Design and Construction
The ETAP 20 is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim. Its defining structural feature is a system of closed-cell foam-sandwich compartments, which makes the boat unsinkable and allows it to float level even when full of water. In a period review, Steve Henkel judged the boat to be built to a very high standard and identified its unsinkable character as a central design achievement.
The lifting keel has a weighted bulb and is raised or lowered from the deck using a self-locking worm gear. Lowered, it keeps the center of gravity low; raised, it simplifies trailering. Draft is 3.74 feet with the keel down and 1.57 feet with it retracted.
The hull displaces 1,874 pounds and carries 441 pounds of iron ballast. It has a raked stem, a plumb transom, and a transom-mounted kick-up rudder controlled by a tiller.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The ETAP 20 carries a fractional Bermuda sloop rig. Its 111.9-square-foot mainsail and 75.3-square-foot jib provide 187.3 square feet of upwind sail area. The downwind inventory is 348.8 square feet and may be supplemented by a 236.8-square-foot spinnaker.
Yachting Monthly found that the ETAP 20 sails nicely and handles rather like a big dinghy. That temperament is explained in part by the low center of gravity provided by the bulb keel when deployed. With a 17-foot waterline, the boat has a hull speed of about 5.5 knots.
She’s easily trailed and can be rigged and launched in half an hour. That makes the ETAP 20 as well suited to life as a ramp-launched daysailer as to a permanent marina berth.
Accommodations
Below, the ETAP 20 has a simple, open-plan interior with four berths. A raised, semi-flush deck provides reasonable headroom, while the keel box intrudes remarkably little into the cabin. Cabin headroom is 48 inches.
A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, with a chemical toilet stowed beneath it. In the main cabin, two straight settees serve as quarter berths, and a drop-leaf table provides dining space. The galley occupies both sides just aft of the bow cabin, with a single-burner stove and sink, as well as space for a simple cooker.
Stowage is somewhat limited. Even so, Steve Henkel noted several useful touches: designated spaces for the sails and outboard engine, plus a dining-and-chart table that can be stowed when not in use.
Known Issues
The only documented shortcoming in the reviewed record is that stowage is somewhat limited. Henkel explicitly listed no worst features to speak of, and the surveyed material identifies no structural, rigging, or flooding defects.
Refits and Ownership
The trailerable format and quick rig-and-launch cycle make ownership relatively straightforward. The ETAP 20 was also supported at one time by a class club, the ETAP Owners Association.
A 3 to 6 hp outboard is normally fitted for docking. As a consumable item, it’s something a new owner should budget to service or replace. The essential structure—the foam compartments, worm-gear keel, and fiberglass shell—requires little beyond routine gelcoat and rig care.
The Verdict
The ETAP 20 is a rare proposition: a sub-20-foot cruiser that is genuinely unsinkable, quick to launch, and forgiving enough to serve as a first boat, yet substantial enough to right itself after a knockdown. Its open-plan cabin and limited stowage make it better suited to coastal days and weekend gunkholing than extended liveaboard cruising. Within that brief, however, the execution is clean and the design lineage sound.
Pros
- Unsinkable foam-sandwich construction that allows the boat to float level when flooded
- Lifting bulb keel with an on-deck worm gear and shallow trailering draft
- Big-dinghy handling combined with ballast for recovery from a knockdown
- Quick rigging and launching for trailer sailing
Cons
- Somewhat limited stowage below
- Minimal headroom and compact cruising amenities
