It’s a modern interpretation of the dayboat: light in displacement, with harmonious lines shaped by classical influences and an electric drivetrain that replaces the familiar diesel note with near-silent running.
Design and Construction
Saffier built the SE 23 with a solid-fiberglass hull and deck. Its harmonious lines and classical influences feel like a deliberate throwback rather than those of a slab-sided modern racer.
The numbers support that impression. The boat displaces 2,425 pounds and carries a 1,124-pound lead bulb keel, giving it a ballast ratio of 46 percent. Its 7-foot-4-inch beam produces a length-to-beam ratio of 3.18. The resulting narrow entry bow, combined with a modern underwater hull and low displacement, lets the SE 23 cut easily through choppy waves while maintaining speed.
The fixed modern bulb keel draws just 3 feet 3 inches. At 1,122 pounds, with the bulb at its tip, it provides a high stability curve that the designer intended to keep the boat seaworthy. The manufacturer’s promotional literature also asserts that the vessel cannot sink, though this is a builder’s claim rather than a surveyed fact in Sailing Magazine’s account.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The SE 23 carries a state-of-the-art fractional sloop rig with a self-tacking jib. Its furling system sits below deck, helping to keep the cockpit clear. The helmsman has the tiller, mainsheet, and jib sheet within easy reach, while two winches mounted centrally behind the coachroof make it straightforward to hoist the mainsail and unfurl the jib. All control lines stow in the cockpit sides, leaving the sole free of ropes.
A genaker can be flown from a pole. Performance-minded owners could also opt for a light, non-self-tacking genoa and a spinnaker. Robert Perry’s review found the boat easy to sail single-handed.
The sail plan is generous for a boat of this length. With 286 square feet of sail area and a displacement of 2,425 pounds, the SE 23 has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 25.38. Under 10 percent heel, she uses her full 20-foot-4-inch waterline upwind and performs above her polar predictions. Downwind, she matches those polars in winds of up to 15 knots.
Electric Propulsion and Charging
Instead of a diesel, the SE 23 comes with a Bellman 8-horsepower electric engine driving a folding propeller. Reviews describe it as a silent electric engine.
A single 24-volt, 40-amp-hour lithium battery powers the motor for about an hour and a half at three-quarter throttle. The builder cites four hours of forward progress under electric propulsion using a different measure. A second battery can be added for longer passages.
The lightweight 14-kilo batteries are very easy to reach. They can be charged from shore power or a solar panel, or simply removed and charged at home.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit is genuinely large for a 23-footer. Two ergonomic benches extend all the way to the stern, and the space can seat six adults. The after bench includes a hatch for additional stowage.
Under the forward deck, there’s sleeping space for two, enough for a weekend hideaway. An anchor well is integrated into the forward deck.
The Verdict
The SE 23 is a refined small daysailer that combines a seakindly bulb-keel hull with an unusually complete electric-propulsion package. Its self-tacking rig makes short-handed sailing trivial. The classical lines and large cockpit suit days around the harbor and nights at anchor, although the modest cabin limits more ambitious cruising.
Pros
- High stability curve from the lead bulb keel, with seaworthy behavior in chop
- Silent Bellman electric drive with lightweight batteries that are easy to swap
- Self-tacking jib and cockpit-stowed control lines make single-handed sailing easy
- Large cockpit seating six adults, plus an integrated anchor well and forward sleeping space for two
Cons
- Cabin accommodation is limited to little more than a weekend hideaway
- Electric range is limited to roughly four hours without a second battery
