To avoid legal and brand confusion with California-based Islander Yachts, Russell Marine’s partner, Wells Yachts, imported the vessel into the United States under the name "Imperial 23". For the modern enthusiast, identifying this boat requires navigating this split identity: in the United Kingdom and Europe, she is known as the Islander 23, while in North America, she is often classified as the Imperial 23. Despite the nomenclatural divide, the hulls are identical, built to withstand the challenging coastal conditions and dramatic tidal ranges of the British Isles.
Design Brief & Intent
The core mission of the Islander 23 was to deliver an affordable, highly stable, and family-friendly pocket cruiser capable of navigating shallow estuaries, drying harbors, and tidal flats. L. Wakefield achieved this by utilizing a twin-keel (bilge keel) configuration. Rather than drawing a deep, single keel that would leave the boat stranded on its side when the tide receded, the twin asymmetric foil keels allowed the boat to stand upright on mud or sand, flat on its own bottoms. This capability opened up inexpensive mooring options in tidal regions like the English Channel and the North Sea, making it a natural competitor to popular contemporary pocket cruisers like the Westerly Nomad and the Leisure 22.
Structurally, the hull is heavily built of solid fiberglass (GRP) with classic 1960s scantlings, giving it a robust, forgiving character. The deck plan features a reverse transom, a slightly raked stem, and a sturdy skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a simple tiller.
The interior arrangement is surprisingly clever for a boat with a deck length of just over 22 feet. Instead of the conventional V-berth in the bow, Wakefield incorporated two forward quarter berths. This design choice freed up space in the forward cabin, allowing the marine head to be mounted centrally with a solid, hinged door for true privacy—a luxury virtually unheard of in 22-footers of the era. Moving aft, the cabin features two straight settees, a compact galley to port equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink, and simple varnished wood trim that softens the raw fiberglass interior.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Analyzing the sailing dynamics of the Islander 23 requires reconciling its heavy-weather design roots with its relatively light displacement of 2,688 pounds. With a Displacement-to-Length (D/L) ratio of 150.0, the hull sits on the light-to-moderate side of the ledger for its era. This keeps the boat lively and surprisingly responsive in light winds, shaking off the sluggish reputation often associated with older, heavily built bilge-keelers.
The boat's Sail Area-to-Displacement (SA/D) ratio of 17.38 represents a well-proportioned masthead sloop rig. It flies a 115-square-foot mainsail and a 97.88-square-foot foretriangle, providing enough horsepower to drive the hull close to its theoretical hull speed of 6.0 knots under reasonable working canvas. The high Ballast-to-Displacement ratio of 41.67%—achieved by packing 1,120 pounds of cast iron ballast into the twin keels—gives the boat exceptional initial stiffness. She stands up tall in a blow and carries her canvas long after lighter, fin-keeled lake boats of the same length would be forced to reef.
However, there are distinct handling trade-offs. The Capsize Screening Formula of 2.16 indicates a wider beam-to-displacement ratio. While this translates to an exceptionally stable day-sailing platform with high initial stability, it also means the boat lacks the ultimate self-righting capability required for bluewater or offshore racing.
The Motion Comfort Ratio of 13.67 confirms that the Islander 23 is fundamentally a coastal trailer-sailer; in short, steep waves, the motion is quick and active, though the solid skeg-mounted rudder keeps helm control positive and predictable. True to the bilge-keel design, tacking angles to windward are wider than those of a comparable deep-draft fin keel, but on a reach or a run, she tracks straight and handles confidently.
Known Issues & Triage
For buyers inspecting an Islander 23 today, three specific technical areas require careful investigation:
- Keel-to-Hull Joint ("Bilge Keel Smile"): Because the twin iron keels act as individual levers when the boat heals or rests on the ground, the fiberglass hull sections around the keel floors are subjected to intense cyclical stress. Look closely at the external keel-to-hull joints for "smile" cracks or rust weeping, which can signal that water has penetrated the joint. Internally, inspect the structural transverse floors; any soft or delaminated fiberglass in the bilge indicates that the internal reinforcing grid has weakened and requires structural fiberglass grinding and reinforcement.
- Deck Core Delamination: The balsa-cored deck on the Islander 23 is prone to rot, particularly around high-load deck hardware. Key areas to check with a plastic hammer (sounding for dull thuds) are around the chainplates, the mast step, and the heavy timber Samson post on the foredeck. Rebedding hardware and injecting epoxy into soft spots is a common DIY requirement for hulls that have spent years exposed to freshwater rain.
- The "Autohoist" Outboard System: Some original hulls featured an optional, worm-gear-driven "Autohoist" winch system designed to vertically lift the outboard motor out of the water. If still present, these mechanical hoists are often seized, suffer from severe galvanic corrosion, or present structural leaks where they mount to the transom. Most owners end up glassing over these apertures or substituting them with standard, heavy-duty adjustable outboard brackets.
Modernization & Upgrades
Modern owners of the Islander 23 focus their refit budgets on simplifying the rig and updating the auxiliary power systems:
- Reefing Systems: The original spars were built with Barton roller-reefing booms, which rolled the mainsail around the boom itself. This system severely distorted sail shape when reefed. Converting to a modern slab-reefing system—requiring the installation of cheek blocks, fairleads on the boom, and a proper reefing hook at the gooseneck—is one of the most common and effective sail-handling upgrades.
- Electric Propulsion: Because the boat’s standard power is a 4 to 6 horsepower long-shaft outboard, it is an ideal candidate for electric conversion. Transitioning to a modern, lightweight electric outboard (such as a 3hp-equivalent pod or transom-mount unit) paired with a small lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery bank dramatically reduces transom weight while eliminating the vibration, noise, and fuel storage issues associated with vintage gasoline outboards.
- Electrical Overhauls: Original 12-volt wiring in these boats was minimal at best. Modern refits generally involve stripping out degraded wire run through the bilge, installing a marine-grade DC fuse panel, mounting a small 50W to 100W solar panel on the coachroof to maintain batteries, and converting all navigation and cabin lights to low-draw LEDs.
The Verdict
The Islander 23 (Imperial 23) is an honest, rugged, and highly practical pocket cruiser that makes up in utility what it lacks in modern aesthetic sleekness. For sailors operating in shallow, highly tidal regions, or those who want the flexibility of beaching their vessel for mid-season maintenance, this L. Wakefield design offers an economical and robust solution. It is a capable, simple little yacht that prioritizes clever interior space and stout stability over raw speed.
Pros
- Tidal Independence: Twin bilge keels allow the boat to sit perfectly upright on drying mudflats or sand beaches, saving on deep-water mooring fees.
- Clever Interior Layout: Forward quarter berths allow for a private, enclosed head compartment with a solid door—a rare luxury for a 22-foot boat.
- Stiff and Stable: A high ballast ratio of over 41% ensures the boat stands up exceptionally well to stiff breezes, offering a secure pocket-cruising experience.
- Easy Trailering and Mast Stepping: The shallow draft and the original tabernacle mast step make transport and setup highly manageable.
Cons
- Compromised Windward Performance: Like all bilge-keelers of its generation, the boat cannot point as high or sail as efficiently to windward as a comparable fin-keel design.
- Active Motion in a Chop: The relatively light displacement and short waterline mean she will bob and pitch actively in a steep, short chop.
- Aged Deck and Keel Joint Issues: Potential owners must budget time and resources to inspect and potentially repair soft balsa deck cores or stress fractures around the twin keel floors.
