Design and Construction
Every Typhoon carries Alberg's classic long-keel hull shape with a cutaway forefoot and an attached rudder, a configuration that gives the 13-foot, 11-inch waterline a directional steadiness unusual in a boat of this size cutaway forefoot improves maneuvering. The hull itself is solid, hand-laid fiberglass with scantlings exceeding those found on most 25-footers, and it is supported with real floors — an impressive structural detail for a small boat. Internal lead ballast of 900 pounds is encapsulated so that keelbolts are eliminated entirely, removing a common failure point found in bolted-on keels. The deck is balsa cored and joined on an inward-facing flange, which saves weight aloft but introduces a vulnerability discussed below. Teak coaming boards line the cockpit and a teak toerail runs the deck edge, both fastened and both items that ask for ongoing maintenance.
Rig and Handling
The Weekender is identified by its small coachroof with a single bronze port per side and its 3/4-fractional rig, while the daysailers were masthead sloops with a slightly smaller mainsail and larger jib. The standard boom was fitted with a small worm gear that allowed it to rotate, though later models replaced the roller-reefing boom with slab reefing. Mainsheet travel runs aft to two fixed blocks on the stern deck, internal halyards lead aft to cleats on the vertical backs of the deckhouse, and headsail tracks mount on the coachroof with a fixed-point lead on the side deck for larger headsails. With a working sail area of about 160 square feet, the Typhoon is stiff and finds a sweet spot about 50 degrees off the wind stiff and quick in light air, carrying a bit of weather helm. Owners report that she powers up nicely under genoa, and off the wind the long boom tends to ride up, where a vang really helps. Ideal conditions are relatively calm seas with true wind from five to 12 knots, in which she will do a little better than five knots.
Accommodations
The Weekender's compact interior allowed flexible crews to camp out for a few days, with quarterberths to either side and a V-berth forward; the Weekender has a bigger cabin and smaller cockpit than the Daysailer, sleeping four in the double bow berth and two quarter berths, with an optional head and cabin shelving for stowage. The Daysailer instead offers a more open cockpit with teak seating and a reduced cuddy without portholes, its stowage limited to a forepeak locker, and those daysailer models do not have self-bailing cockpits while the Weekenders do. Cockpit seats run more than six feet long with two good-sized lockers, and the tiller is well positioned at the aft end of the foot well.
Known Issues
Specific Typhoon problems include deck crazing and cracking, especially in the cockpit and around the chainplates, a pattern tied to the balsa-cored deck's exposure at hardware penetrations. Mast depression on the coachroof is a recognized defect, solved by adding a beefed-up compression post beneath the 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 bears on how the boat may be used in wet conditions.
Refits and Ownership
Most Typhoons carry outboard brackets on the stern, and a handful came 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 deck together define the ownership rhythm: periodic portlight swaps, teak renewal, and vigilance around chainplate seals. Late in production Cape Dory added a 22-foot, 6-inch Typhoon Senior, but not many 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 design 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 is a boat for the sailor who values a heavy, well-built hull and classic proportions over speed in light air or modern open-plan volume.
Pros
- Solid hand-laid hull with scantlings beyond its size class and real floors
- Encapsulated internal ballast removes keelbolt leakage and failure risk
- Stable, well-mannered handling with a clear upwind sweet spot
- Self-bailing cockpit on Weekenders; large cockpit lockers and long seats
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck prone to crazing and cracking at chainplates and cockpit
- Coachroof mast depression requires compression-post reinforcement
- Portlights and teak coamings demand regular replacement
- Daysailer models lack self-bailing cockpits
