Halcyon 23
Masthead Sloop · Triple Keel · First built 1967
A triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Designed by Alan H. Buchanan, built by Offshore Yachts Ltd.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Triple Keel
See her sail
The Halcyon 23, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Practical Sailor
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
TrailerableBeam 2.29 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,406 kg of hull, so roughly 2,000 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 0.69 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelyComfort 16Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 2.06Bluewater
LightD/L 213Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 17.0Powered-up
TenderBallast 37%Stiff
A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.
- Draws less than ~97% of boats her size on file
- Narrower than ~82% of boats her size on file
Compared with 1090 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.
On the water
The Halcyon 23 on video
What they go for
Market signal
Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.
1seen for sale
The channel acquired this boat for free to make videos, and plans to donate or raffle it off rather than keep it
from Practical Sailorseen July 2026watch
From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.0
Displacement / length
212.7
Comfort ratio
16.4
Capsize screening
2.06
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
500
Hull
Hull type
Triple Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
First built 1967
Units built
1000
Designer
Alan H. Buchanan
Builder
Offshore Yachts Ltd
Boats like this, on the water
More boats like her, on the water
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.
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family0.4 m longerThe world's most popular one-design keelboat, featuring a light 1406kg displacement for responsive, agile handling
Cal 257.62 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet
Comet 7707.70 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA Jean-Marie Finot-designed IOR quarter-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited club racing
Martinique 257.70 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA Brazilian-built masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull family1.3 m longerScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA lightweight 6.5-meter fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
The family
Related models
The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.
Halcyon 27An Alan Buchanan-designed masthead sloop with a long keel and heavy ballast, evolved from the earlier Diamond 27Crystal 23An Alan Buchanan-designed masthead sloop that evolved into the Halcyon 23 and was famously fitted out by Stebbings & SonsHalcyon Clipper 26An Alan Buchanan-designed masthead ketch with twin keels, built for shoal-draft cruising and stability since 1971Hunter Marine 23A fractional sloop featuring a 0.69-meter wing keel, optimized for stability and access to shallow coastal anchorages
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