At 25.5 feet overall, with a 20.31-foot waterline, this monohull recreational keelboat reflects a particular design brief: a small, unsinkable coastal cruiser that can be launched, beached, and trailered, yet still sail close to the wind with the composure of a much larger yacht.
Design and Construction
The 23iL is built mainly from a polyester glassfibre-and-foam sandwich, with wood trim. That foam core is central to the boat’s character. ETAP engineered unsinkability across its range by injecting closed-cell foam between the inner and outer skins.
The hull has a slightly raked stem and a plumb transom. Steering is by tiller through a transom-hung rudder, while a lifting keel carries a weighted bulb. This keel defines the boat’s main design compromise. Extended, it gives a draft of 4.82 feet and carries 1,035 pounds of cast-iron ballast, against a displacement of 3,420 pounds. Retracted, it reduces draft to 2.30 feet, allowing the boat to be beached or transported on a trailer.
Boat Specs noted that the lifting-keel version features an appendage configuration without compromise between draft and performance. The same review identified the only drawback: the keel takes up some interior space.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The deck-stepped mast carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig, with aluminum spars, wire standing rigging, and a single set of swept spreaders. The Bermuda-rigged sloop sailplan provides 311 square feet of upwind sail area. A 295-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker may be set downwind. Hull speed is a modest 6.04 knots.
The regatta deck allows every manoeuvre, including reefing, to be handled from the cockpit. This arrangement lets the crew remain seated and secure as the wind builds.
The Yacht Charter Guide described the 23iL as a very safe, fast seagoing yacht with a long waterline. It also reported that the boat sails superbly close to the wind and, with an experienced crew, handles easily even in the roughest conditions.
Accommodation
The 23iL sleeps four. There’s a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settees in the main cabin. The head is on the port side of the bow cabin, beneath the V-berth.
The galley is also to port, just aft of the bow cabin. It is equipped with a two-burner stove, an icebox, and a sink. Fresh water is stored in a 13.2-gallon tank.
Period reviewers found the cabin comfortable, luxuriously finished, and almost free of condensation. They also noted ample stowage and a particularly convenient navigation area, complete with a chart table and instrument panel.
Auxiliary Power and Ownership
The 23iL is normally fitted with a small 6 to 9 hp outboard for docking and manoeuvring. The outboard installation keeps the bilge simple and avoids the maintenance associated with an inboard engine.
The boat was once supported by a class club, the ETAP Owners Association.
Known Issue
The lifting-keel trunk takes up interior volume. This is the only recorded structural compromise in an otherwise well-resolved small cruiser.
Verdict
The ETAP 23iL is a thoughtfully executed small cruiser. It gives up a little cabin space for a lifting keel that delivers both shallow-water access and proper upwind performance. Its unsinkable foam-sandwich construction, cockpit-led deck layout, and four-berth interior make it an unusual trailerable boat—one that behaves more like a seagoing yacht than a daysailer with a cabin.
Pros
- Unsinkable foam-sandwich construction
- Lifting keel gives 4.82 ft of draft when extended and 2.30 ft when retracted, allowing trailering and beaching
- Reefing and every other manoeuvre can be handled from the cockpit, keeping the crew seated and secure when the wind builds
- Sleeps four, with an enclosed head and a functional galley
- Praised for sailing close to the wind and for rough-weather handling with an experienced crew
Cons
- Keel trunk intrudes into the interior
- Only 100 were built; the boat is out of production, and class-club support is uncertain
- The small 13.2-gallon water capacity limits extended cruising
