Design and Construction
Saffier built the SE 23 in solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and the hull carries beautiful harmonic lines with classical influences that read as a deliberate throwback rather than a slab-sided modern racer. The numbers tell the same story: at 2,425 pounds displacement with a 1,124-pound lead bulb keel, the ballast ratio sits at 46 percent, and the length-to-beam ratio of 3.18 on a 7-foot-4-inch beam gives the narrow entry bow that lets the modern underwater hull with its low displacement cut easily through choppy waves while maintaining speed. The fixed modern bulb keel draws just 3 feet 3 inches and, at 1,122 pounds with the bulb at the tip, delivers a high stability curve that the designer intended to keep the boat seaworthy. The manufacturer's promotional literature asserts the vessel cannot sink, a claim from the builder rather than a surveyed fact anchor.
Rig and Handling
The SE 23 carries a state-of-the-art fractional sloop rig with a self-tacking jib whose furling system is placed underneath the deck, keeping the cockpit clear. The helmsman sits with tiller, mainsheet, and jib sheet all at hand, and two winches mounted centrally behind the coach roof make hoisting the mainsail and unfurling the jib straightforward. All control lines stow into the cockpit sides so the floor stays rope-free. A genaker can be flown from a pole, and performance-minded owners could opt for a light genoa (non-self-tacking) and spinnaker. Robert Perry's review found the boat easily single-handed, and the sail plan is generous for the length: 286 square feet of sail area against 2,425 pounds displacement yields 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, and downwind she matches those polars up to 15 knots of wind.
Propulsion and Energy
Rather than a diesel, the SE 23 comes with a Bellman 8-horsepower electric engine turning a folding prop, described in reviews as a silent electric engine. A single 24-volt, 40-amp-hour lithium battery runs the motor about an hour and a half at three-quarter throttle, while the builder cites four hours of forward progress under electric propulsion on a different measure; a second battery can be added for longer passages. The lightweight 14-kilo batteries are very easily accessible and can be charged by shore power, by solar panel, or simply by swapping the pack out and charging it at home.
Accommodations
The cockpit is genuinely large for a 23-footer: two ergonomic benches run all the way to the stern and the area seats six adults. Beneath the forward deck there is sleeping space for two for a weekend hideaway, and the after bench carries a hatch for additional storage. An anchor well is integrated into the deck forward.
The Verdict
The SE 23 is a refined small daysailer that pairs a seakindly bulb-keel hull with an unusually complete electric-propulsion package and a self-tacking rig that makes short-handed sailing trivial. Its classical lines and large cockpit suit harbor days and overnight anchors, though the modest cabin limits cruising ambition.
Pros
- High stability curve from the lead bulb keel and seaworthy behavior in chop anchor
- Silent Bellman electric drive with easily swapped lightweight batteries anchor
- Self-tacking jib and cockpit-stowed lines make single-handed sailing easy anchor
- Large six-adult cockpit with integrated anchor well and forward sleeping for two
Cons
- Limited cabin accommodation beyond a weekend hideaway
- Electric range constrained to roughly four hours without a second battery
