Design and Construction
LM Glasfiber A/S built the LM 23 in fiberglass, with a long-keel configuration and a solid hull. The boat draws between 2.30 and 2.60 feet depending on load, and its immersion rate runs about 572 pounds per inch, meaning it sits heavily and changes trim slowly as stores and fuel are added. The length-to-beam ratio of 2.92 and a displacement-length ratio of 280 describe a short, beamy hull with moderate heft for its size; the 36 percent ballast ratio and 1,764 pounds of iron ballast against a 4,409-pound displacement give it a steady, rooted feel rather than a featherweight racer's twitch. The wetted surface of roughly 161 square feet and a theoretical hull speed near 6.1 knots frame a boat built for economical passage-making, not sprinting.
Rig and Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries a sail-area-displacement ratio of 13.02, a modest figure that places the LM 23 firmly in the motorsailer camp where the engine, not the canvas, does the steady work. Recommended running rigging is uniform in diameter at 3/8 inch: jib and genoa sheets of 23.4 feet, a mainsheet of 58.4 feet, and spinnaker sheets of 51.4 feet. Under diesel power the boat reaches a maximum of 6.0 knots, essentially matching its displacement hull speed, with a shaft-drive transmission and an optional 20-horsepower Bukh inboard. The capsize screening value of 1.84 and a motion comfort ratio in the 23.8 to 24.8 range suggest a stable, low-tipped platform that favors predictable motion over athletic performance.
Accommodations
Below, the LM 23 is laid out with a single cabin and two berths, a galley, a toilet facility, and a modest 15-liter fresh water capacity. The interior is finished in mahogany, consistent with period Danish practice. The compact water allowance and single-cabin plan make clear that this is a boat for a couple or short-handed coastal use, where the motorsailer concept trades expansive living space for simplicity and self-sufficiency in a small envelope.
The Verdict
The LM 23 is a tidy expression of the late-sixties Scandinavian motorsailer: a fiberglass long-keel hull by Palle Mortensen, modestly canvased but sturdily ballasted, with a shaft-driven diesel option and an honest small-boat interior. It will not win light-air races, but its stability numbers and immersion behavior describe a predictable, forgiving coastal cruiser.
Pros
- Long keel and 36 percent ballast ratio lend directional stability
- Solid fiberglass hull from an established Danish builder
- Mahogany interior with enclosed head and galley in a 23-foot footprint
Cons
- Only 15 liters of water and two berths limit extended cruising
- Low sail-area-displacement ratio makes her reliant on the engine in light wind
- Shallow, load-dependent draft narrows deep-water capability
