During a 25-year production run, the boat passed through several Rhode Island shops: American Boat Building, Wickford Shipyard, briefly Sailstar and Clint Pearson’s Bristol Boat Company, and finally Clarke E. Ryder, who acquired the rights around 1974. Ryder carried the model to a nearly 800-boat total before his firm closed in 1985.
Design and Construction
The Sea Sprite 23 is typical of Alberg’s work, with a narrow 7-foot beam, full keel, conservative ballast-to-displacement ratio, and graceful lines. A gentle sheer and distinctive overhangs still turn heads in a harbor.
Beginning with hull #525, Ryder built new molds. The boat remained fundamentally the same as the original American Boat Building model, but Ryder encapsulated the previously external lead keel and introduced a self-bailing cockpit. On Ryder-built boats, the hull, deck, and cabinhouse are solid, hand-laid fiberglass, forming a tight, sound structure. The hull/deck joint uses an inward flange sealed with 3M 5200 and secured with machine screws.
One owner called the Sea Sprite “overbuilt,” while Ryder’s literature described it as a top-of-the-line sailing yacht. Ryder also added a full interior liner in place of the painted fiberglass found on earlier boats and offered hull colors beyond white, including bright red, blue, and green.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Ryder version has a 30-foot fractionally rigged mast by Hall Spars. It is deck-stepped, with internally led halyards. The modest sail plan totals 247 square feet under main and working jib.
Under way, the boat is intended to heel about 30 degrees, adding waterline length and raising hull speed. Once sailing, she is very stable, with well-balanced steering and a hint of weather helm. The keel-hung rudder doesn’t pivot as quickly as a spade rudder, but the Sea Sprite tacks smartly enough. One former owner described her tacking as “not unreasonably slow.”
The boat handles well when conditions turn rough and goes readily offshore. In 1974, a singlehander sailed one from Wickford, Rhode Island, to Falmouth, England, in 60 days. Readers do note the sluggish light-air performance common to small full-keel boats. In winds under 10 knots, a 130- or 150-percent genoa makes a definite improvement, and the boat’s performance picks up as the wind pipes up. Low freeboard can also douse the crew in a chop.
Accommodations
Below, two opening ports and a smoked hatch keep the cabin light and reasonably airy. But the low freeboard and modest superstructure that give the Sea Sprite her attractive profile also limit the accommodations. This is a boat designed for sailing, not lounging.
The 6-foot V-berths are too short and have minimal clearance. In the main cabin, the 6-foot 3-inch settee berths quickly disappear beneath the cockpit seats. Clarke Ryder himself said the interior was best suited for stowing stuff.
The marine head occupies a wedge-shaped space at the foot of the V-berths. It is virtually inaccessible, making privacy moot, and many owners have replaced it with a portable head. The galley, between the forward and main berths, consists of a sink and some stowage to starboard, with an insulated icebox and dry storage to port. A 10-gallon fiberglass water tank beneath the starboard berth supplies the sink, which drains through a through-hull. The icebox drains into the bilge.
Equipment and Power
Standard fittings include bronze hardware, opening portlights, mahogany coamings and backrest, teak grabrails above, and teak trim below. Inside, the teak trim gives a holly-and-teak offset to the shiny white surfaces.
The outboard well aft of the tiller is the usual nuisance. A 4-hp outboard will drive the boat to hull speed, while anything smaller is a strain. More than 6 hp may cause control problems. Several readers either banished the motor below or wished they had.
For a time, Ryder offered an optional Yanmar Model 1 GM diesel. It would eliminate many of the headaches associated with the outboard and its well, but none of the surveyed readers owned an inboard model. On a boat this size, the expense and weight of an inboard seem difficult to justify.
Known Issues and Condition
Some earlier boats seemed to develop slight leaks around the mast step or chainplates. Several Ryder-built boats apparently leaked at the pulpit stanchions.
No owners responding to a survey reported gelcoat blistering. However, most fiberglass boats more than 10 to 15 years old show some gelcoat deterioration and require painting, and that applies to many used Sea Sprites.
A 1983 model sailed by one reviewer looked almost new. Overall, the fleet appears structurally sound, with no major repairs called for.
The Verdict
The Sea Sprite 23 is an exceptional daysailer: seaworthy, strongly built, and capable of a sailing range that belies her 22½-foot length. Her stability and easy handling make her a good choice for an older sailor who no longer wants a big boat. Clarke Ryder’s assessment that these boats “sail like a charm and they’re pretty” is borne out by their owners’ loyalty.
She remains, however, a small full-keel boat, with real limitations belowdecks, in light air, and under power.
Pros
- Solid, hand-laid fiberglass hull and deck, with an inward-flange joint and encapsulated lead keel
- Stable, balanced helm and offshore capability in a 23-foot package
- Alberg lines that still attract attention in any harbor
Cons
- Sluggish in winds under 10 knots without a large genoa; low freeboard can douse the crew in a chop
- Cramped interior with low headroom, limited lounging space, and an awkwardly placed wedge head
- Nuisance outboard well, with possible control problems above 6 hp
