Irwin 10/4

Description

The Irwin 10/4 (1983–1987) is a Ted Irwin-designed 25 ft 4 in (LOA) fractional-rigged cruiser with a distinctive “10/4” name that refers to its unusual load-carrying philosophy: designed to safely carry ten people for daysailing or four people for week-long cruising. With a beam of 10 ft 4 in (hence the “10/4”), a very shoal fixed keel drawing only 2 ft 9 in (1,100 lb. encapsulated lead), and a light displacement of just 3,800 lb., she was marketed as the ultimate “go-anywhere” pocket cruiser for thin-water cruising grounds like Florida, the Chesapeake, and the Bahamas. The masthead-to-fractional rig carries a generous 340 sq ft (large roached main + 130 % genoa), giving surprisingly good performance for such a shallow boat—PHRF ratings typically 210–225—and many owners report easy 5½–6 knot speeds in moderate air. Below, she offers 5 ft 10 in headroom, an enclosed head, compact galley, dinette that converts to a double, and a private double berth aft under the cockpit. Roughly 150 were built before Irwin discontinued the model. Despite her shallow draft and wide beam giving a slightly tender initial stability, the 10/4 earned a devoted following for her huge cockpit, trailerability (with mast down), and genuine ability to sneak into anchorages that deeper boats can only dream of; surviving examples remain popular on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast today.