Design and Construction
The hull shows a pronounced flare at the gunwales, a feature that stiffens the shell and helps deflect spray while offering a hiking seat to reduce heeling. Below, the Rhodes 22 uses a shoal keel with a built-in centerboard rather than a swing keel or water ballast shoal keel eliminates pivot, carrying 600 pounds of encapsulated ballast low for stiffness and drawing just 20 inches with the board up or 48 inches down.
Construction employs a chop-roving-Coremat hull layup and a near-one-inch foam-cored deck, with the keel molded integrally to avoid keelbolt issues. The Spitzers claim the Rhodes 22 is unsinkable due to two molded foam sections glassed into the hull builder claims boat unsinkable, a safety feature not common in small cruisers. Over twenty-five molds deliver finished surfaces throughout the cabin and lockers.
Rig and Handling
A 26-foot hinged mast stores a furling mainsail that unfurls from the spar, while a roller-furling genoa adds horsepower; the total sail area of 300 square feet compensates for any inefficiency in furling shapes generous sail area compensates. All controls lead aft for single or double-handed sailing, and the traveler rides a stainless tube between backstays.
On the water, the boat sails on its feet in light air and stiffens at about 20 degrees of heel after an initial quick lean. The centerboard kicks up on obstruction and the rudder does likewise, while the outboard mount slides on a track with a six-to-one purchase. One tester found the Rhodes 22 an easy boat to sail, though it cannot point as high with the board retracted.
Accommodations
Below, a pop-top provides 6 feet 4 inches of standing headroom when raised, and roughly 4 feet of sitting headroom when lowered (sources vary, up to about 50 inches), with the boat sail-able in either position. The dinette converts to a 6-foot 6-inch double alongside 6-foot V-berths, and the fully enclosed head uses a multi-panel door to maximize space.
The cockpit measures over 7 feet long and nearly 8 feet wide, self-bailing with open-front benches; one tester found this boat has a lot of cockpit which makes operating outboards easy cockpit eases outboard ops. Absence of quarter berths frees aft storage, and an optional boom tent turns the cockpit into a second cabin.
Known Issues
Owners and testers note a few compromises. The hinged mast and pop-top preclude a boom vang, which several would like to have for control. Additionally, the standing rigging's nine stays and shrouds demand extra time and effort for trailering and launching preparation rigging adds trailering effort.
Furling sails sacrifice some shape efficiency, particularly partially furled in heavier weather, and the board-up configuration reduces windward ability. The Rhodes 22 is clearly not a racing boat, but rather a couple's cruiser.
Ownership and Factory Support
General Boats (Spitzers) maintain a buy-back policy for used Rhodes 22s and occasionally offer factory-reconditioned boats, reflecting confidence in the overbuilt molded construction. Production dates to 1968 with the design remaining a pragmatic trailerable cruiser.
The Verdict
The Rhodes 22 Continental endures as a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that punches above its length: trailerable, shallow-draft, and refreshingly spacious. Its construction and rigging show clever solutions to the compromises of trailer sailing, even if some conveniences are sacrificed.
Pros
- Trailerable cruiser with shoal keel/centerboard drawing 20 inches board up
- Builder-claimed unsinkable molded foam sections for safety
- Generous self-bailing cockpit and pop-top standing headroom
- All controls lead aft for straightforward single-handed sailing
- Factory buy-back and reconditioned boat program
Cons
- No boom vang possible due to hinged mast and pop-top
- Standing rigging adds time for trailering and launching
- Reduced pointing ability with centerboard raised
- Furling sail plan less efficient than hank-on shapes
- Explicitly not a racing boat per review record
