Design and Construction
The Dehler 25 CR is built around a solid fiberglass hull with a solid fiberglass deck, a straightforward layup that suits a boat of this size and era. Dehler's long collaboration with Van de Stadt had produced the marque's earlier keel yachts, and this design sits at the tail end of that partnership before the builder shifted to other naval architects in the mid-1990s. The fin keel and transom-hung rudder arrangement is conventional for a performance-oriented small cruiser, and the 46 percent ballast ratio combined with the 2.11 capsize ratio speaks to a hull tuned for stability rather than accommodations volume. With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.00, the hull is comparatively narrow for her length, which keeps the wetted surface to about 204 square feet and helps explain the quoted hull speed of 6.28 knots.
Rig and Handling
The boat is built with a fractional sloop rig carrying a mast height of just over 40 feet above the waterline and a sail area near 339 square feet. What distinguishes her on paper is the relative size of that rig: the Dehler 25 CR carries more sail plan than 79 percent of all similar sailboats, which indicates that the boat is significantly overrigged anchor. That surplus of canvas on a 3,748-pound hull makes for a lively, quick platform in breeze, though it also places demands on the crew when the wind builds. The immersion rate of about 703 pounds per inch means she sits sensibly in the water and does not squash down excessively under typical cruising load, while the moderate draft lets her tuck into most marinas.
Accommodations
The available description identifies the model only as a small sailboat, and the listed capacities are 24 gallons of water and 7 gallons of diesel. Those figures place her firmly in the weekend-cruiser class rather than the long-distance voyager, and the production run suggests a boat built for club racing and short coastal hops rather than bluewater inventories.
The Verdict
The Dehler 25 CR is a van de Stadt–penned small cruiser that trades interior volume for a stiff, overrigged hull with a genuinely high ballast ratio for her size. She is a product of Dehler's final years with her longtime design partner, and the numbers describe a quick, stable little boat that punches above her length in sail area.
Pros
- Significantly overrigged for her size class, with more rig than 79 percent of similar sailboats anchor
- High 46 percent ballast ratio on a light 3,748-pound hull for stiffness
- Moderate 4.9–5.2 foot draft suits marina access
Cons
- Small 7-gallon diesel and 24-gallon water capacity limit range
- Narrow 3.00 length-to-beam ratio restricts interior volume
