Design and Construction
Harris shaped the Vancouver 25 around a fixed long keel and a fiberglass hull with a raked stem carrying a bowsprit, a rounded transom fitted with a boomkin, and a keel-mounted rudder worked by a tiller. At 7,380 pounds displacement with 2,600 pounds of lead ballast, the boat sits low and steady for its length, and the 8.5-foot beam keeps the hull narrow by modern standards while the 21.67-foot waterline supports a theoretical hull speed of 6.2 knots. The solid fiberglass construction and long-keel configuration speak to a traditionalist cruising brief rather than a lightweight racer, and the modest 28-unit production run marks the design as a comparatively rare small cruiser.
Rig and Sail Plan
The boat carries a Bermuda-rigged masthead sloop arrangement, with a foretriangle height of 33.6 feet and base of 11.1 feet supporting a 186-square-foot jib or genoa, paired with a mainsail of 194 square feet on a 28.8-foot luff and 13.5-foot foot. The combined sail area of roughly 380 square feet gives the 25 a balanced, easily managed rig for a four-person crew, and the bowsprit and boomkin extend the working triangle and sail controls beyond the hull ends in the classic Vancouver manner. A tiller-steered long keel rewards patient helming and holds a course well off the wind, though it trades the quick turn-in of a fin-and-skeg configuration for directional stability.
Accommodations
Below, the Vancouver 25 sleeps four: a double V-berth fills the bow cabin, a straight settee serves the main saloon, and an aft cabin on the starboard side holds a single berth. The galley is placed amidships to starboard and comes with a two-burner stove plus a sink, while the head is positioned just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. A navigation station beside the companionway steps on the port side gives the boat a proper cruising command post, and the 71-inch cabin headroom is generous for a 29-foot design of this era. The layout distributes sleeping, cooking, and navigation functions without crowding, a sensible arrangement for a couple with occasional guests.
The Verdict
The Vancouver 25 is a small, limited-production cruiser that distills Robert B. Harris's conservative offshore philosophy into a 29-foot hull. Its long keel, tiller steering, and solid fiberglass build suit a sailor who values simplicity and seaworthiness over speed or interior volume, and the four-berth layout with a dedicated nav station makes it a credible pocket cruiser rather than a daysailer with overnight pretensions.
Pros
- Traditional long-keel hull with bowsprit and boomkin in solid fiberglass
- Four-berth accommodation with separate aft cabin and navigation station
- Generous 71-inch headroom for the length
Cons
- Only 28 built, limiting availability and spares commonality
- Tiller-steered long keel is less maneuverable in tight quarters than a fin keel
- Narrow 8.5-foot beam restricts interior beaminess
