Leisure 23 SL Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The SL shares the 23’s one-piece moulded fibreglass hull, with interior mouldings and bulkheads bonded in for exceptional stiffness and rigidity, while a balsa sandwich deck adds both strength and insulation against temperature and noise. Keels were offered as either a fin or twin arrangement with a hydrofoil section, both in cast iron, and the rudder and skeg are moulded GRP around a steel framework. A teak rubbing strake protects the topsides as standard, and moulded non-slip deck areas give a secure footing forward. At 4,050 lbs displacement with 1,950 lbs in keels, the boat carries a 48% ballast ratio that the owners’ association credited with making the L23 a notably seaworthy yacht anchor. The SL’s length-to-beam ratio of 2.89 and a wetted surface near 172 square feet place it among moderate racers rather than loafing daysailers.

Rig and Sail Plan

Both hulls carry a masthead sloop rig on aluminium alloy spars—originally gold anodized, later black or silver—with all standing rigging and rigging screws in stainless steel and halyards run internally. The sail wardrobe is generous for the size: a 90 sq ft mainsail, 104 sq ft working jib, a 158 sq ft genoa, and a 350 sq ft spinnaker, supported by specified sheet lengths and 3/8-inch diameters. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio around 17, the SL is lively without being twitchy, and its theoretical hull speed sits at roughly 6 knots. Writing in Yachtdatabase, reviewers pegged the capsize screening value at 2.08, a figure that would bar it from organized ocean races anchor, though its Motion Comfort Ratio of 16.3 was judged more comfortable than 62% of comparable designs.

Accommodations

Below, the Leisure 23 and SL make the most of 7-foot-10-inch beam. The main saloon uses a dinette arrangement opposite a large fore cabin, and the standard galley holds a two-burner gas stove and a sink with fresh-water pump. Teak and teak veneers throughout lend a warm cabin feel. Five berths are quoted, but buyers should note that with the separate forecabin toilet compartment specified on some boats, one berth becomes very short. The ample deck space and deep cushioned cockpit were the first things the owners’ association said impressed visitors, and the SL’s extra inch of headroom is a quiet bonus on a 23-footer.

Engine and Auxiliary Power

The standard auxiliary was an 8–10 hp outboard, but many examples swapped to a 10 hp inboard diesel, usually a Volvo Penta Saildrive unit. That inboard option gives quieter docking and better trim than a bracketed outboard, though the truncated factory note leaves the full diesel description open. Either way the modest power suits a boat of this displacement and keel profile.

Ownership and Refit Notes

The 23 SL’s fibreglass hull and deck need routine care, and the bonded interior means fewer loose joinery worries than in framed boats. The teak rubbing strake and teak cabin trim, however, ask for periodic oiling or varnish to stay fair. Spars and stainless rigging are durable, but internal halyards merit a look for masthead seepage. Given the SL’s identical hull to the 23, any fin-or-twin iron keel needs inspection for rust pitting at the flange.

The Verdict

The Leisure 23 SL is a thoughtfully updated pocket cruiser: same proven Pryor hull, cleaner Meerloo deck, and a touch more headroom. It punches above its length in cockpit comfort and sea-kindly ballast, yet remains a coastal boat by screening and size.

Pros