Design and Construction
Konkol drew moderate hull lines rather than chasing a broad stern, and deliberately avoided forcing a double berth into the stern quarters moderate lines and no stern double berth. The hull carries a partially flat bottom and a small centreplate of profiled glassfibre, weighted just enough for negative buoyancy so the plate stays down when needed yet raises cleanly centreplate gives draught and negative buoyancy. Ballast is internal at 661 pounds, which keeps the plate mechanism uncluttered and the hull easy to manage. Construction is hand-laid laminate; the hull sits four days in the mould and then cures for 30 days at no less than 18°C. A full interior moulding carries the layout, capped by a headliner that still admits access to deck-fastening nuts, and the stainless steel work is made in the builder's own shop. The hull-to-deck flange wears a practical plastic rubbing strake, though testers noted that dirt collects inboard of that strake.
Rig and Handling
The 620's rig is a gunter-gaff hybrid the designer calls "Huari gaff" — a high-peaked, high-aspect gaff flown on a single halyard, with a flexible gaff, a mast slider, and an adjustable loop to control shape single-halyard gaff with shape control. The short mast needs no spreaders and lowers via a built-in system a single person can operate; the builder's literature claims a ten-minute drop. A normal triangular main substitutes for heavy air. On the water, test sailors found the balanced rudder blade — adjustable and kicking up — kept the helm light, and those balanced hull lines made her responsive, well behaved, and commendably stiff for an internally ballasted boat. She logged mid-to-high 4s close-winded at roughly a 90-degree tacking angle and slipped past 6 knots off the wind.
Accommodations
For a 20-footer the interior reads larger than expected. Headroom runs 6 feet, the cabin finished in Polish oak around the moulded liner. A dinette to port seats two and converts to a double, opposite a small but functional galley; a generous V-berth lies forward, and an enclosed head sits aft — a rare concession at this length. A half-height hanging locker abaft the dinette and full-depth cockpit lockers to port and starboard round out stowage. The cockpit itself is smallish, comfortable for three, though its seats let you brace feet across the narrow beam.
Known Issues
The one documented annoyance is cosmetic and minor: grime traps inboard of the plastic rubbing strake along the hull-deck flange.
Refits and Ownership
Trailing is central to the concept. A dedicated HABER HT 1800 trailer weighs 320 kg, and the standard boat plus trailer stays under 1,650 kg, towable by many family cars. The transom-mounted outboard (4–10 hp, 4–6 recommended) swings clear for road travel, and the mast protrudes only a metre past the transom when lowered. A stainless fuel tank can be built into the starboard locker, and UK-bound boats gain an anchor roller. Twin rudders with a cockpit outboard well are an offered alternative.
The Verdict
The Haber 620 is a thoughtful trailer-sailer that trades outright speed for simplicity, towability, and a cabin that punches above its 21 feet. She is an economical, well-mannered introductory cruiser with a clever rig and a genuinely enclosed head.
Pros
- Retractable centreplate gives 1'1" board-up draft and 4'5" down, enabling trailing and drying out
- Roomy, oak-finished interior with enclosed head and four berths
- Single-halyard gaff rig, short mast, and built-in lowering system for solo trailering
- Light, balanced helm and stiff, well-behaved handling under sail
Cons
- Smallish cockpit limits crew comfort to three
- Rubbing strake collects dirt at the hull-deck joint
- Modest close-winded pace and a motorsailer character rather than a lively daysailer
