This small recreational keelboat is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim. It measures 19.67 feet overall, 17.08 feet on the waterline, and 7.75 feet in beam. Displacement is 2,500 pounds, including 1,000 pounds of ballast in a fixed long keel. The boat carries a masthead sloop rig and a transom-hung rudder.
Design and Construction
Although the Halman 20 emerged as a derivative of the Nordica 20, it was built from fresh molds rather than borrowed ones [ [anchor anchor 1. Halman Manufacturing began building the boat in Beamsville, Ontario, in 1977.
Construction is fiberglass with wood trim throughout. The hull is solid fiberglass, with a solid deck, and the long keel is fixed rather than retractable. Standard draft is 2.83 feet, allowing the boat to remain trailerable while preserving the directional stability of a full-length keel.
Steve Henkel observed that the doghouse is raised a little more than on the Nordica 20, providing an extra six inches of headroom on the Halman. Together with the beamy hull, this gives the boat good space below.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries 179 square feet of sail: a 90-square-foot mainsail and an 89-square-foot jib. The foretriangle measures 26.5 feet high on a 6.7-foot base.
For docking and maneuvering, the usual auxiliary is a small 3 to 6 horsepower outboard mounted on the transom. The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 276 and a theoretical hull speed of 5.4 knots.
Henkel’s comparison with the heavier, narrower Corinthian 20 suggests that the Halman can be expected to be slower, especially in light air, because of its higher wetted surface. Neither the Halman nor the Nordica can match the sailing performance of the centerboard Quickstep 21, which has a two-foot-longer waterline, a larger sail plan, and deeper draft with the board down.
Accommodations
The Halman 20 sleeps four. There’s a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main saloon. The galley is to starboard, just aft of the forward cabin.
Cabin headroom is listed at 60 inches. Michael McGoldrick describes the interior as remarkably roomy for a 20-footer, although some of that volume was gained at the expense of a smaller cockpit. The 7.75-foot beam provides good space below, giving the Halman unusual cabin livability among sub-20-foot designs.
Equipment and Outfitting
Unlike many boats under 20 feet, the Halman will generally come well equipped with lifelines, winches, and other gear. That fit-out reflects its cruising orientation rather than bare-bones daysailing roots.
The standard auxiliary is an outboard rather than an inboard. This simplifies the machinery space and keeps the 2,500-pound displacement free of engine weight low in the hull.
The Verdict
The Halman 20 is a thoughtfully evolved trailerable cruiser. Its raised doghouse and beamy hull provide standing headroom and four-berth accommodation that belie its 19-foot-7-inch length. The long keel and transom-hung rudder suit sheltered-water cruising and trailerable ownership, while the outboard keeps the boat’s systems simple and the 2,500-pound displacement free of engine weight low in the hull.
There are clear trade-offs. The cockpit is smaller than those of some peers, and the Halman has a light-air speed deficit against narrower, heavier competitors and centerboarders with longer waterlines.
Pros
- Raised doghouse provides six inches more headroom than the Nordica 20.
- Beamy 7.75-foot hull creates genuinely roomy accommodation for four.
- Generally supplied with lifelines, winches, and other cruising gear.
- Simple outboard auxiliary and solid-fiberglass construction ease ownership.
Cons
- Higher wetted surface makes the boat slower than the Corinthian 20 in light air.
- Can’t match the Quickstep 21’s performance with its centerboard down.
- Cabin volume comes at the cost of a smaller cockpit.
