Design and Construction
At 23 feet 7 inches overall and 18 feet 6 inches on the waterline, the Elizabethan 23 carries the visual and conceptual lineage of the larger Elizabethan offshore racers. Her beam is 7 feet 1 inch, keeping the hull narrow enough to feel like a proper yacht rather than a broad pram.
Period reviewers consistently described her as a particularly pretty design. That appeal is structural rather than cosmetic: the pretty design with long overhangs expresses the boat’s scaled-down cruiser-racer character.
Some early hulls were completed at home rather than finished by the builder. As a result, the joinery and systems may not be consistent from one boat to another.
Rig and Handling
Despite her modest size, period reviews credited the Elizabethan 23 with behaving like a steadier craft than her length suggests. She is very stable and can be quite quick in a decent breeze, making her a credible small cruiser-racer rather than a mere pond boat.
The lifting keel is central to her appeal. Draught ranges from 2 feet 6 inches with the keel raised to 4 feet 11 inches when lowered. That allows her to enter drying anchorages or go onto a trailer with the keel up, yet stand up to sea and sail with a deeper fin down.
Yachting Monthly published a test report on the design in May 1969, placing her firmly in the early wave of modern small lifting-keel cruisers.
Accommodation
The four-berth interior was a serious attempt to provide liveaboard space in a 23-footer. The original layout was revised for the Mk II, introduced in the mid-1970s. Headroom increased by 6 inches to a full 5 feet, along with various other improvements to the four-berth interior.
That extra clearance turned a cramped early layout into one in which a crew could move around more easily. With four berths, the boat could genuinely accommodate two couples or a family for a weekend. Even in the Mk II, however, 5-foot headroom remains restrictive for taller sailors.
Power and Equipment
The Elizabethan 23 was offered in both inboard and outboard versions. Inboard boats used diesel engines, while the outboard models carried petrol outboards.
A used-boat buyer therefore needs to establish which arrangement a particular hull has. The two versions differ sharply in their systems, weight distribution, and maintenance requirements.
Known Issues
Build quality can’t be assumed to be uniform among the early, home-completed hulls. Because some boats were finished by amateur builders rather than Peter Webster’s yard, their joinery, electrical routing, and tank or engine mounting may follow non-standard practices.
Verdict
The Elizabethan 23 is a charming and able little cruiser-racer that punches above her length through stability, a lifting keel, and a genuine four-berth interior. She’s best understood as a scaled-down offshore type rather than a bareboating dinghy. The Mk II’s additional headroom makes later boats markedly more livable.
Pros
- The smallest and prettiest model in the Elizabethan line, with cruiser-racer styling
- Very stable and quick in a decent breeze for her size
- Lifting keel provides a draught range of 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 11 inches, suitable for trailering and shoal water
- Mk II increased headroom to 5 feet and improved the four-berth interior
- Available with either an inboard diesel or a petrol outboard
Cons
- Early home-completed hulls may have non-standard build quality
- Even the Mk II’s 5-foot headroom restricts taller sailors below decks
