Over a 25-year production run involving several Rhode Island builders—most notably Clarke Ryder—nearly 800 boats were built before Ryder closed the doors on this highly successful model.
Design and Construction
The 23 is a typical Alberg design, with a narrow beam and full keel, along with a conservative ballast-to-displacement ratio. Graceful lines and a gentle sheer are set off by distinctive overhangs that add to its seagoing profile.
The boat has a beam of 7 feet 0 inches and a waterline length of just 16 feet 3 inches. It is heavily ballasted, displacing 3,350 pounds, with 43 percent of that weight in its lead-filled full keel. Draft is only three feet—virtually shoal draft, and less than that of many smaller boats.
Practical Sailor describes the hull, deck, and cabinhouse of the Ryder-built boats as solid, hand-laid fiberglass, forming a tight, sound body. The inward-flange hull/deck joint is sealed with 3M 5200 and fastened with machine screws. Ryder built new molds for the boat, encapsulated the previously external lead keel, added a self-bailing cockpit, and introduced hull colors other than white, including bright red, blue, and green.
One owner called the boat “overbuilt.” The construction shows in nonskid surfaces on the deck and deckhouse, standard bronze hardware—including opening portlights—mahogany coamings and backrest, and teak grabrails above.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Sprite carries a modest 247 square feet of sail under main and working jib. On the Ryder version, a 30-foot fractionally rigged Hall Spars mast is stepped on deck, with the halyards led internally.
The boat is intended to heel about 30 degrees underway, adding waterline length and increasing hull speed. It rated well—16.6—under the old Cruising Club of America rules and has an average PHRF rating of about 270 seconds per mile.
Owners report fairly sluggish performance in light air, although others have found that a 130- or 150-percent genoa makes a definite improvement in winds under 10 knots. As the wind pipes up, the boat digs in. Once in its sailing mode, it seems very stable, with nicely balanced steering and just a hint of weather helm.
The keel-hung rudder doesn’t respond as quickly as a spade rudder would, but the 23 tacks smartly enough. One owner who now sails a J/Boat remembered his Sprite’s tacking as “not unreasonably slow.”
This small boat handles well when the going gets rough and goes readily offshore. Its stability and ease of handling also make it a good choice for an older sailor who no longer needs a big boat.
Accommodations
Low freeboard and a low superstructure give the 23 pleasing lines, but they also limit the space below. This is a boat designed for sailing, not lounging around belowdecks.
The cabin is light and reasonably airy, with two opening ports and a smoked hatch. There’s satisfactory sitting headroom if you’re under six feet, though the interior is definitely not for the claustrophobic. The 6-foot V-berths are too short and have minimal clearance, while the 6-foot 3-inch settee berths in the main cabin quickly disappear beneath the cockpit seats.
The marine head occupies a wedge at the foot of the V-berths. Its virtual inaccessibility makes the privacy issue moot, and many owners have replaced it with a portable head.
To starboard, between the forward and main berths, is the “galley.” It consists of a sink, some stowage, and a 10-gallon fiberglass water tank beneath the starboard berth. The sink drains through a through-hull. To port, there’s an insulated icebox that drains into the bilge, along with more dry storage.
Ryder introduced a full interior liner. Judicious use of holly and teak, including plenty of teak trim below, helps offset the shiny white surfaces.
Known Issues
On early boats, the external lead ballast could begin pulling away from the hull. The failure could be serious: one owner cut up hull #110 after the ballast let go.
Those early boats also lacked an internal pan, and their stick-built cabin furniture is prone to rot. The built-in icebox has another weakness: its insulation compresses until it effectively becomes nothing.
Among Ryder-built boats, several apparently leaked at the pulpit stanchions. Some earlier models also seemed to develop slight leaks around the mast step or chainplates. Otherwise, interiors are reported to remain dry, and the boats appear structurally sound, with no major repairs called for.
Most fiberglass boats more than 10 to 15 years old show gelcoat deterioration and require painting, and many used Sprites will be no exception. However, none of the surveyed owners reported gelcoat blistering.
Auxiliary Power, Variants, and Ownership
A 4-hp outboard in a well aft of the tiller will drive the boat to hull speed. Anything smaller is a strain, while more than 6 hp may cause control problems.
The well presents the usual nuisance. Several readers either banished the motor below or said they would like to, though the arrangement does preserve the boat’s lines.
For a time, Ryder offered an optional Yanmar Model 1 GM diesel. It would eliminate many of the headaches associated with the outboard, but the weight and expense of an inboard seem difficult to justify. None of the surveyed readers owns an inboard model.
A daysailer variant was also offered, apparently in small numbers. It had an eight-foot cockpit instead of the standard six-foot cockpit, two berths below instead of four, and no galley or icebox.
The Verdict
The Sea Sprite 23 is an exceptional daysailer and a seaworthy, strongly built small yacht whose sailing range belies its size. As Clarke Ryder says, they sail like a charm and they’re pretty. The time-honoured looks of Alberg’s classic design still turn heads when a Sea Sprite enters a harbor.
It rewards sailors who value motion through the water and offshore capability more than comfort belowdecks. It remains a sensible small boat one could take to sea.
Pros
- Narrow-beam Alberg full-keel design, with a 43 percent ballast ratio and shoal three-foot draft
- Solid, hand-laid fiberglass construction, a sound hull/deck joint, and a self-bailing cockpit on Ryder boats
- Stable, well-balanced handling, easy motion, and readiness for rough going offshore
- Classic lines that still draw attention in any harbor
Cons
- Early external lead ballast can separate from the hull, and stick-built furniture is prone to rot
- Cramped interior with low headroom, an all but inaccessible head, and few cruising luxuries
- Sluggish performance in light air without a larger genoa
- Outboard well is a perennial nuisance
- Aging gelcoat may need painting; some boats have leaked around stanchions or chainplates
