| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Carl Alberg |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1958 |
| No. built | 780 |
| Builder(s) | American Boatbuilding Wickford Shipyard C. E. Ryder Sailstar Boat Company Beetle Boat Company |
| Role | Day sailer-cruiser |
| Name | Sea Sprite 23 Daysailor |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,350 lb (1,520 kg) |
| Draft | 3.10 ft (0.94 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 22.50 ft (6.86 m) |
| LWL | 16.25 ft (4.95 m) |
| Beam | 7.00 ft (2.13 m) |
| Engine type | diesel engine/outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | long keel |
| Ballast | 1,400 lb (635 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | keel-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 25.00 ft (7.62 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 7.25 ft (2.21 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 27.00 ft (8.23 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 11.42 ft (3.48 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 154.17 sq ft (14.323 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 97.75 sq ft (9.081 m2) |
| Total sail area | 251.92 sq ft (23.404 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 264 |
The Sea Sprite 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Carl Alberg as a daysailer and cruiser and first built in 1958.[1][2][3][4]
The design was built in two versions, the Daysailor and the Weekender.[1][2]
It was also called the Alberg 23 in 1970 when produced by C. E. Ryder.[5]
The design was built by American Boatbuilding, Wickford Shipyard, C. E. Ryder, the Sailstar Boat Company and the Beetle Boat Company in the United States, but it is now out of production.[1][2][4][6][7][8]
The Sea Sprite 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig; a spooned, raked stem; a raised counter, angled, transom; a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed long keel. It displaces 3,350 lb (1,520 kg) and carries 1,400 lb (635 kg) of ballast.[1][2][4]
The boat has a draft of 3.10 ft (0.94 m) with the standard keel.[1][2][4]
The different builders incorporated different features in the design. Ryder's boats had an outboard motor well under a lazarette hatch cover, while Sailstar's used an open well. Ryder also used encapsulated lead ballast, while earlier builders used external, bolt-on lead ballast.[4]
The boat is fitted with an inboard diesel engine of 7.5 hp (6 kW), or a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. The inboard version's fuel tank holds 8 U.S. gallons (30 L; 6.7 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 9.5 U.S. gallons (36 L; 7.9 imp gal).[1][2][4]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 264 and a hull speed of 5.4 kn (10.0 km/h).[4]
The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the Sea Sprite Association.[9]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "worst features: The somewhat shallow draft of three feet detracts a bit from upwind performance, although reaching and running is unaffected."[4]