Design and Construction
Both hull and deck are fiberglass, and unusually for a boat of this size, each is a sandwich construction which the builder cited as improving the indoor climate anchor. The keel itself is iron rather than lead, paired with a fin configuration and a spade rudder. With a beam of 8.86 feet and a length overall of just over 25 feet, the 767 carries a ballast ratio of 48 percent and a displacement of 4,630 pounds, of which 2,205 pounds is ballast. The length-to-beam ratio of 2.84 describes a narrow hull by modern cruiser standards, and the wetted bottom surface measures about 215 square feet. Her draft runs roughly 4.76 to 5.06 feet depending on load, shallow enough to tuck into modest marinas.
Rig and Handling
The 767 is built with a fractional rig and a sail area of 302 square feet on the ISO reference sail, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.8; with a 135 percent genoa that figure rises to 19.6. Review data notes she carries more rig than only 46 percent of similar sailboats, indicating she is slightly underrigged anchor. Standing and running rig dimensions are thoroughly documented: mainsail, jib, and spinnaker halyards all run 24.6 meters with 8 mm diameter, while sheets range from 7.7 meters for jib and genoa to 19.2 meters for the mainsheet. The capsize screening value is 2.10, a number that would bar her from ocean races, and the DL-ratio of 218 places her among moderate racers. Calculated maximum speed is about 4.7 knots against a theoretical displacement-hull maximum of 6.2 knots, with a motion comfort ratio of 17.2 to 18.0 and an immersion rate of 660 pounds per inch.
Accommodations
The sandwich hull and deck construction was promoted as improving the indoor climate, a thermal and condensation attribute rather than a spatial one. The 13-gallon water capacity and 7-gallon diesel tank speak to a boat sized for short coastal hops rather than liveaboard cruising.
Known Issues
The iron keel is the one component whose material choice invites long-term scrutiny, since iron keels are prone to rust and coating loss where poorly maintained. The sandwich construction of hull and deck, while beneficial to interior comfort, is a build type that demands sound core integrity.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership considerations center on the compact documentation: a one-page 1993 brochure and a single design review supply the authoritative baseline. The 10-horsepower diesel, single-engine configuration, and modest tankage frame a boat whose upkeep is dominated by rigging renewal and keel coating rather than systems overhaul. The underrigged character suggests owners seeking more pace will gravitate to the 135 percent genoa configuration already quantified in the review data.
The Verdict
The Bonita 767 is a small, narrowly proportioned Danish sloop whose sandwich fiberglass construction and iron fin keel define a coastal day-and-weekender built by Granada Yachts A/S to Niels Jeppesen's early-1990s lines. She is light on documented vices and clear in her performance envelope, a modest-racer profile with a shallow draft and a comfort-oriented hull.
Pros
- Sandwich hull and deck promoted as improving interior climate
- Shallow load-dependent draft eases marina access
- Well-documented rig dimensions simplify replacement
Cons
- Iron keel invites corrosion maintenance
- Slightly underrigged versus peers
- Capsize screening value excludes ocean racing
