Design and Construction
Where Seamaster's earlier Laurent Giles–designed sailing yachts wore quite traditional looks, the 815 broke with that lineage through a much more modern profile than the chunky looks of Westerlys of the same era anchor, while still retaining the marque's reputation for tough construction. The hull is solid fiberglass with an iron fin keel or twin iron bilge keels, and a transom-hung rudder aft. At 26 feet 9 inches overall with a 21-foot waterline and 8 feet 11 inches of beam, the design carries 3.17 tons of displacement — heavier than the slightly longer and beamier, but very similar looking, Moody 27. The 31 percent ballast ratio and 342 displacement-length figure place her among heavy cruisers, and the 1.86 capsize screening value sits within accepted offshore-leaning limits for a boat of this size.
Rig and Handling
The 815 is a masthead sloop carrying enough sail area to give good performance, with a standard 117-square-foot main and 152-square-foot No. 1 jib, plus optional genoas up to 257 square feet and a storm jib. Her theoretical hull speed is 6.1 knots, and an immersion rate near 653 pounds per inch speaks to a hull that settles predictably under load. The choice of a 4 foot 6 inch fin keel or a 2 foot 11 inch bilge-keel arrangement lets an owner trade upwind bite for the ability to dry out or sneak into shallow marinas, the latter draft varying modestly with load.
Accommodations
Inside, the 815 offers a simple but quite spacious interior that is light and quite open, divided into a saloon and forecabin with berths for four or five. Maximum headroom runs about 5 feet 10 inches. The saloon table is removable to open up space in the interior, and can also fit lower to extend the port settee berth into a nominal double — a berth wider at the forward end than the aft end. Practical Boat Owner magazine described the Seamaster 815 as a tough and roomy little cruiser anchor, which captures the accommodation philosophy well.
Machinery and Refits
The usual engine fitted was an 8 hp Yanmar, with some boats carrying a 12 hp Yanmar or, per other records, an inboard Volvo Penta diesel; the builder's archive notes an illustrated hull whose original unit had been replaced by a 12 hp Yanmar YSB12. Fuel capacity is 14 gallons and fresh water 20 gallons, modest but in keeping with a 26-footer meant for coastal family cruising rather than long self-sufficient passages.
The Verdict
The Seamaster 815 is a compact, sturdily built Holman & Pye cruiser that punches above its length in interior openness and carries a modern silhouette against its boxier contemporaries. Limited production and a defunct builder mean any example demands careful systems scrutiny, but the design's comfort ratios and sailor-friendly layout make it a sensible small-family coastal boat.
Pros
- Tough fiberglass construction with modern styling for its era
- Light, open, and removable-table interior with four or five berths
- Choice of fin or bilge keels for varied cruising grounds
- Comfort and ballast ratios competitive with larger similar designs
Cons
- Only 136 built and builder ceased trading in 1981
- Modest 8–12 hp engine options and small tankage
- Low headroom by modern standards at about 5' 10"
