Design and Construction
Hale's Vixen carries 8,600 pounds on a 23-foot waterline, a displacement-length ratio of 316 that places her firmly in the heavy, seakindly camp by modern numbers. The layup is unapologetically solid: hull, deck, and liners are all solid fiberglass, with the hull built in three layers of alternating woven roving and mat above the waterline, four below, and five around the keel, all in a polyester matrix with no core anchor. Decks did use core — plywood for the first fifteen or so boats, then foam — but the structural shell beneath is monolithic. A solid fiberglass pan forms the interior, with one liner at the sole and another under the deck; in the main saloon that liner is a single FRP part shaping settee backs, settees, and sole. Underbody geometry splits the keel from a skeg and rudder, the latter shielded by a skeg offering far more protection than the bare high-aspect spade rudders common on later designs.
Rig and Handling
Nearly every Vixen left the yard as a masthead sloop, though two or three were finished as yawls. The mast is deck-stepped against a solid beam in the main bulkhead, with three sets of shrouds terminating at chainplates inset in the sidedecks and backed by G-10 plates. Inboard sheet tracks permit close-winded sheeting, and with 365 square feet of working sail the sail-area-to-displacement ratio sits at just 14 — modest on paper. In practice the boat stays balanced and tracks well in moderate air, and the tiller lends itself to simple self-steering; tie off the helm with shock cord from the sheet and she will hold a course all day with minor tweaks anchor. Light-air sparkle is not her forte, but once the breeze passes 8 to 10 knots the heavy displacement and hull form deliver a romp that reminds you seakindliness is a function of mass.
Accommodations
Below, Hale engineered standing headroom in the main saloon — no small trick in a narrow double-ender. Bench settees port and starboard flank a folding dinette table that stows on the main bulkhead. Forward of that bulkhead a small area with ducking headroom holds the head to port and sink to starboard, while a V-berth sits beyond a secondary bulkhead and a rode locker occupies the stem. The galley is tucked aft under the companionway; its centerline sink drains just above the engine below. The cockpit itself is unusually generous, more spacious than some 40-foot Passports and Valiants anchor, with coamings and a low volume that lend security offshore. Handrails and wide side decks ease movement forward. A small but deep lazarette uses the pinched volume aft of the cockpit, and engine, tankage, and batteries live under the cockpit sole.
Known Issues
The chainplates require occasional rebedding to keep water out and protect the bulkhead or hanging knees that carry their load; leaky chainplates are the headline watch item anchor. Original hatches at companionway, forward, and lazarette were yard-built wood, and some owners have swapped in Lewmar units, though that demands rebuilding the sealing boss. Single-line lifelines fall short of current safety recommendations. The narrow hull inevitably limits below-deck volume. One documented hull suffered chainplate and hatch intrusion yet showed zero laminate damage where core had been avoided — a testament to the solid shell, though cored decks remain a moisture path.
Refits and Ownership
Early boats carried four-cylinder Westerbeke diesels; some later ones received one-cylinder Volvos, and several have since been repowered with three-cylinder Yanmars, all around 15 horsepower, with no Atomic 4 ever fitted. Owners have removed the auxiliary entirely to sail mooring-to-mooring engineless. Wooden hatches are the most common cosmetic upgrade. The two-inch void between liner and hull is inaccessible, so the deep keel sump aft of the companionway is the only spot to read what water has come aboard.
The Verdict
The Vineyard Vixen 29 is a thoughtfully evolved double-ender that trades sparkle for substance. Her solid glass hull, sheltered rudder, and self-steering manners make her a reassuring coastal and offshore companion, while the saloon headroom and big cockpit defy her length. She asks for chainplate vigilance and a lifeline upgrade, but rewards the careful owner with a stout, quiet little ship.
Pros
- Monolithic solid-fiberglass hull and deck resist delamination and intrusion damage
- Skeg-protected rudder and split underbody for offshore security
- Standing headroom and a cockpit roomier than many 40-footers
- Naturally balanced helm that self-steers with minimal aid
- Seakindly heavy displacement that performs once breeze builds
Cons
- Chainplates prone to leaking; require periodic rebedding
- Single-line lifelines below modern safety standard
- Narrow hull restricts interior volume
- Modest sail plan sluggish under 8–10 knots
