At just over 22 feet on deck with an 8.5-foot beam, the 223 was one of the first trailerable cruisers to use revised highway rules. Its keel-centerboard arrangement lets the board retract to a draft of less than two feet for towing. Small Boat Journal examined the boat early in its production run and found it unusually well considered for its size.
Design and Construction
Steck drew the 223 for powerboat manufacturer Wellcraft Marine, and that lineage shows in its construction. The hull was laid up by hand with mat, roving, and Coremat—without chopped strand—in amounts that satisfied a meticulous boatbuilder-judge. The resulting fiberglass surfaces feel appropriately stiff. The hand-laid mat, roving, and Coremat laminate uses amounts that satisfied a meticulous boatbuilder-judge.
The tooling would do credit to a more expensive boat. The hull is smooth and fair, with no roving print-through. Above the waterline, the construction is practical. Wide side decks carry molded-in sand nonskid that provides grip without shredding sole leather, while deck hardware is backed by quarter-inch aluminum plate glassed into the laminate.
The toerails are little more than bumps in the deck, but the stainless-steel lifeline stanchions are unusually strong for this type of boat. Heavy stainless bails rise from their reinforced bases and wrap around the posts. A transom-mounted swim ladder folds up to the stern pulpit, and a self-draining anchor locker in the forepeak keeps ground tackle out of the cockpit lockers.
Rig and Handling
The 223 has a fractional sloop rig of moderate aspect ratio, with well-made sails and simple, straightforward controls that forgive an inattentive crew. The shrouds lead to inboard chainplates, tightening the jib-sheeting angle but making it harder to move forward along the deck.
Under sail, the boat is predictable, if unexceptional, on all points. Its traditional keel-centerboard arrangement places 700 pounds of lead ballast in the keel, while the unballasted centerboard raises easily without wild shifts in stability. Even with the board up, the 223 fights to stay on her feet, and the helm shows no bad manners. The centerboard pennant is within easy reach of the cockpit, so the boat can genuinely be sailed in shoal water. Experienced sailors may still want to add a traveller or boom vang.
Accommodations
Steck rejected dollhouse furniture in favor of an open “honeymoon” plan. The result is unusual among 22-footers: a cabin that is very comfortable for a couple.
The 7-foot-9 settee and quarter berths extend well into the cabin. Their wood-bottomed after cushions bridge the settees to create a 6-foot-6-by-4-foot-4 double berth across the boat—the largest athwartships berth in her class. Its amidships position also gives it an easy motion at anchor.
There are compromises. The forward vee-berth is tight, suitable for two children or one adult, and the athwartships berth blocks the route to the head beneath the vee-berth.
A small galley abaft the port bulkhead includes a sink and stowage below, with a fold-down chart table over the counter. Opposite, the hanging locker is cedar-lined. A dinette table can be mounted either below at the galley or on deck in the cockpit.
Carpeting on the overhead softens the cabin, while a teak-and-holly sole anchors the interior visually. Although the cabin suggests extensive joinery, it requires little oiled-teak cut-and-try fitting. Ventilation is superb for a Florida design, and both the companionway and forward hatches are nearly gigantic. The companionway cover flips forward against the mast, providing standing headroom through most of the main cabin. A sea hood over the main hatch supports watertight integrity.
Trailering and Ownership
The 223 is normally fitted with a 3-to-6 hp outboard for docking. With the centerboard retracted, draft is 1.83 feet, and the boat tows easily. It best suits an owner who values a simple, open interior rather than a more heavily partitioned arrangement.
The Verdict
The Starwind 223 is a thoughtfully planned trailerable cruiser. Its open accommodations and shoal-draft centerboard offer more than its length might suggest. The main compromises are the obstructed passage forward inside and a forward berth best left to children or a single adult.
Pros
- Open interior with one of the largest athwartships double berths in the trailerable 22-foot class
- Hand-laid mat, roving, and Coremat hull with fair tooling and stiff fiberglass surfaces
- Keel ballast and a retractable centerboard for easy launching and stable shoal-water sailing
- Strong lifeline stanchions and aluminum-backed deck hardware for a boat of this size
Cons
- Inboard chainplates hinder movement forward on deck
- Athwartships berth blocks the route between the cockpit and head
- Tight forward vee-berth suits only children or one adult
