Balboa 26
Description
The Balboa 26 is an American trailerable sailboat designed by legendary small-craft naval architect Lyle C. Hess (known for seaworthy pocket cruisers like the Balboa 20 and collaborations with Larry Pardey) and first built by Arthur Marine in Costa Mesa, California, starting in 1969. Production continued under Coastal Recreation Inc. from around 1972 until 1981, with approximately 300–400 hulls produced in total. Marketed as the "largest trailerable sailing cruiser" of its era, it was created to meet demand for an affordable, economical coastal cruiser that could handle family outings, daysailing, or short passages while being easily towed by a standard vehicle (total rigged weight under 4,000 lb.). The masthead sloop rig, swing keel (with a fixed keel option), and spade rudder make it forgiving yet responsive for beginners or short-handed crews (2–4 people), emphasizing stability and seaworthiness per Hess's design philosophy.
Construction Details
| Designer | Lyle C. Hess |
|---|---|
| Length | 26.000 ft |
| LOA | 16.000 ft |
| LWL | 14.670 ft |
| Beam | 7.500 ft |
| Displacement | 1000 lb |
| Max Draft | 2.420 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.830 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 30 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.75 ft |
| p | 24.83 ft |
| e | 10.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 ft | 10.75 ft | 24.83 ft | 10.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 24.83 ft - (7568 mm) |
| Foot | 10.75 ft - (3277 mm) |
| Leech | 26.82 ft - (8175 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 89.67 ° |
| Diagonal | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 137.89 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
| Foot | 12.75 ft - (3886 mm) |
| Leech | 24.67 ft - (7519 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 104.47 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.23 ft - (3423 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.54 ° |
| Area | * 157.24 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 25.75 ft - (7849 mm) |
| Foot | 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
| Leech | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.3 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.61 ° |
| Area | * 151.23 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Foot | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Leech | 27.25 ft - (8306 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.86 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.81 ft - (3600 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.03 ° |
| Area | * 177.1 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 29.25 ft - (8915 mm) |
| Foot | 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
| Leech | 26.75 ft - (8153 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 124.84 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.42 ft - (4090 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.77 ° |
| Area | * 196.33 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 30.75 ft - (9373 mm) |
| Foot | 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Leech | 28.5 ft - (8687 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 148.56 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.97 ft - (4868 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.39 ° |
| Area | * 245.6 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Foot | 16.42 ft - (5005 mm) |
| Leech | 27.25 ft - (8306 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 140.84 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.14 ft - (4615 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.02 ° |
| Area | * 219.59 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | 30.75 ft - (9373 mm) |
| Foot | 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Leech | 25.33 ft - (7721 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 148.93 % |
| Length Perp | * 16.01 ft - (4880 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 15.07 ° |
| Area | * 246.23 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31 ft - (9449 mm) |
| Foot | 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Leech | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 418 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | 30.25 ft - (9220 mm) |
| MidGirth | 19.35 ft - (5898 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.35 ft - (5898 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 498 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | 15.42 ft - (4700 mm) |
| Foot | 7.92 ft - (2414 mm) |
| Leech | 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 54.98 % |
| Length Perp | * 5.91 ft - (1801 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 21.97 ° |
| Area | * 45.6 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.