BoatsCrystal 23

Crystal 23

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/transom Hung Rudder · First built 1961

An Alan Buchanan-designed masthead sloop that evolved into the Halcyon 23 and was famously fitted out by Stebbings & Sons

Designed by Alan H. Buchanan, built by French Bros.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/transom Hung Rudder

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 1,361 kg of hull, so roughly 1,950 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 1.07 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 moderate beam gives 16 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 16
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.08
LightHeavy

223 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 223
EasygoingPowered-up

17.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.4
TenderStiff

28% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 28%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Narrower than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1090 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
223.3
Comfort ratio
16.2
Capsize screening
2.08
Hull speed
5.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
487
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/transom hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1961
Designer
Alan H. Buchanan
Builder
French Bros, Seamaster

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.

Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. Nomad 226.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA twin-keel masthead sloop designed by Denys Rayner as a refined evolution of the Westerly 22 for shoal-water cruising
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Westerly Marine Ltd. Cirrus 226.71 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA John Butler-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance in a compact 22-foot hull
C&C Yachts 247.32 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA lively 1975 masthead sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for responsive club racing
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA legendary Rodney Johnstone design that defined the modern one-design racer with its high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Ranger Yachts 237.21 mSame hull family0.3 m longerDesigned to rate at the IOR 18-foot level, this masthead sloop offered an optional tall rig starting in 1974

The family

Boats like this

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

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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