Watkins 23

The Watkins 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Johannes "Jopie" Helsen, modified by Watkins Yachts and first built in 1973.

The Watkins 23 is an authorized development of the Helson 22, produced with permission of the designer.

Production
The design was built by Watkins Yachts in the United States from 1973 to 1980, with 400 examples completed, but it is now out of production.

Design
The Watkins 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a near-vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed stub keel with a centerboard. It displaces 2500 lb and carries 900 lb of ballast.

The boat has a draft of 6.00 ft with the centerboard extended and 1.50 ft with it retracted, allowing ground transportation on a trailer.

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.

The design has sleeping accommodation for five people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a drop-down dinette table that forms a double berth in the main cabin and an aft quarter berth on the port side. The galley is located on the port side just aft of the bow cabin. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located in the bow cabin, under the "V"-berth on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 58 in.

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 276 and a hull speed of 5.9 kn.

Variants

 * Watkins 23
 * Base model, introduced in 1973.


 * Watkins 23 XL
 * Improved model with a full fiberglass interior and headliner, introduced in 1977.

Operational history
The boat is supported by an active class club, the Watkins Owners.

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote of the 23XL model, "best features: You get basic sailing transportation for very little money. Worst features: Construction is mediocre, with equipment such as a galvanized boat trailer winch (which can quickly rust in salt water) mounted in the cabin to hoist the centerboard."