Design and Construction
The ETAP 20 is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, and its defining structural idea is the closed-cell foam sandwich compartments that make the boat unsinkable and let it float level even when full of water. Writing in a period review, Steve Henkel judged the boat to be built to a very high standard, and the same reviewer confirmed the unsinkable character as a central design achievement. The lifting keel is a weighted bulb type raised and lowered by a self-locking worm gear operated from on deck, which keeps the center of gravity low when lowered and simplifies trailering when raised. With the keel down the draft is 3.74 feet; retracted, it draws only 1.57 feet. The hull carries 441 pounds of iron ballast within a 1,874-pound displacement and wears a raked stem, plumb transom, and transom-mounted kick-up rudder on a tiller.
Rig and Handling
The boat wears a fractional Bermuda sloop rig with a 111.9-square-foot mainsail and 75.3-square-foot jib, giving 187.3 square feet upwind and a 348.8-square-foot downwind inventory that 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, a temperament explained in part by the low center of gravity from the bulb keel when deployed. The 17-foot waterline yields a hull speed of about 5.5 knots. She is easily trailed and can be rigged and launched in half an hour, making the boat as much a day-sailer on a launch ramp as a kept marina berth.
Accommodations
Below, the ETAP 20 keeps a simple, open-plan interior with four berths and reasonable headroom under a raised, semi-flush deck, the keel box intruding remarkably little into the cabin. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, where a chemical toilet stows beneath, while two straight settee quarter berths and a drop-leaf table occupy the main cabin. The galley sits to both sides just aft of the bow cabin with a single-burner stove and sink, and there is space for a simple cooker. Cabin headroom measures 48 inches. Stowage is somewhat limited, though Steve Henkel noted designated space for sails and the outboard engine plus a stowable dining-and-chart table as nice touches.
Known Issues
The only documented shortcoming from the reviewed record is that stowage is somewhat limited. Henkel explicitly listed no worst features to speak of, and no structural, rigging, or flooding defects appear in the surveyed material.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership is eased by the trailerable format and rapid rig-and-launch cycle, and the boat was at one time supported by a class club, the ETAP Owners Association. The normally fitted 3 to 6 hp outboard for docking is a consumable item a new owner should budget to service or replace, but the essential structure — foam compartments, worm-gear keel, and fiberglass shell — asks little beyond routine gelcoat and rig care.
The Verdict
The ETAP 20 is a rare thing: a sub-20-foot cruiser that is genuinely unsinkable, quick to launch, and forgiving enough for a first boat yet substantive enough to right itself after a knockdown. Its open plan and limited stowage suit coastal days and weekend gunkholing more than long liveaboard cruising, but the execution is clean and the design lineage sound.
Pros
- Unsinkable foam-sandwich construction that floats level when flooded
- Lifting bulb keel with on-deck worm gear for low trailering draft
- Handles like a big dinghy yet carries recovery ballast
- Rapid rig-and-launch trailering cycle
Cons
- Somewhat limited stowage below
- Minimal headroom and compact cruiser amenities
