BoatsDark Harbor 12 1/2

Dark Harbor 12 1/2

Gaffhead Sloop · Fin Keel · First built 1915

A 1915 gaff-rigged sloop with a narrow 1.62-metre beam, designed by R. N. Burbank for the Crowninshield firm

Designed by Crowninshield, R. N. Burbank & B. B. Crowninshield, built by Rice Brothers.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Fin Keel

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.62 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 907 kg of hull, so roughly 1,500 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.96 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

457 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 457
EasygoingPowered-up

21.2 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 21.2

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Narrower than ~100% of boats her size on file

Compared with 582 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
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaffhead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.2
Displacement / length
457.1
Comfort ratio
22.5
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
4.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
238
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1915
Designer
Crowninshield, R. N. Burbank, B. B. Crowninshield
Builder
Rice Brothers

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.

Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
How He Survived a Tropical Storm at Sea14:25from Be The Captain
Hurley 226.71 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA long-running Ian Anderson design with a heavy ballast ratio, produced by multiple builders over three decades
Stopped on the road to recycling - the wrecked yacht that needed a lift0:27from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Borge Bringsvaerd Bb116.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Norwegian-built classic with an active class association that has raced continuously since the 1960s
Join us inside the Dragon's Lair: 11 Dragons and a handful of fast cars13:53from SEILmagasinet
Marieholm Boats S-206.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agility
Bay Cruiser 21: Sensibility with charmfrom SEILmagasinet
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/226.86 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Rod Johnstone, built for competitive one-design racing and day sailing
Sailing a J22 in Newport Beach, CA (July 2022)0:30from keeldragger
Catalina Yachts 22 MKII7.26 mSame hull family1.1 m longerAn upgraded 1995 iteration of the classic trailerable cruiser, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Dark Harbor 17 1/2A 1908 gaff-rigged fin-keeler originally commissioned as the Manchester 17 for Massachusetts club racingNortheast Harbor A ClassCommissioned as the Eastern YC 17, this lightweight gaff-rigged racer features a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

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 Dark Harbor 12 1/2

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