Balboa 21
Description
The Balboa 21 is an American trailerable sailboat designed by Lyle C. Hess and built by Coastal Recreation, Inc. in Costa Mesa, California, starting in 1977. It evolved from the earlier Balboa 20, offering a slightly larger platform with improved accommodations while maintaining the trailerable, entry-level appeal for daysailing, coastal cruising, or casual racing. Approximately 200–300 hulls were produced until the early 1980s. The design features a masthead sloop rig, a swing keel for shallow-water access, and a lightweight fiberglass hull, making it ideal for small crews (2–4 people) and easy towing with a standard vehicle (rigged weight ~2,000–2,500 lb.). A fixed-keel variant was offered for better performance, and the design shares lineage with the Ensenada 20, a raised-deck cousin. Note: The Balboa 21 is nearly identical to the Aquarius 21, as Coastal Recreation rebranded or modified the Aquarius design into the Balboa 21 in later years.
Construction Details
| Designer | Lyle C. Hess |
|---|---|
| Length | 21.000 ft |
| LOA | 21.000 ft |
| LWL | 18.250 ft |
| Beam | 7.920 ft |
| Displacement | 2000 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.580 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 22.83 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 6.55 ft |
| p | 18.83 ft |
| e | 9.83 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.83 ft | 6.55 ft | 18.83 ft | 9.83 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 18.83 ft - (5739 mm) |
| Foot | * 9.83 ft - (2996 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.72 ft - (6315 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 20.94 ft - (6383 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 95.65 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 22.56 ft - (6876 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.45 ft - (3185 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.38 ft - (6517 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.92 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.82 ft - (2993 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.96 ° |
| Area | * 110.79 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 22.56 ft - (6876 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.84 ft - (3304 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.48 ft - (6242 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 149.92 % |
| Length Perp | * 9.82 ft - (2993 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.03 ° |
| Area | * 110.78 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 22.56 ft - (6876 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.81 ft - (3295 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.76 ft - (6328 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 183 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 22.56 ft - (6876 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Foot | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 226 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.