Design and Construction
The Tamarisk 19 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck, a kick-up centerplate, and a laminated rudder and tiller described as best quality. Iroko rubbing strakes and grab handles add traditional detail. An ivory deck with either a navy or racing-green hull was available as a paid option.
She displaces 3,086 pounds and carries 440 kg of lead ballast. With a 7.35-foot beam, she is a stable, stiff, moderate-weight sailboat. Her displacement-to-length ratio is near 268, while her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is about 17.3. Those figures point to a reasonably good performer rather than a lightweight racer.
Her capsize screening value of 2.02 and low righting capability if capsized are worth noting for anyone with offshore ambitions. Her RCD Category C rating places her in sheltered and inland waters.
Rig and Handling
The gaff-headed sloop rig uses a Sitka spruce mast, bowsprit, boom, and yard. A stainless-steel tabernacle supports the mast and bowsprit, while the hardware includes a bronze horse traveller with spar bands. This bronze-and-wood fit-out, rather than modern alloy, gives the boat much of her period character.
Sail area totals 229 square feet across a tan terylene mainsail, furling jib, and optional genoa and topsail. Three cockpit winches and two fairlead tracks handle the sails.
The kick-up centre plate has an easy raising system. It gives the boat a draft of 4.04 feet when lowered and 1.74 when retracted. That shallow draft opens up rivers and estuaries while leaving her able to race.
Cockpit and Accommodation
The Tamarisk 19 offers more room than her length might suggest. Her cockpit is unusually large for a boat of this size, while the spacious cabin has plenty of headroom throughout. Four bronze opening portlights and a foredeck hatch keep the interior light and airy.
The all-wood interior came with a choice of fabric coverings. It includes a galley with a two-burner spirit stove, sink, and manual water tap, along with a cabin table that slides up to the roof panels. Two cockpit lockers provide stowage.
Different cabin layouts were available, and an optional cockpit tent could extend the accommodation further. Together, these features reinforce her role as a comfortable, trailerable weekender.
Equipment and Engine Options
Standard equipment is practical and appropriate to the boat’s period character. It includes best-quality cleats and fairleads, a boarding ladder, bilge pump, fire extinguisher, and fire blanket. The bronze portlights and foredeck hatch are functional as well as traditional in appearance.
The single-engine installation was kept simple, with either an outboard or inboard. Easy engine access and shallow draft make the Tamarisk 19 well suited to exploring waterways, while she remains able to race.
The Verdict
The Tamarisk 19 is a charming, well-built trailerable weekender that honors the character of her predecessor class. She combines a stable, stiff hull with a reasonably quick gaff-rigged sailing platform. Her shallow-draft centerboard, large cockpit, and airy cabin make her a genuine small cruiser, though her low righting capability if capsized and Category C rating call for prudent choice of waters.
Pros
- Unusually large cockpit and a cabin with generous headroom for a 19-foot boat
- Kick-up centerplate provides a 1.74 ft shallow draft and 4.04 ft sailing draft
- Traditional spruce-and-bronze gaff rig with an easy-raising plate
- Stable and stiff, with reasonably good performance under sail
Cons
- Low righting capability if capsized
- RCD Category C—sheltered and inland waters only
- Better suited to day sailing and weekend cruising than offshore passages
