Try to imagine a trailerable sailboat that has more sail than some very popular one-design racers, that has more waterline than some very successful level-rating boats, and has more room below decks than many boats much larger. It’s hard to believe, but that’s exactly what the San Juan 23 is, a performance, vestpocket cruiser, built by serious sailors, for serious sailors.

The San Juan 23 is a convenient, comfortable, performance sailboat, that combines the best of Clark Boat Company’s most popular racing boats with the finest aspects of trailerable sailing. The 23 has a pedigree that is obvious to even the most casual dock-walker, and her performance will excite any sailor. And the 23 has built-in safety and security, because it’s a well designed, performance cruiser.

The San Juan 23 is a better boat because it’s more boat than most trailerables. The kind of equipment you have to hunt around for on most boats in her class are standard on the 23. Equipment like jiffy reefing, full length genoa tracks, mainsheet traveller, boom vang, primary winches, wire halyards, & perforated aluminum toe rail. The nonskid decks and companionway hatch are balsa-cored for more strength. On the 23, the hull and deck are both bonded and bolted together, and the hull liner adds even more stiffness to the whole boat.

Some of the same hull and deck characteristics that make the 23 a great performer, also make her a great cruiser. She has a broadbeam for stability, and that gives her lots of interior space. The keel/centerboard is housed externally, so the floors are flat in the cabin. The forward vee berth is a real, honest-to goodness double berth, and in her no-holds-barred family configuration, the little 23 will sleep five people comfortably, using the vee berth, settees, and quarter berth. The dinette table is a full-size dining area, yet it folds down when not in use. For vacation cruising, standard amenities like a slide out galley, icebox, sink, watertank and optional two burner stove and marine head make for comfortable on-board liveability. Whether you go for a quick-sail weekender, or a vacation cruiser, you’ll get honest teak bulkheads, teak trim, thick cushions, loads of storage space, cabin lights, and a fully protected electrical system.

The 23’s sophisticated hull form and ample rig make her a blazing light-air performer, so she is right at home in the conditions most trailerable boats will encounter. But the 23 is no weakling, she is built in the manner of Clark’s long racing tradition, and she has the integrity to handle whatever weather you’d sail in. With her keel/centerboard down the 23 will go to weather with any trailerable cruiser, and off the wind she flies. Her lead keel/centerboard provides 960 lbs. of ballast for stability, and her long waterline gives her great hull-speed for a 23 footer.

When you add it all up, the 23 is more fun because it does almost everything better. With 234 square feet of sail on a 20’4" waterline the 23 is a very spritely boat. Her equipment makes her more exciting and easier to sail. Her keel/centerboard with a 1’11" draft, up, makes it easy to launch, and her 2700 pounds displacement makes her quick under sail or power, and a breeze to trailer. She is a delight for families, friends, single-handers and even landlocked racers. (There is a San Juan 23 national class association.) For beginners, and for experienced sailors, it is the trailerable boat that proves just how much fun sailing can be, and that speed really does thrill. Look at the specifications, study the plans, and then go for a sail in a San Juan 23. We know you’ll like it. The San Juan 23. We make sailing fun.

LOA ………………………….…….………23’ 0"

LWL ………………………….…….………20’ 4"

Beam ………………………………..………8’ 0"

Draft (board down) …………………………4’ 9"

Draft (board up) ……………………………1’ 11"

Displacement ………………………………2700 lbs.

Ballast (lead) …………………………………960 lbs.

Berths …………………………………………...5

The trailerable San Juan 23 is a performance-oriented cruiser designed for the family, single-hander or sailing friends. The hull lines are a modification of the latest thinking in level class racing boats with a reasonably generous waterline beam for stability and additional interior room.

A rather flat run reduces pitching in seas and increases performance off wind. The ballast to displacement ratio is high for a boat of this size to increase stability in heavier airs.

The sail plan was tailored to provide the largest sail area to displacement ratio of any production boat in her size range. A centerboard is used to optimize windward performance. The San Juan 23 should easily be the fastest boat of her size and type for those interested in performance, and one of the most comfortable for those interested in on-board living convenience.

Her deck is styled to optimize the interior spaciousness and be extremely appealing to the eye. The slope of the deck is carried well-forward to maximize the veeberth area in a way that a conventional coach roof cannot.

The San Juan 23 was designed to appeal to those who demand maximum sailing ability, comfort, beauty and fun.

Don Clark