Design and Construction
The 245 is a monohull recreational keelboat built primarily of fiberglass with wood trim. It has a raked stem, a vertical transom, and a fixed stub keel with a centerboard. Draft is 4.42 feet with the board down and 1.92 feet with it raised; that shoal draft permits ground transportation on a trailer.
The boat displaces 3,000 pounds and carries 1,300 pounds of ballast, providing real stability in a package light enough to haul. Beam is 8 feet, waterline length is 20.5 feet, and the stated speed ceiling is 6.07 knots. A transom-hung rudder is controlled by a tiller.
Rig and Handling
The 245 carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig, with a Bermuda sailplan and aluminum spars. Its deck-stepped mast sits on a tabernacle for easy lowering. Sail area is 121.5 square feet in the mainsail and 145.1 square feet in the jib, for a total of roughly 267 square feet.
Internally run halyards, the mainsail outhaul, and reefing lines help keep the deck tidy. Jib sheets run through track-mounted blocks to two cockpit winches, while a deck-mounted halyard winch handles hoists. The tiller provides direct feedback from the transom-hung rudder.
On the race course, the design has a PHRF average handicap of 210, with a high of 204 and a low of 216. That range places it fairly among modest club-racing contemporaries.
Accommodations
Below, the 245 is arranged for short cruises rather than extended liveaboard use. There’s a “V”-berth forward and two cabin berths with stowage underneath.
The split galley has a single-burner stove to starboard and a sink to port. This practical arrangement keeps the cook clear of traffic through the companionway. A chemical head has a privacy door, while a forward hatch and two opening portlights provide ventilation.
Fresh water is stored in a 10-gallon tank filled through a deck filler. An anchor locker in the bow provides foredeck storage.
Equipment and Deck Layout
The cockpit is set up for manual sail handling, with two jib winches and the deck-mounted halyard winch. For docking and maneuvering, the boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor rather than an inboard. The bow anchor locker and water-tank deck filler complete the exterior service points used day to day.
Verdict
The Seidelmann 245 is a thoughtfully compact cruiser-racer. Its trailerable design and retractable centerboard make it unusually versatile for a 24-footer. Bob Seidelmann’s racing and sailmaking background shows in the straightforward fractional rig and a hull that combines substantial ballast with light displacement.
The accommodations are honest for the boat’s length, though minimal. Because production ended in 1984, a careful survey of any example is wise.
Pros
- Trailerable with the centerboard retracted and draft reduced to 1.92 feet
- Fractional sloop rig with internal halyards and a tidy deck layout
- 1,300 pounds of ballast in a 3,000-pound boat, providing stability for a small cruiser
- Split galley and private head suited to weekend coastal cruising
Cons
- A 10-gallon water supply and chemical head limit extended cruising
- Docking and maneuvering depend on a small outboard rather than an inboard
- Production ended in 1984, so examples require careful survey
