Schock Harbor 25 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Harbor 25's hull is 100-percent hand-laid fiberglass, and Cruising World noted in its review that there is nothing wrong with a solid fiberglass hull anchor. The deck is balsa cored to keep it light and stiff, while cored-fiberglass bulkheads between the cabins feel rock solid and are matte-white trimmed with varnished mahogany for a pleasing interior look. Beneath the waterline, the high-lift fin and bulb keel includes 1,900 pounds of lead, providing a ballast-to-displacement ratio of just about 50 percent anchor. The keel is externally fastened to a stub, and the spade rudder is set well aft for good steering control, especially downwind. True to her elegant daysailer posture, she is sans lifelines, though stout handrails on the cabinhouse compensate since you shouldn't have to leave the cockpit often.

Rig and Handling

Her fractional sloop rig carries a small, roller-furling headsail that is self-tending and set up on a self-vanging Hoyt jib boom anchor, with internal halyards led aft to the cockpit for easy adjustments. All sail controls are led aft to the end of the cabinhouse where they are easily accessed and the tails can be tucked into storage slots. The fractionally rigged spar includes upper and lower shrouds led to a single-pod chainplate, and Schock opted for a backstay whose adjustable lead is cleverly routed under the deck to the cockpit. The mainsheet traveler sits aft, out of the cockpit, freeing up space. Test sailors found her an easily driven boat and incredibly responsive, sluicing through chop without pounding, and Cruising World called her a delight to sail.

Accommodations

Below, the cabin is attractive but offers only sitting headroom, which suits her daysail-and-weekend brief. There are four good-sized bunks: two in the V-berth forward and two quarter berths aft under the cockpit seats. A usable head is positioned under the forehatch, which is designed to accommodate a solar shower for weekend owners. The galley cabinet with a sink is to port in the saloon, with a large, well-insulated icebox to starboard, and the main cabin is a nice social area with four opening ports. Above deck, the self-bailing cockpit is eight feet long, deep, roomy, and has high coamings; it comfortably seats six adults, and the helmsman can choose to look over the cabin house or duck behind it when spray blows back. A good-sized lazarette stows mooring lines and fenders, and all excess line stows in built-in pockets in the coamings and cabin bulkhead.

Equipment and Propulsion

Instead of a diesel, Schock specified a two-cylinder four-stroke Yamaha gas engine married to a small Saildrive 330, with a two-blade folding prop standard anchor. Cruising World's example carried a 12.5-horsepower Honda saildrive turning a two-bladed Flex-O-Fold propeller, with the powerhead sitting between the quarter berths. An anchor roller on the stemhead fitting supports weekend cruising, and the standard portable toilet could be swapped for an optional marine head per the reviewer's own preference.

The Verdict

The Harbor 25 is a thoughtfully detailed daysailer that stretches into weekending without losing her light, responsive character. The self-tending jib and fully aft-led controls make short-handed sailing genuine, while the bulb keel and aft spade rudder give her poise in a chop. The trade-off is minimal cabin headroom and a gasoline powerplant where many buyers expect diesel.

Pros