BoatsSeafarer Yachts 23 Challenger

Seafarer Yachts 23 Challenger

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1978–1984

A 1978 McCurdy & Rhodes masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and a skeg-mounted rudder for coastal stability

Designed by McCurdy & Rhodes.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.31 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,157 kg of hull, so roughly 1,750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.99 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 13 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 13
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.22
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 180
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.8
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.

  • Lighter than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1078 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
40.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.8
Displacement / length
179.8
Comfort ratio
13.4
Capsize screening
2.22
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
501
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1978–1984
Designer
McCurdy, Rhodes
Builder
Seafarer Fiberglass 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 22 MKII7.26 mSame hull family0.4 m longerAn upgraded 1995 iteration of the classic trailerable cruiser, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder
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
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
Marieholm Boats S-206.00 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agility
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
Sirius 7277.27 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA development of the Sirius 24, this fractional sloop features a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder for balanced handling

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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