Max Power 4.0 hp, 2.98 kw
This is a nice boat. With the centerboard trunk below the floor, the cockpit is roomy and easy to move around in. I found myself standing up more often than not and walking around, but the seats were just right too. I need a backrest, and it was right there. Unlike many small boats, the seat was high enough above the floor to avoid that "cramp knee" feeling. Plenty of freeboard to keep out the water, and the cockpit self bails through the centerboard trunk.
The 500 pound centerboard is raised by a hydraulic cylinder. Lowered by turning a knob to release the pressure, and it took me over 70 strokes on the pump handle to raise it.
The rudder slides down into a cage that rotates 360 degrees, it has a slight curve so you do have a little weather helm. Since the rudder rotates about the center, there is almost no "feel" in the tiller which makes the boat very easy to steer. It was easy to tack, this boat turns quickly for a 21'6" boat.
The roller furling jib worked well, very easy to roll in or out. No jib tracks but they didn't seem to be needed. The 4 to 1 mainsheet system worked fine, but the cleat was just a bit low. We got into the habit of knocking the sheet down out of the cleat with a foot. There was no adjustment left to raise the cleat, perhaps you could put it on top instead of the bottom.
The hull is virtually unsinkable, with thermoformed UV protected plastic, fiberglass mat and injected foam. Plenty of room in the large cuddy cabin for gear, space all the way down both sides under the seats.
Good performance, we easily pulled away from a Precision 21 that was on the lake. Later we noticed we were throwing quite a wake behind the boat, which makes me wonder about the hull shape. The boat was quite stable, controls are easy to reach and it was enjoyable to sail. 2005 Portsmouth rating of 92.
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