Design and Construction
Classic Yachts built the Classic 22 predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, using a solid fiberglass hull and deck rather than a cored laminate. The hull is a monohull carrying a fixed stub keel with a retractable centerboard, a configuration that lets the boat sit on a trailer or a beach and still stand up to a deep-keel sailing profile when the board is dropped. At 2,300 pounds displacement with 500 pounds of ballast, the design is light enough to tow behind a family vehicle yet substantial enough to read as a proper keelboat rather than a dinghy with a cabin. The 8-foot beam and 18-foot-67-inch waterline give the hull a compact but usable plan, and the builder's choice of solid glass instead of a core avoids the delamination pathways that can affect some cored hulls.
Rig and Handling
The Classic 22 carries a fractional sloop rig of the Bermuda type, with an I foretriangle of 25.50 feet and a J base of 8.42 feet, paired to a mainsail luff of 24.00 feet and a foot of 9.00 feet. Total sail area comes to 215.36 square feet, split almost evenly between the 108-square-foot main and the 107.36-square-foot jib. That balance, on a boat of this displacement, supports a hull speed of 5.79 knots. The retractable centerboard is the defining handling feature: with it raised the draft shrinks to 1.67 feet for shallow-water gunkholing, trailering, or drying out on a beach, and with it extended the boat draws 4.92 feet for better stability and windward grip.
Accommodations
The Classic 22 is a cruiser by design role, but the authority sources do not itemize berth counts, galley arrangement, or head space, so the interior plan must be read from the boat's size and intent rather than described in detail. The 21-foot-67-inch LOA with an 8-foot beam frames a small but self-contained cabin volume typical of the trailerable cruiser class of the late 1980s.
Known Issues
No specific structural defects or model-specific failure modes are attributed to the Classic 22 in the available authority material. The only wear paths a buyer should anticipate are those inherent to the centerboard trunk and the solid-glass hull's age, but no osmotic outbreaks or hardware corrosion patterns are described for the design.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of a Classic 22 centers on its trailerable nature and outboard power. The boat takes an outboard motor rather than an inboard, which simplifies engine maintenance and keeps the hull clear for the centerboard trunk. Because production ended, any replacement parts for the stub-keel-centerboard hardware or the fractional rig will come from generic marine suppliers or salvage rather than a current builder support line.
The Verdict
The Windley Classic 22 is a straightforward, honestly built small cruiser that trades interior volume for the freedom of a 1.67-foot retracted draft and a roadworthy 2,300-pound weight. Its solid fiberglass construction and simple outboard-and-centerboard layout make it a low-complexity entry into trailerable coastal cruising, though the cabin must be judged in person against personal needs.
Pros
- Trailerable at 2,300 lb with 1.67 ft retracted draft for beaching and transport
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck, no core to delaminate
- Fractional sloop rig with balanced 215 sq ft of sail
- Outboard power simplifies ownership
Cons
- Cabin layout and tankage not documented in authority sources
- Out of production, limiting factory support
