BoatsSnapdragon 23

Snapdragon 23

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1962

A pioneering 1962 keel-centerboarder that launched the Thames Marine line, offering a versatile draft for shoal water

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 2.34 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,338 kg of hull, so roughly 1,950 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.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 15 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 15
CoastalBluewater

2.14 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.14
LightHeavy

169 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 169
EasygoingPowered-up

14.4 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.4
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.4
Displacement / length
168.9
Comfort ratio
14.5
Capsize screening
2.14
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
543
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1962
Designer
Thames Structural Plastics
Builder
Thames Marine

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.

Cal Boats 247.43 mSame hull family0.4 m longerThe inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatility
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family1.5 m shorterA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
Macgregor 26X7.87 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA water-ballasted sail-power hybrid designed for versatile coastal cruising and easy trailering

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.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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