BoatsCole 23

Cole 23

Masthead Sloop · Swing Keel · First built 1982

A Peter Cole-designed masthead sloop with a swing keel and high power-to-weight ratio for spirited coastal sailing

Designed by P. Cole, Assoc & Peter Cole, built by North Shore Associates.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Swing Keel

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.49 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 953 kg of hull, so roughly 1,550 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 953 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.35 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 beamy beam gives 10 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 10
CoastalBluewater

At 2.55 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.55
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 122
EasygoingPowered-up

22.6 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 22.6
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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
39.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
22.6
Displacement / length
121.7
Comfort ratio
9.6
Capsize screening
2.55
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
577
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1982
Designer
P. Cole, Assoc, Peter Cole
Builder
North Shore Associates, Northshore Yachts

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.

Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA prolific masthead sloop with 15,000 built, offering a versatile swing-keel design for trailerable coastal cruising
The ZERO KEEL and ALPHA RUDDER - Are Kraken Yachts Really THAT GOOD?9:27from Practical Sailor
O'day 226.61 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing
RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.6 m shorter
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Seascape 277.99 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA Sam Manuard-designed performance fractional sloop with a high SA/D ratio and swing keel, now part of the Beneteau First range
Boat for both cruising and racing22:55from SEILmagasinet
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
EP#370 Buying and Selling Boats with Chelle25:14from Sailing Into Oblivion
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Kells 23 (Coaster 23)A masthead sloop with a 0.71m draft and high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for trailerable performanceSouth Coast 25A Warren Metcalf-designed masthead sloop with a 43% ballast ratio, built for stability and performance since 1969Kells Corp. Coaster 23A fixed-keel variant of the Kells 23, this trailerable masthead sloop offers a shallow 0.71m draft for coastal cruising

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Cole 23

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