Design and Construction
At just under 25 feet overall, the Dehler 25 CR has a waterline length of nearly 22 feet and a beam of 8.2 feet. The fin keel draws roughly 4.9 to 5.2 feet, depending on load.
The boat has a solid fiberglass hull and solid fiberglass deck, a straightforward layup for a boat of this size and era. Displacement is about 3,748 pounds, including 1,742 pounds of lead ballast. That gives it a 46 percent ballast ratio and makes for a light but stiff package.
Dehler’s long collaboration with Van de Stadt produced the marque’s earlier keel yachts. The Dehler 25 CR came near the end of that partnership, before the builder shifted to other naval architects in the mid-1990s.
The fin keel and transom-hung rudder are conventional choices for a performance-oriented small cruiser. The 46 percent ballast ratio combined with the 2.11 capsize ratio points to a hull tuned more for stability than accommodation volume.
A length-to-beam ratio of 3.00 makes the hull comparatively narrow for its length. This keeps the wetted surface to about 204 square feet and helps explain the quoted hull speed of 6.28 knots.
Rig and Handling
The Dehler 25 CR has a fractional sloop rig, with the masthead just over 40 feet above the waterline and a sail area near 339 square feet. The size of that rig stands out: the boat carries more sail plan than 79 percent of similar sailboats, indicating that it is significantly overrigged.
That much sail on a 3,748-pound hull makes for a lively, quick platform in a breeze, but it also asks more of the crew as the wind builds. The immersion rate is about 703 pounds per inch, so the boat sits sensibly in the water and doesn’t squat excessively under a typical cruising load. Its moderate draft also allows access to most marinas.
Accommodations and Cruising Capacity
The available description identifies the Dehler 25 CR only as a small sailboat. Listed tankage is 24 gallons of water and 7 gallons of diesel. Those capacities place it firmly in the weekend-cruiser class rather than the long-distance-voyager category.
The production run suggests a boat intended for club racing and short coastal hops rather than bluewater inventories. Its narrow 3.00 length-to-beam ratio also limits interior volume.
Verdict
The Dehler 25 CR is a Van de Stadt-designed small cruiser that trades interior volume for a stiff, overrigged hull with a genuinely high ballast ratio for its size. It came from the final years of Dehler’s long partnership with Van de Stadt, and its numbers describe a quick, stable little boat that punches above its length in sail area.
Pros
- Significantly overrigged for its size class, with more rig than 79 percent of similar sailboats
- High 46 percent ballast ratio on a light 3,748-pound hull provides stiffness
- Moderate 4.9–5.2-foot draft suits marina access
Cons
- Small 7-gallon diesel and 24-gallon water capacities limit range
- Narrow 3.00 length-to-beam ratio restricts interior volume
