Gaffhead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1979
A 1979-launched gaff-rigged sloop with a 22.5-foot overall length, also marketed as the Bermudian-rigged Adventure 19
Designed by Roger Dongray.
LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
TrailerableBeam 2.19 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,066 kg of hull, so roughly 1,650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 1,066 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.46 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly
Her moderate displacement on a beamy beam gives 15 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.
Comfort ratio 15
CoastalBluewater
2.16 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.
Capsize screening 2.16
LightHeavy
196 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.
Displacement / length 196
EasygoingPowered-up
17.6 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.
Sail area / displacement 17.6
TenderStiff
30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.
Ballast 30%
A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
29.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaffhead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
195.8
Comfort ratio
14.6
Capsize screening
2.16
Hull speed
5.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
448
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1979
Units built
1000
Designer
Roger Dongray
Builder
Cornish Crabbers
Boats like this, on the water
Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.
Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.
O'day 205.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, offering a stable 5.57-knot hull speed for coastal cruising
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
Phobos 196.30 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited daysailing
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family1.4 m longerA swing-keel masthead sloop with 15,000 units sold, offering a highly versatile and trailerable coastal cruiser
O'day 226.61 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing
