Design and Construction
North Sea Craft laid up both the hull and deck in solid fiberglass, with iron ballast carried in a long keel. Her proportions tell much of the story. A beam of 7 feet 9 inches gives a length-to-beam ratio of 2.94, while a displacement of roughly 5,376 pounds on a 22-foot-9-inch hull produces a displacement-to-length ratio of 429. Yachtdatabase.com uses that figure to place her among “ultra heavy cruisers.”
That mass, paired with about 13 square meters of wetted surface, defines a boat built for steadiness rather than pace. A capsize screening value of 1.77 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 28.1 reinforce the same character: a short, tubby, reassuringly stable hull. Her theoretical maximum hull speed is 5.6 knots, while an immersion rate of about 85 kg per centimeter means she sits heavily and changes trim slowly as load changes.
Rig and Handling
The Samphire 23 carries a masthead sloop rig. The period specification calls for 10 mm (3/8 inch) sheets throughout: jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker sheets all share that dimension. The mainsheet runs 17.3 meters, and the genoa sheets 6.9 meters.
Draft ranges from 2.92 to 3.22 feet, depending on load. The long keel and transom-hung rudder make for an arrangement that tracks predictably and forgives incoherent steering, though at the cost of nimbleness in tight maneuvers. The arrangement also forgives incoherent steering.
Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.30 marks her as undercanvased by modern standards. It’s adequate for ghosting along in a modest breeze, but this was never going to be a lively performer.
Accommodations
With 7 feet 9 inches of beam and an overall length just under 23 feet, the Samphire 23 offers the volume expected of a small, heavy pocket cruiser from the period. The design gives priority to ballast and hull thickness rather than cabin square footage.
Verdict
The Samphire 23 is an unusual survivor: a late-1970s David Cannell design built in tiny numbers by North Sea Craft. Her ultra-heavy displacement and long-keel form make her a stable, slow, and thoroughly conventional small cruiser. For a buyer who values obscurity and steadiness over speed or space, she’s an honest, if little-known, specimen.
Pros
- Extremely stable hull form, with a capsize screening value of 1.77 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 28.1
- Simple, robust solid-fiberglass construction
- Forgiving long-keel handling
Cons
- Very low sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.30 limits performance
- Tiny production run means little context for support and spare parts
