Design and Construction
The Brio is a fiberglass monohull with a raked stem and reverse transom. It has a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and was offered in fixed-keel and lifting-keel versions. Buyers could choose either a fixed fin keel or a stub keel with a retractable centerboard. Both configurations use iron: a shallow-draft iron stub and centerboard on one, and a deeper iron fin keel on the other.
Beam is 8.2 feet, and displacement is near 2,646 pounds. One secondary source gives conflicting lower figures, so the manufacturer’s stated 2,645.55 is the safer figure. With 1,168 pounds of iron ballast, the ballast ratio is around 43 to 44 percent.
The hull has about 172 square feet of wetted surface, while an immersion rate of roughly 534 pounds per inch indicates a light, easily driven hull.
Rig and Handling
The Brio carries a Bermuda-type masthead sloop rig, with the mast rising about 30.5 feet above the waterline and 215 square feet of sail. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.98 and a displacement-length ratio near 181 place it among moderate racers rather than sluggish pocket cruisers. The theoretical hull speed is about 5.8 knots.
Its capsize screening value is 2.37, which means the Brio wouldn’t qualify for ocean racing. For sheltered-water cruising, however, that same low number reflects a shoal-friendly, easily righted character.
The running rigging is modest. Jib and genoa sheets are about 21.7 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter. A 54-foot mainsheet and 47.6-foot spinnaker sheet complete the set.
Keel Options and Draft
The two keel choices largely determine where a Brio can cruise. The shallow-draft centerboard version draws about 2.3 to 2.6 feet, depending on load, which helps it enter shallow marinas. The fin-keel model draws about 3.6 to 3.9 feet.
Both versions have iron keels, and both remain trailerable. The lifting arrangement extends the Brio’s cruising range beyond what a fixed 3.6-foot fin would allow, without giving up the ballast stability of a shoal keel.
Accommodations and Propulsion
The Brio sleeps four. A truncated double V-berth occupies the bow, while two straight settees flank a table in the main cabin.
Immediately aft of the bow cabin, the galley is divided between port and starboard. A single-burner stove sits to port, with the sink opposite to starboard. The raised deck developed from the Love Love gives this small hull a surprising sense of volume for a 22-foot cruiser.
Propulsion comes from an outboard mounted in a well aft, rather than an inboard. It handles docking and maneuvering, with a fuel capacity of 7 gallons.
Verdict
The Brio is a clever Harlé pocket cruiser that fits four berths and a proper galley into a trailerable 22-foot fiberglass hull. Its two keel configurations let owners trade draft for shallow-water access, with the lifting arrangement retaining the ballast stability of a shoal keel. It’s light, moderately quick for its size, and easy to haul, but its capsize screening value and tiny displacement place it firmly in sheltered-water cruising rather than offshore work.
Pros
- Two keel versions, including a centerboard model drawing only 2.3–2.6 feet for access to shallow marinas
- Four-berth layout and split galley in a trailerable package
- Masthead sloop rig, sensible running-rigging dimensions, and a theoretical hull speed of about 5.8 knots
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.37 excludes it from ocean racing
- Small, outboard-only propulsion system with a 7-gallon fuel capacity
- Conflicting displacement figures in secondary sources make the exact weight unclear
