Starwind 223 Buyer's Guide
The Starwind 223 is a small American recreational keelboat designed by Cortland Steck and built first by Wellcraft Marine's Starwind division, then by Rebel Industries near Sarasota, Florida. On the used market she appeals to couples who want a trailerable cruiser with a genuinely open interior and a centerboard that retracts for towing. What follows is what to look for and what the boat is like when you find one.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most examples follow the same open "honeymoon" plan: a tight double vee-berth forward with the head beneath it, two straight settee berths in the main cabin, and wood-bottomed after cushions that bridge the settees into a 6-foot-6-by-4-foot-4 double berth amidships. A port-side galley with sink sits just aft of the bow cabin, and a cedar-lined hanging locker is to starboard. The centerboard trunk does not intrude into the cabin, so the floor stays clear despite the shoal-keel arrangement. Headroom is about 56 inches, and the companionway hatch flips forward against the mast to open most of the main cabin to standing room.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The 223 normally carries a 3-to-6 hp outboard on the transom for docking and maneuvering, with a self-draining anchor locker forward and a separate rope locker to prevent tangles. A big Lexan forward hatch ventilates over the head, and a sea hood over the main hatch helps keep water out. A dinette table that attaches either to the galley or the cockpit adds flexibility. For sailing, the moderate-aspect fractional rig is forgiving, but experienced buyers often look for an added traveller or boom vang to refine shape.
What to Inspect
The inboard chainplates that give a tight jib sheeting angle also make it less easy to go forward on deck the inboard chainplates hinder forward movement, so check the shroud terminals and deck backing for corrosion or cracking where crews step around them. Otherwise the hand-laid mat, roving, and Coremat hull without chopped strand is well-molded, and there is no roving print-through with appropriately stiff fiberglass — inspect the quarter-inch aluminum plate behind deck hardware and the stainless stanchion bails for soundness.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Starwind 223s are found in the United States. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm the centerboard pennant and trunk are free in the cockpit; verify the companionway and forward hatches seal against water; check the inboard chainplate decks for stress; and decide early whether the open berth plan suits your crew, since the forward vee-berth is small and the athwartships berth blocks head access.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Starwind 223. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 1 | $3,500 | — |
Where they're listed
Starwind 223 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 22 | 23.83' | $ 6,500 | 83 | 30 |
| Hunter Boats 23 | 23.25' | $ 7,237 | 18 | 13 |
| Starwind 223You are here | — | $ 3,500 | 1 | 1 |