Islander 23
Description
The Islander 23 refers to two distinct trailerable pocket cruisers from the 1960s: the British Islander 23 (designed by L. Francis Wakefield and built by Russell Marine Ltd. from ~1966–1970, also sold as the Imperial 23 in the U.S.) and the American Islander 23 (designed by W.I.B. Crealock for Islander Yachts in Newport Beach, CA, ~1966–1968, later rebranded as the Iona 23). Both emphasize simplicity, seaworthiness, and affordability for coastal daysailing or weekend overnights for 2–4, with the British model favoring twin keels for tidal drying out and the American a full keel for stability. Production was limited (~50–100 hulls each), making them rare classics today. Owners praise their sturdy fiberglass builds, forgiving handling (PHRF ~240–260), and "real boat" feel despite the size, though they're tender in gusts and best for protected waters. The British version suits UK/European tidal areas; the American is more U.S.-oriented. This data is for the American boat.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Crealock |
|---|---|
| Builder | Islander Yachts |
| Length | 23.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 24.92 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9 ft |
| p | 21.08 ft |
| e | 9.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.92 ft | 9 ft | 21.08 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 21.08 ft - (6425 mm) |
| Foot | * 9.75 ft - (2972 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.77 ft - (6940 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.97 ° |
| Diagonal | * 22.91 ft - (6983 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 106.67 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 21.2 ft - (6462 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.19 ft - (3716 mm) |
| Leech | * 18.03 ft - (5496 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.35 ft - (3155 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.02 ° |
| Area | * 109.73 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 25.17 ft - (7672 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.76 ft - (4499 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.47 ft - (7154 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 169.88 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 25.17 ft - (7672 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.85 ft - (4526 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.16 ft - (7059 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 280 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 25.17 ft - (7672 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 347 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.