Alberg based the hull on a 1960 design. The resulting trailerable keelboat came in three variants: the Weekender, the Daysailer with a cuddy cabin, and an open daysailer. About 90 percent of all Typhoons were Weekenders, making that version Cape Dory’s most successful boat. Today, the Typhoon remains supported by the active Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association, which organizes racing events.
Design and Construction
Every Typhoon has Alberg’s classic long-keel hull, with a cutaway forefoot and attached rudder. This configuration gives the boat’s 13-foot, 11-inch waterline directional steadiness that is unusual for a boat of this size, with a cutaway forefoot that improves maneuvering.
The hull is solid, hand-laid fiberglass, with scantlings exceeding those found on most 25-footers. It is also supported by real floors—an impressive structural detail in such a small boat. Its 900 pounds of internal lead ballast is encapsulated, eliminating keelbolts and the common failure point associated with bolted-on keels.
The balsa-cored deck joins the hull on an inward-facing flange. That construction saves weight aloft but introduces vulnerabilities around hardware penetrations. Teak coaming boards line the cockpit, while a teak toerail runs along the deck edge. Both are fastened in place and require ongoing maintenance.
Rig and Handling
The Weekender can be identified by its small coachroof, with one bronze port on each side, and its 3/4-fractional rig. The daysailers were masthead sloops with a slightly smaller mainsail and larger jib.
The standard boom had a small worm gear that allowed it to rotate, though later boats replaced the roller-reefing boom with slab reefing. The mainsheet runs aft to two fixed blocks on the stern deck. Internal halyards lead aft to cleats on the vertical backs of the deckhouse, while headsail tracks are mounted on the coachroof. Larger headsails use a fixed-point lead on the side deck.
With about 160 square feet of working sail area, the Typhoon is stiff and quick in light air. The Typhoon is stiff, finds its sweet spot about 50 degrees off the wind, and carries a little weather helm. Owners report that it powers up nicely under genoa. Off the wind, the long boom tends to ride up, so a vang is particularly helpful.
The boat is best suited to relatively calm seas and true wind between five and 12 knots. In those conditions, it will do a little better than five knots.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The Weekender has a larger cabin and smaller cockpit than the Daysailer. Its compact interior allowed flexible crews to camp aboard for a few days. It sleeps four, with a double V-berth forward and two quarter berths, and was available with an optional head and cabin shelving for stowage.
The Daysailer has a more open cockpit with teak seating and a smaller cuddy without portholes. Its stowage is limited to a forepeak locker. Daysailer models don’t have self-bailing cockpits, while Weekenders do.
Cockpit seats are more than six feet long, and two good-sized lockers provide additional stowage. The tiller is well positioned at the aft end of the footwell.
Known Issues
Deck crazing and cracking are among the Typhoon’s specific problems, especially in the cockpit and around the chainplates. This pattern is tied to the balsa-cored deck’s exposure at hardware penetrations.
Mast depression on the coachroof is another recognized defect. The remedy is a beefed-up compression post beneath the mast step. Portlight windows usually need replacement every few years, and one owner notes that the teak coaming boards should be replaced about every 20 years.
The Daysailer’s non-self-bailing cockpit is a design limitation rather than a defect, but it affects how the boat may be used in wet conditions.
Auxiliary Power, Refits, and Ownership
Most Typhoons have outboard brackets on the stern, though a handful were built with inboard diesels. Many owners report that a six-horsepower outboard is about the right size for auxiliary power, while a modern four-horsepower unit is judged sufficient.
The bronze ports, teak rails, and balsa-cored deck largely set the boat’s maintenance rhythm: periodic portlight replacement, teak renewal, and vigilance around the chainplate seals.
Late in the production run, Cape Dory introduced the 22-foot, 6-inch Typhoon Senior. Few were built, leaving the original 18-foot trio as the enduring expression of the design. Writing in a Wikipedia-compiled record, John Kretschmer described the Typhoon as “certainly one of America’s best-loved small boats.”
The Verdict
The Typhoon is a small Alberg cruiser that punches above its length in structural seriousness and sea-kindly behavior. It suits sailors who value a heavy, well-built hull and classic proportions more than speed in light air or the volume of a modern open-plan layout.
Pros
- Solid, hand-laid hull with scantlings beyond its size class and real floors
- Encapsulated internal ballast eliminates keelbolt leakage and failure risk
- Stable, well-mannered handling with a clear upwind sweet spot
- Self-bailing cockpit on Weekenders
- Long cockpit seats and two good-sized lockers
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck is prone to crazing and cracking around the chainplates and in the cockpit
- Coachroof mast depression requires compression-post reinforcement
- Portlights and teak coamings require regular replacement
- Daysailer models lack self-bailing cockpits
