At 21.33 feet overall, with a 19.36-foot waterline, the Ohlson 22 is a compact masthead sloop intended for sheltered-water cruising rather than offshore passages.
Design and Construction
The Ohlson 22 has a solid fiberglass hull and an iron fin keel. The yard offered two distinct interior configurations. The earliest boats had light mahogany interiors and weighed at least 300 kilograms less than the later version, introduced in 1971 with a molded GRP interior.
Displacement is 3,527 pounds, including 1,213 pounds of iron ballast, for a ballast ratio of 34.39 percent. The 8.04-foot beam gives a length-to-beam ratio of 2.65. Under a typical load, draft is 4.10 feet, shallow enough for the boat to tuck into shallow marinas.
Wetted surface is about 172 square feet. An immersion rate of 542 pounds per inch points to a stiff, shallow-bodied hull that responds visibly to the weight of crew and gear.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead-sloop rig carries 270 square feet of sail. Using the ISO 8666 reference sail, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 15.3; with a 135 percent genoa, it rises to 18.2. The displacement-length ratio of 216.99 puts the Ohlson 22 firmly among heavy-displacement cruisers of its size. The theoretical hull speed is 5.9 knots.
Period data specify the standing and running rigging in detail. The mainsail, jib/genoa, and spinnaker halyards are each 67.4 feet of 5/16-inch line. Sheets are 10 mm in diameter and range from 21.3 to 53.3 feet long, depending on their function.
The capsize screening value is 2.09, which means the boat wouldn’t be accepted for ocean racing. Its motion comfort ratio of 17.0 suggests a settled ride in a chop.
For docking and maneuvering, the usual auxiliary is a 3- to 4-horsepower outboard or an electric motor producing 73 to 87 pounds of thrust.
Accommodations
Below deck, the Ohlson 22 has two cabins, four berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. Early boats have mahogany interiors with light wood joinery; later examples replace those surfaces with molded GRP.
The compact volume is typical of a 21-foot cruiser from the period. Four berths make it suitable for weekend cruising by a couple or small family rather than long-term living aboard.
Verdict
The Ohlson 22 is a modest, clearly defined product of the Ohlson office’s early fiberglass years. It combines a solid fiberglass hull, iron fin keel, shallow draft, and conservative cruising proportions with two notably different generations of interior.
Its numbers mark it as a sheltered-water coastal cruiser rather than an ocean racer. For buyers comparing versions, the early mahogany interior’s lower weight—at least 300 kg less—is a meaningful advantage to weigh against the later boat’s molded finish.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull, iron fin keel, and 4.10-foot draft for easy marina access
- Early mahogany-interior version weighs at least 300 kg less than the 1971 GRP-interior boats
- Four berths, a galley, and a head in a 21-foot hull
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.09, per the YachtDatabase review, excludes it from ocean racing
- Displacement-length ratio of 216.99 limits acceleration in light air
- Auxiliary power comes from an outboard or electric motor rather than an inboard
