Design Brief & Intent 2
The PT-22 Quarter Ton was designed primarily as an aggressive daysailer/racer optimized to compete under the emerging MORC and early IOR handicap rules. Bludworth’s primary objective was to maximize performance within a compact envelope while keeping the vessel narrow enough to remain easily trailerable without special permits. It was built for sailors who demanded tactical agility on the racecourse but still wanted the flexibility to haul their boat home at the end of the weekend.
The boat’s interior reflects this pure racing heritage, prioritizing weight savings over luxury. Accommodation is minimalist, designed for what owners refer to as a "sitting life" due to the low-profile cabin trunk. The layout features a V-berth forward in the bow, a dedicated space underneath the berth for a portable head, a highly compact galley arrangement split on both sides of the entryway, and two long quarter berths extending aft beneath the cockpit seats. There is very little wood trim; instead, the cabin is finished in a clean, lightweight white gelcoat to keep the boat’s center of gravity low and ease maintenance. This stark, functional interior reinforces its role as a spirited weekender rather than a long-term cruising vessel.
Variations & Configurations
While the underlying hull shape remained consistent, Plas-Trend offered two distinct variations built off the same tooling. The original recreational model, sold as the Mustang 22, was equipped with a fractional sloop rig. In contrast, the PT-22 Quarter Ton was specifically modified to maximize its handicap rating for MORC racing. To do this, Plas-Trend added a small transom shelf extension to lengthen the waterline and maximize the boat's wetted surface. This racing variant was fitted with a taller, high-aspect masthead sloop rig. The masthead rig simplified sail tuning and kept the center of effort lower relative to the sail area, reducing the heeling moment compared to the fractional setup.
Both variations utilized an innovative, low-drag underwater profile: a shallow, fixed iron stub keel with a integrated split bulb. This stub keel housed a fully retractable steel centerboard. With the centerboard raised, the draft is a mere 2.33 feet, allowing the boat to slide onto a standard ramp-launch trailer or slip into shallow anchorages. When the centerboard is fully lowered, the draft extends to 5.0 feet, transforming the boat into a deep-tracking keelboat capable of pointing high upwind.
Sailing Performance & Handling
On the water, the PT-22 Quarter Ton behaves like a high-performance dinghy with the stability of a keelboat. Its sail area-to-displacement ratio of 19.85 indicates a generous sail plan relative to its light weight, allowing the boat to accelerate rapidly and glide effortlessly through light-air transitions that leave heavier cruisers becalmed. This sensitivity to the light breezes of Galveston Bay and inland lakes was a hallmark of Bludworth's designs.
Its displacement-to-length ratio of 181.73 places the PT-22 firmly in the light-to-moderate category for its era. Under a heavy blow downwind, the boat is capable of climbing over its bow wave and reaching planing speeds, a characteristic that made it a fierce competitor in off-the-wind legs. Despite this light displacement, its ballast-to-displacement ratio of 38.0 percent—achieved by carrying 760 pounds of iron low in the stub bulb and centerboard—renders the boat remarkably stiff and capable of carrying its canvas well into a breeze. However, because the absolute weight of the hull is low, the placement of the crew's weight on the windward rail remains critical to managing heel and keeping the boat flat.
The boat's capsize screening ratio of 2.22 is typical for light, trailerable pocket cruisers. While it is stiff under normal operating conditions, it lacks the ultimate righting energy of a heavy, deep-keel ocean voyager. This is echoed by a comfort ratio of 12.5, which signals a highly active, motion-sensitive ride in choppy water. The boat will pitch and roll quickly in a seaway, demanding an active hand on the tiller and constant mainsheet trim to keep it in its groove, delivering an exhilarating, highly connected helming experience.
Market Snapshot & Economics
Finding a PT-22 Quarter Ton on the brokerage market today requires patience and persistence. Only about 40 hulls of the Mustang 22 were ever produced, and the specialized PT-22 Quarter Ton was built in even smaller numbers before a fire at the Fort Worth factory in 1973 disrupted production. Because they are so scarce, they rarely appear in mainstream listings and are most often found through regional word-of-mouth or online forums dedicated to vintage trailerable boats.
Economically, the PT-22 trades at a deep value. Due to their age, many surviving hulls are sold as project boats. While the initial purchase price is usually negligible, prospective owners must carefully calculate their refit budgets. A professional restoration easily exceeds the market value of the vessel. Purchasing a new main and genoa, replacing the trailer tires, and updating the outboard engine represents an investment that will not be recovered upon resale. A restoration of a PT-22 is purely a labor of love, undertaken by those who appreciate the clean lines, historical significance, and classic racing performance of a Martin Bludworth design.
Known Issues & Triage
The primary technical vulnerability of the PT-22 lies in its deck construction. Like many production boats of the era, the decks were constructed using a balsa wood core sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. Over fifty years, deck hardware, stanchion bases, and chainplates are highly likely to have suffered from sealant failure. Water intrusion into the balsa core causes localized rot, resulting in spongy decks and structural flexing under load. Triage requires testing the deck with a plastic mallet to listen for dull, hollow thuds, followed by re-coring with marine plywood or closed-cell foam in soft areas.
The centerboard trunk and its raising mechanism also require meticulous inspection. The steel centerboard is housed within an iron stub keel, making it susceptible to heavy rust scale and marine growth that can jam the board in either the up or down position. The wire lifting cable and its attachment eye on the centerboard are prone to galvanic corrosion and fraying. If the cable snaps, the board will drop uncontrollably, risking damage to the trunk. Owners must regularly inspect the cable, winch, and pivot pin, and ideally treat the iron board with epoxy barrier coatings to prevent rust expansion.
Additionally, early racing reviews noted that the boat’s buoyancy aft is relatively low. If a heavy crew sits at the very back of the large cockpit, the transom will squat and drag in the water, severely hurting speed and performance. Keeping the stern light and storing heavy gear midships is an essential operational triage rule.
Modernization & Upgrades
Veteran owners who undertake refits of the PT-22 often focus on modernizing the systems to make the boat simpler and more reliable for shorthand sailing. The original, rudimentary electrical systems are typically stripped out. Many owners transition to a single, lightweight lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery coupled with a small, deck-mounted solar panel to power a basic VHF radio, depth sounder, and LED navigation lights. This setup eliminates the need for heavy, complex wiring harnesses while keeping the boat light.
Auxiliary propulsion is another common area for upgrades. The original heavy, smoky two-stroke outboards are frequently replaced with lightweight, long-shaft four-stroke outboards or modern electric outboards. An electric outboard is particularly well-suited for the PT-22; it provides plenty of torque for harbor maneuvers, eliminates gasoline storage issues in the cabin, and can be easily tilted out of the water to eliminate drag when racing.
Finally, running rigging is almost universally upgraded. Replacing old wire-to-rope halyards with modern, low-stretch synthetic lines like Dyneema drastically improves sail shape control and reduces weight aloft. Adding modern cam cleats, adjustable deck leads, and modern blocks allows a single sailor to handle the powerful sail plan from the safety of the cockpit.
The Verdict
The PT-22 Quarter Ton is a fast, agile, and rare piece of American sailing history that offers a pure dinghy-like helming experience in a trailerable keelboat package. It is not a boat for those seeking standing headroom, a fully equipped galley, or a comfortable blue-water cruiser. However, for the sailor who values tactical responsiveness, light-air performance, and the ability to easily trailer their boat to different sailing venues, this classic design remains an incredibly rewarding and affordable classic.
- Exceptional light-wind performance and rapid acceleration
- Stub keel and retractable centerboard design allows for a shallow draft and easy ramp launching
- Highly responsive helm that provides a pure, dinghy-like sailing experience
- Stiff and stable under sail due to a high ballast-to-displacement ratio
- Simple, low-maintenance mechanical systems that are easy for DIY owners to service
Cons
- Extremely cramped interior with limited sitting headroom and no standing galley
- Balsa-cored decks are highly prone to rotting and delamination if not meticulously maintained
- Iron ballast and steel centerboard require active rust prevention and maintenance
- Low buoyancy aft causes the stern to drag if too much crew weight is placed in the cockpit
- Very rare on the used market, making parts and sistership support difficult to find
