Design and Construction
The 23 is a recreational keelboat built predominantly of foam-cored fiberglass with wood trim, and like her smaller ETAP sisters she is double skinned, with foam injected between the outer and inner fiberglass layers double skinned, with foam between outside and aside layers of fiberglass. That sandwich does more than insulate: period testers found the foam construction stiffens the hull structure and makes the boat unsinkable even when filled with water, while also keeping the cabin dry and free of condensation and muffling ambient noise. The builder's own double-skin approach, carried across the marque, renders the boat unsinkable as a baseline trait rather than an added feature. Visually, the whole boat is extremely well-finished in mahogany and/or teak with polished brass hardware, giving her a warmth that contrasts with the utilitarian fiberglass shell.
Rig and Handling
She carries a fractional sloop rig of Bermuda type, with a raked stem and plumb transom. Steering is by a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller. The defining appendage is the weighted bulb lifting keel — a ballasted vertical-retracting unit that keeps minimum draft low for trailing and shoal exploration while providing good lowered depth for going upwind. With the keel down she draws just over five feet; retracted, under three. The PHRF racing average handicap of 240 places her fairly among modest cruisers rather than out-and-out racers.
Accommodations
Below, the wide beam helps to create more usable space than the length alone would suggest. Sleeping accommodation is provided for four, with a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee quarter berths in the main cabin alongside a drop-leaf table. The galley sits on the port side just aft of the bow cabin and is equipped with a two-burner stove, an icebox, and a sink. The head is tucked under the V-berth on the port side in the bow cabin. An outboard well is conveniently located in the cockpit near the helm station, keeping the auxiliary clear of the cabin sole.
Ownership and Class Context
The design was at one time supported by a class club, the ETAP Owners Association, which gave owners a structured network for parts and shared experience. ETAP Yachting itself later passed through ownership changes and insolvency in the late 2000s, but those events sit well after the 23's production run and do not touch the boat's original build era.
The Verdict
The ETAP 23 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser whose foam-sandwich construction delivers unsinkability, quiet, and stiffness in a package that trails easily and sleeps four. The lifting keel broadens her cruising ground, and the finished interior rewards weekend use. She is, however, a small boat with a modest handicap and limited offwind performance ambition.
Pros
- Unsinkable foam-sandwich hull that also cuts noise and condensation
- Lifting weighted bulb keel for low trailing draft and useful upwind depth
- Warm, well-finished mahogany/teak and brass interior
- Sleeps four with enclosed head and functional galley
Cons
- Modest 240 PHRF handicap limits racing relevance
- Small footprint constrains liveaboard or extended cruising comfort
