Edey Stone Horse Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

The surviving fleet consists of small, stout keelboats with distinctive profiles and a reputation for easy handling in confused water.

Design and Construction

Crocker’s Design Number 159 began as a wooden boat built in Harwich Port from 1931 until the Second World War. Thirty-eight were completed before hostilities brought production to a halt.

Edey & Duff later redesigned the hull for Airex-core fiberglass construction with wood trim, retaining the original’s deep, beamy form, full keel, and keel-hung rudder. Above the waterline, the Stone Horse has a spoon bow and a gentle faux sheer line. Its flush deck keeps the cabin house low and gives the 23-footer pleasing proportions.

A canoe transom, small bowsprit, and tiller-controlled, keel-mounted rudder complete the traditional silhouette. The result reads as a period reproduction rather than a modern design.

Rig and Handling

The sailplan is described as a cutter-rigged sloop: a masthead rig carrying twin headsails on a small bowsprit. The builder called it a cutter-rigged sloop, but also described it as a sloop because the headsails are small.

The staysail is self-tacking, and the jib has roller furling. The mainsail has two reefing points, while either headsail may be rigged with a boom or wishbone boom. Crocker enlarged the cockpit by leading the backstay to a boomkin. The resulting 8-foot cockpit has room for guests and stays dry.

Under sail, the Stone Horse goes upwind and reaches well and handles easily in a sea. Test sailors found that the large mainsail drives the boat in the merest whisper of breeze. They also noted that the long keel helps it hold a course and aids self-steering, though they conceded that it’s no speed demon in light air.

Owners report that an asymmetrical spinnaker improved downwind legs. The boat is also stout enough for Plum Gut and late-season sailing. Its average PHRF handicap is 246, with ratings ranging from 243 to 255, placing it among boats with modest club-racing ratings.

Accommodations

A centerline companionway with a sliding hatch leads below to a snug cabin, finished with mahogany woodwork and, typically, a carpeted sole. The traditional layout includes a V-berth with an insert that covers the portable head just aft of the mast. Two small quarter berths run along the sides and are best suited to children or storage.

The galley is split between port and starboard. To port are the sink, icebox, and counter; the stove is to starboard. The port sink has no drain and is emptied over the side using an inset. A cabin heater is also fitted on the port side.

Testers called the Stone Horse a fine little cruising boat for two. Owners confirm that the volume of its beamy hull provides enough room for a spontaneous overnight or weekend away.

Power and Equipment

Propulsion is either an auxiliary diesel mounted under the cockpit or a transom-mounted outboard. A small outboard is also cited for docking and maneuvering.

Despite the low cabin house, the raised-deck design provides good headroom below—a useful feature in a 23-foot hull.

The Verdict

The Stone Horse is a considered answer to a specific brief: a stout, traditional-looking keelboat for Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay that two people can cruise or race without drama. Its Airex-core fiberglass construction, full keel, and self-tending rig make it forgiving and dry. The flush-deck profile and spoon bow also give it a quiet elegance admired by period reviewers.

It isn’t a light-air flyer, and the cabin is tight for more than two people. Even so, it remains a distinctive, trailerable pocket cruiser with real sea sense.

Pros

Deep, beamy Airex-core fiberglass hull, full keel, and keel-hung rudder contribute to easy handling at sea
Self-tacking staysail and roller-furling jib simplify short-handed sailing
Flush deck and spoon bow provide traditional proportions and a low cabin house
Dry, ample cockpit enlarged by the boomkin-mounted backstay

Cons