Gulf Coast 23
Description
The Gulf Coast 23, designed by naval architect Martin Bludworth and built by Gulf Coast Sailboats in Texas from 1969 to 1978, is a lightweight, trailerable pocket cruiser optimized for shallow-draft coastal sailing, club racing, and family daysailing along the Gulf of Mexico. With approximately 100–200 hulls produced, it features a fiberglass hard-chine hull with a swing keel (9 inches up / 3 feet 7 inches down), 22 feet 11 inches LOA, 7-foot-4-inch beam, 1,900-pound displacement, and 500 pounds of iron ballast (ballast/displacement ratio: 26%), delivering lively but tender handling suited to protected waters. The masthead sloop rig carries 212 sq ft of sail (SA/D: 21.7), enabling planning performance in 10–15 knots (hull speed: 5.9 knots, PHRF ~240), while the open cockpit seats 4–5 and a minimal cuddy cabin offers a V-berth and portable head for overnighting two. Powered by a 2–6 hp outboard in a well (4–5 knots motoring), it’s praised for dry ride in chop, easy trailering (under 2,200 lbs. rigged), and forgiving manners—ideal for junior programs or weekend getaways.
Construction Details
| Designer | Martin Bludworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Gulf Coast Sailboats |
| Length | 23.000 ft |
| LOA | 23.000 ft |
| LWL | 17.500 ft |
| Beam | 7.330 ft |
| Displacement | 1900 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.000 ft |
| Min Draft | 3.700 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 24.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 8.25 ft |
| p | 22 ft |
| e | 10 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.50 ft | 8.25 ft | 22 ft | 10 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Foot | * 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.64 ft - (7205 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 23.85 ft - (7269 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 113.62 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 20.68 ft - (6303 mm) |
| Foot | * 11.03 ft - (3362 mm) |
| Leech | * 17.8 ft - (5425 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.49 ft - (2893 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.03 ° |
| Area | * 98.13 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 24.56 ft - (7486 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.41 ft - (4087 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.02 ft - (7016 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.06 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.38 ft - (3773 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.99 ° |
| Area | * 152.03 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 24.56 ft - (7486 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.61 ft - (4148 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.6 ft - (6888 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 251 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 24.56 ft - (7486 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 14.85 ft - (4526 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.85 ft - (4526 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 310 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. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.