At 23 feet 6 inches overall and 21 feet on the waterline, with an 8-foot 9-inch beam, she is heavy for a 23-foot sailing yacht. Displacement is 7,600 pounds, including 3,000 pounds of ballast. That weight sits over a long keel drawing just 3 feet 6 inches.
Design and Construction
Colvic Craft produced the hull and deck, but the fitout varied. The marque supplied the GRP shell, leaving professional yards or amateur finishers to complete the interior. As a result, condition depends on the standard of the individual finish.
The illustrated example was finished as a yacht with the builder’s optional wheelhouse and deck moulding. Many sister boats were instead completed as open or semi-enclosed fishing boats, without a rig at all.
The design’s lineage is distinctive. G. L. Watson & Co. brought lifeboat-derived seaworthiness to this compact motor-sailer hull, while the fishing-boat profile gives the 23.5 the high topsides and sheltered character that define the type.
Rig and Handling
For a small motor-sailer, the 23.5 carries a surprisingly tall rig. Her sloop rig sets 332 square feet of sail—more than many comparable motor-sailers and similar to pure sailing yachts of the same length. The mast stands in a tabernacle, making it easier to lower for inland waterways or low bridges.
This reasonably generous rig provides decent performance under sail. However, the long keel, high topsides, and wheelhouse limit her ability to work to windward. The keel is both long and relatively shallow, so she won’t point high and her close-hauled angle is modest.
Engine power across the class typically ranges from 20 to 40 bhp. The example boat had a 28 hp Beta diesel, which can provide effective windward progress when the wind fails.
Accommodation
Below, the layout includes a forecabin and saloon with four berths. The saloon tabletop extends to seat four when needed.
The arrangement reflects the boat’s dual-purpose character: compact cruising accommodation fitted into a fishing-boat hull form. Above, the optional wheelhouse provides shelter that the open or semi-enclosed fishing versions lack.
Verdict
The Colvic Watson 23.5 is a characterful pocket motor-sailer that trades outright sailing efficiency for the security of a lifeboat designer’s hull and the flexibility of a low-powered, easily driven platform. Her weight and long keel are better suited to relaxed coastal passage-making than racing, while the tabernacle-mounted mast broadens the range of waterways she can explore.
Pros
- Hull lines by G. L. Watson & Co., designers of RNLI lifeboats
- Tall, generous sloop rig for a motor-sailer of this size
- Tabernacle-mounted mast for easy lowering
- Effective windward progress under a 28 hp diesel
Cons
- Modest windward performance because of the long keel and high topsides
- Won’t point high under sail alone
- Variable fitout means condition depends on the individual builder
