Design and Construction
The Parker Dawson 26 is a 25-foot-70-inch recreational keelboat with a fiberglass monohull and wood trim. It has a raked stem, a vertical transom, an 8-foot beam, and a waterline length of 22.17 feet. Displacement is 4,000 pounds, including 1,100 pounds of ballast.
Finch’s layout is unusual for a boat this size. A center cockpit separates the forward and aft cabins, providing two distinct sleeping spaces. Testers noted that enclosing the cockpit with canvas could create a third cabin, giving this pocket cruiser considerable privacy for its length. (Wikipedia)
Buyers could choose a lifting keel or a fixed fin keel. The lifting keel uses a 50:1 worm gear to raise the board and retracts to 1.16 feet for beaching or trailering. The rudder hangs from the transom in an aluminum frame. Later boats replaced the original aluminum rudder scabbards with fiberglass versions to stop them banging at moorings.
Rig, Steering, and Performance
The boat carries a Bermuda masthead sloop rig, although a few were built as ketches. The mast is hinged at the forward cabin roof. Rig dimensions are 29.25 feet for I and 10 feet for J, with a total sail area of 270 square feet. Two jib-sheet winches and one halyard winch are fitted.
The transom-hung rudder is controlled by either a wheel or a geared tiller. Early owners reported excessive drag and a lack of helm feel. Testers noted that later hulls received push-pull cable steering, which evidently cured the problem. (Wikipedia)
The fixed-keel version draws 5 feet, while the lifting-keel model draws 5.18 feet with the keel extended. Despite its relatively heavy displacement for its length, the design is trailerable and can be launched from a ramp, provided the tow vehicle can manage an 8,000-pound load. Hull speed is 6.31 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the forward and main cabins are connected without internal bulkheads. The forward area has four fixed portlights. In the main saloon, the galley is to port, while a removable dinette table and a starboard settee complete the central living space. The settee doubles as a berth and head space.
The aft cabin contains two bunks and a sink, along with two fixed ports and one opening port. There’s also room for a portable or marine head. Testers considered the privacy provided by two cabins and two heads a real advantage when guests were aboard. (Wikipedia) A forward anchor locker rounds out the layout.
Auxiliary Power and Tankage
The 7.5-horsepower Yanmar inboard diesel or outboard alternative keeps docking simple. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons, and the freshwater tank holds 25 gallons—capacities suited to weekending.
Known Issues and Ownership
The lifting keel can bang in its trunk unless it’s pinned, and owners sometimes forget that step. The 50:1 worm-gear keel mechanism is therefore a central part of ownership, along with the transom rudder frame.
Early boats also drew complaints about vague steering and drag. Later hulls addressed these concerns with push-pull cable steering. The factory’s switch from aluminum to fiberglass rudder scabbards likewise stopped the rudder from banging at moorings.
The Verdict
The Dawson 26 is a Finch-designed oddity with genuine cabin privacy and the ability to be trailered. It rewards a patient owner who remembers to pin the lifting keel, and later boats benefit from the revised steering system. Speed in light and medium air is unremarkable, but Atlantic crossings attest to the fixed-keel variant’s reach.
Pros
- Two true cabins, plus a canvas-enclosed cockpit for additional privacy
- Lifting keel retracts for beaching and trailering
- Proven offshore capability in fixed-keel form
Cons
- So-so speed in light and medium air
- Swing keel requires manual pinning to prevent banging
- Early hulls have vague steering and excessive drag
