4 kW) outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring or, optionally, an inboard motor. ^[3]

The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a dual quarter berths in the bow cabin and two straight settees in the aft of the main cabin. The galley is located on the port side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located in the bow cabin, between the bow quarter berths. The fresh water tank has a capacity of 6 U.S. gallons (23 L; 5.0 imp gal). Cabin headroom is 54 in (137 cm). ^{[1] [3]}

The design has a hull speed of 6.0 kn (11.1 km/h). ^[3]

Operational history

In a 2010 review American Steve Henkel wrote, "here is a typical British import of the 1960s: Twin iron keels and a sturdy rudder skeg for lying upright on the English tidal flats without risk of damage; heavy, sturdy hull and relatively small sail area for dealing with brisk English Chanel winds; tabernacle for easier mast lowerings provision for an inboard engine despite the boat's relatively small size. (Re size: The boat measures 22' 6" from the lower tip of her reverse transom to the forward tip of her galvanized steel anchor roller, thus claiming to be a '23-footer.' On deck she’s only 22' 2".) Best features: Forward quarter berths instead of the usual V-berths provide easier access to the head, complete with hinged door for privacy. A unique (but optional) 'Autohoist' permits vertical storage of an outboard engine; the skipper winds the motor out of the water with a worm-gear driven winch. Worst features: The jutting samson post [ sic ] on the small foredeck may make picking up and securing a mooring easier, but might worry the foredeck crew who, when in a hurry, could easily trip on the upward-sticking prong." ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Imperial 23 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Islander 23 (Wakefield)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
3. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 178. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
4. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Russell Marine Ltd. 1959 - 1980". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.