Design and Construction
The 23iL is built predominantly of polyester glassfibre-foam sandwich construction with wood trim, and that foam core is the heart of the boat's character. The use of foam sandwich construction makes the boat unsinkable, a property ETAP engineered across its range by injecting closed-cell foam between inner and outer skins. The hull itself carries a slightly raked stem and a plumb transom, with a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting keel with a weighted bulb. That appendage is the defining compromise of the design: with the keel extended the boat draws 4.82 feet and carries 1,035 pounds of cast iron ballast against a displacement of 3,420 pounds, but retract the keel and draft shrinks to 2.30 feet, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. Boat Specs noted that the lifting keel version features an appendage configuration without compromise between draft and performance, though the same review flagged the only drawback that some space is taken inside by the keel.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck-stepped mast the 23iL carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig on aluminum spars with wire standing rigging and a single set of swept spreaders, a Bermuda-rigged sloop sailplan of 311 square feet upwind. The regatta deck allows every manoeuvre, even reefing, to be carried out from the cockpit, a layout that keeps the crew seated and secure when the wind builds. The Yacht Charter Guide characterized the 23iL as a very safe, fast seagoing yacht with a long waterline that can sail superbly close to the wind, and in the hands of an experienced crew it handles easily even in the roughest conditions. A 295-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker may be set for downwind work, and the boat's hull speed is a modest 6.04 knots.
Accommodations
Below deck the 23iL sleeps four, with a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settees in the main cabin. The head is tucked into the bow cabin on the port side beneath the V-berth, while the galley sits on the port side just aft of the bow cabin, equipped with a two-burner stove, an icebox, and a sink. Fresh water is carried in a 13.2-gallon tank. Period reviewers found the cabin comfortable, luxuriously finished, and almost condensation-free, with ample stowage space and a very convenient navigation area complete with a chart table and instruments' panel.
Known Issues
The lifting keel arrangement loses interior volume to the keel trunk, the only structural compromise recorded against an otherwise well-resolved small cruiser.
Refits and Ownership
The 23iL is normally fitted with a small 6 to 9 hp outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring, an engine type that keeps the bilge simple and the owner free of inboard maintenance. The boat was at one time supported by a class club, the ETAP Owners Association.
The Verdict
The ETAP 23iL is a thoughtfully executed small cruiser that trades a little cabin room for a lifting keel that genuinely delivers both shallow-water access and proper upwind performance. Its foam-sandwich unsinkability, cockpit-led deck layout, and four-berth interior make it a rare thing: a trailerable boat that behaves like a seagoing yacht rather than a daysailer with a cabin.
Pros
- Unsinkable foam-sandwich construction
- Lifting keel gives 4.82 ft draft extended, 2.30 ft retracted for trailering and beaching
- Cockpit-controlled reefing and manoeuvres for short-handed safety
- Sleeps four with enclosed head and functional galley
- Praised for close-wind sailing and rough-weather handling by experienced crews
Cons
- Keel trunk intrudes on interior space
- Only 100 built; out of production and class club support uncertain
- Small 13.2-gallon water capacity limits extended cruising
