Merit 22 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Merit Marine built the 22 from 1983 to 1988, with approximately 100 to 150 units produced. She is a raised-deck boat in the mold of the Tanzer, and that configuration delivers real interior volume for the length. Structurally she is a light boat, as befits her high-performance brief: the hull and deck are cored with balsa and sandwiched on either side with layers of hand-laid 1.5-ounce mat and Knytex knitted roving. The standard underbody is a fin keel, with a centerboard variant also offered, and a spade rudder hung beneath a raked stem and reverse transom. The keel itself is a 600-pound retractable lead unit housed in a central armrest — and in one period test it survived a rapid, uncontrolled lowering onto the ground without suffering damage, heaving and panting but showing no breach.

Rig and Handling

As a masthead sloop the Merit carries a 28-foot I dimension and 23-foot P, with a standard 114-square-foot mainsail and jibs around 106 to 123 square feet; a 149 to 150 percent genoa pushes area to roughly 166 to 172 square feet, and downwind inventory runs through drifters, asymmetrical spinnakers to 381 square feet, and a conventional 350-square-foot spinnaker. The boat's behavior under sail is the headline. Writing in Small Boat Journal's 1986 trials, testers found her easily the quickest boat of the group, coming through the eye of the wind in a twinkling like a thoroughbred racer. Even with a rig that had sat out of tune at a powerboat dealer's yard for a year, she demonstrated an eagerness to sail, and her quick and spirited performance rewards a skipper who dotes on twitchy helms. She is agile, easy to handle, and highly trailerable, though period reviewers cautioned she may not be the ideal boat for the timid beginner.

Accommodations

Below, the raised deck buys open space: there is considerable well-proportioned room in the cabin, and it is possible to sit comfortably despite limited headroom. But speed is the priority, so cabin furnishings are minimal and the interior is plainly finished. One test sailor, asked to evaluate the joiner work, said simply that there wasn't any. The single chunk of wood is a table of questionable design — resting a hand on its inner corner flips the top from its mount like a giant tiddlywink. The boat makes up in personality what it lacks in finish, and the accommodations are best read as modest provision for short overnights rather than cruising living.

Deck Layout and Known Issues

On deck everything is flat, which makes the boat the easiest of her trial group to work — nothing is in the way. Perforated toe rails line the sheer and serve as a useful anchor for sheet blocks and fenders. However, the same rails expose sharp ends that will surely slice through anchor line, and the boat lacks goodsized chocks bow and stern. Bigger mooring cleats and an additional cleat at the bow would also be appreciated. These are small hardware omissions rather than structural faults, but they are worth correcting before serious mooring or anchoring.

Refits and Ownership

Ownership centers on an outboard auxiliary of typically 4 to 8 horsepower mounted in a well, with tiller steering and a lifting keel that simplifies trailering and shallow-water access. The flat deck and uncluttered layout make rigging, sheeting, and fender placement straightforward, and the balsa-cored hull's survival of a dropped-keel shock suggests a forgiving structure. The plain interior means little to refurbish; the table is the one item a careful owner might redesign.

The Verdict

The Merit 22 is a sharp little racer-day sailer that trades finish and creature comfort for pace and responsiveness. She is genuinely quick, easy to trailer, and structurally undramatic, but her minimal cabin and twitchy helm suit an experienced or racing-minded owner over a novice cruiser.

Pros