Design and Construction
Bosgraaf gave the Pointer 22 very low freeboard, a pronounced step in the deck, and a vertically sloping bow stem. The result reads as deliberate crossover styling rather than conventional cruiser design.
The hull and deck are hand-laid foam-core sandwich structures, with vinylester used in the hull and polyester in the deck. Jachtwerf Heeg builds the boat from A to Z in its single Dutch workshop.
At 2.20 metres in beam, the Pointer 22 displaces 750 kilograms and carries a 180-kilogram lifting ballast centreboard. Chine edges in the afterbody provide form stability without requiring an excessively broad stern. The centreboard retracts fully into the hull, while the two rudder blades sit in cassettes that lift in one motion.
A fixed keel can also be bolted into the centreboard case. The design allows an owner to swap between the fixed and swing keels later. The boat has a 24 percent ballast ratio, with the ballast carried low in a 3.61-foot maximum draft; with the centreboard raised, she draws just 0.98 feet.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Seldén rig is simple and light. A relatively short mast stands on a folding step atop the small cabin, while a long boom carries the squat sail plan typical of the Pointer family. Sail area comprises a 14-square-metre mainsail and a 9-square-metre, 105 percent furling genoa. The entire rig can be raised or lowered by hand or with a standard jib halyard.
Test sailors found that the little Dutch boat sailed well and showed good performance potential. She was very lively through manoeuvres and could accelerate from a standstill with almost no leeway, thanks to the large hull appendages. In around ten knots of breeze, she tacked through 85 degrees apparent with the short-overlap genoa and wide mainsail, making some 5.7 knots.
She sails stiffly and well upwind and can be handled single-handed without restriction, which suits her sporty daysailer role.
Cockpit and Accommodation
The well-planned cockpit seats six and has removable padded backrests. Below, however, the interior is very empty and sparse. Berths for up to four people are optional, although the builder notes that they may feel cramped.
The yard remodelled the cabin floor on later boats so that two additional long berths can be fitted if required. It also moved the companionway cut-out much farther forward; entering the cabin on construction number 1 required contortions. Series-production boats also received a flatter anchor locker, which intrudes less into the forward berth’s footwell than the prototype’s locker did.
Cruising-minded owners may miss cockpit stowage. There are no forepeak lockers beneath the thwarts, and the anchor locker and small stern compartment provide only limited capacity. That leaves little storage space on deck.
Known Handling Issues
YACHT’s test boat—the prototype—showed a considerable tendency to bear off to windward in the breeze, especially under Code Zero. The magazine’s testers considered the rudder blades obviously too large and hardly pre-balanced. Their poorly tuned angles couldn’t be adjusted.
The control defect was traced to the oversized, unbalanced twin blades rather than to the helm itself. In production form, the boat is still recorded as extremely windward on the wind.
Production Refinements and Ownership
Jachtwerf Heeg refined the early boat in several ways that a buyer will see as improvements rather than fixes. These changes include the forward-shifted companionway, the flatter anchor locker, and the reworked cabin floor that allows optional additional berths.
The yard backs the structure with a two-year warranty and a five-year against osmosis.
Propulsion is left to the owner’s choice: petrol or electric outboard, or a permanently installed pod drive. This keeps the aft end uncluttered, but it also means there’s no standard installation to inspect for uniformity.
The Verdict
The Pointer 22 is a clever, light, trailerable crossover that compresses the Pointer 25’s ideas into a road-transportable, beach-launchable package. She offers genuine single-handed capability and a retractable ballast centreboard.
She’s best regarded as a sporty daysailer and occasional weekender rather than a fully fitted cruiser. Early rudder tuning issues and sparse stowage are the principal trade-offs for that agility.
Pros
- Trailerable and beach-launchable, with a fully retractable centreboard and twin lift-up rudders
- Stiff, lively, and good upwind
- Unrestricted single-handed use
- Light Seldén rig can be raised and lowered by hand
- Choice of propulsion systems
- Later-series refinements improved cabin access and berth options
Cons
- Test and production boats are prone to bearing off to windward
- Prototype rudders were oversized, unbalanced, and unadjustable
- Sparse interior, with very limited cockpit and deck stowage
- Cabin access required contortions on construction number 1
