Design and Construction
Lindh's 23-footer stretches 22.58 feet on deck with an 18-foot waterline, a 7.75-foot beam, and a masthead sloop rig that trades outright size for manageable, trailerable proportions. Kells Corp. built the boat primarily of fiberglass with wood trim, and the hull is a solid fiberglass layup while the deck uses a balsa core—a combination that keeps weight down for trailing yet preserves a recognizable molded finish. A distinctive construction choice is the no-frills molded hull-keel joint intended to minimize leaks, paired with a glassed-in shoal draft keel of 750 pounds; the swing-keel arrangement (with a fixed-keel sister called the Coaster 23) lets the boat take only 0.92 feet up on the trailer and reach 5 feet when sailing, enabling shallow-water access that a fixed-keel 23 could not match.
Rig and Handling
The masthead sloop carries a mainsail of just under 100 square feet and a 115-percent jib of about 112 square feet, with a 150-percent genoa near 174 square feet and a 354-square-foot spinnaker available for lighter air. Those areas, set on an I of 23 feet and J of 9.75 feet, give the boat a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 20.09—modest, but enough with the 1,980-pound displacement and 525-pound iron ballast to deliver responsive performance in light to moderate winds. The swing-keel form and 26.5 percent ballast ratio keep her upright without demanding a crew larger than a family, and the 5.69-knot hull speed marks the realistic ceiling on flat water.
Accommodations
Below, a small cuddy cabin sleeps up to four, a layout that suits the boat's stated purpose of weekend outings rather than extended cruising. Above deck the spacious cockpit is the social center—roomy for a 23-footer and well matched to daysailing with children or casual guests. The emphasis throughout is simplicity: no elaborate systems, just the enclosed space to sleep and a large open cockpit to enjoy the sailing.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of a Kells 23 means living with a small, approachable boat whose production volume was limited yet sufficient that examples exist on trailers and in yards where the builder operated. The leak-minimizing joint and glassed-in keel are features an owner can appreciate when weighing leak risk against the convenience of a swing keel, and the wood trim is the obvious place where age shows first.
The Verdict
The Kells 23 is a purpose-built little coastal sailboat that does exactly what Lindh and Kells Corp. set out to do: deliver an affordable, trailerable, family-friendly daysailer and weekend cruiser with a leak-minded hull-keel joint and a shoal draft that opens quiet coves. She will not win ocean passages, but within her scope she is coherent and usable.
Pros
- Trailerable with very shallow trailored draft and 5-foot sailing draft for shoal access
- Molded hull-keel joint and glassed-in keel aimed at minimizing leaks
- Spacious cockpit and cuddy sleeping four for a 23-foot daysailer
- Responsive in light to moderate wind with simple masthead rig
Cons
- Limited 100–200 unit production and 1971–1980 run mean scarce, aged examples
- Small cuddy cabin restricts anything beyond weekend outings
- Modest sail plan and 5.69-knot hull speed cap outright performance
