Design and Construction
The KingFisher 20 is built of solid fiberglass with an iron twin-keel arrangement that lets the boat take to the beach upright anchor. With a draft of 2.33 to 2.63 feet depending on load, she tucks into shallow marinas and dries on a shelving shore. The first six hulls from 1959 carried molded-in glass fiber keels; series production from 1962 used cast iron. Nierop designed the Westfield Kingfisher line from 1959 to 1978.
Rig and Handling
The boat is a masthead sloop. Jib and genoa sheets run 6.3 meters at 10 mm diameter, mainsheet 15.7 meters at 10 mm, spinnaker sheets 13.8 meters at 10 mm anchor. The 177 square feet of sail over a 2,600-pound hull gives a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.98 and a hull speed of 5.76 knots.
Known Issues
The earliest 1959 hulls differ from series boats in keel build, using molded glass fiber keels rather than cast iron twin keels.
Refits and Ownership
Nierop retired in 1978 and Moorstream Ltd., as Kingfisher Yachts, took production into the early 1980s. The solid-glass hull and simple rigging keep upkeep on iron-keel vigilance and deck hardware.
The Verdict
The KingFisher 20 is a solid-glass, bilge-keeled dayboat with high ballast ratio and easy rig, built to explore shallow water and dry out ashore.
Pros
- Twin iron keels allow beaching and shallow access
- Ballast ratio higher than 69% of similar designs
- Solid fiberglass hull simplifies ownership
Cons
- Early 1959 hulls differ in keel construction
- Compact dimensions limit accommodation
