The Halcyon 23 is a British trailerable

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

that was designed by Alan Buchanan as a

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and first built in 1967.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 232.

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, 2010. The Halcyon 23 is a development of the Buchanan designed 1961 Crystal 23.

Production

The design was built by Offshore Yachts Limited in the

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, from 1967 until 1975, with 1,000 boats built, but it is now out of production. Boats were supplied both complete and as kits for home completion.

Design

The Halcyon 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of

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, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, an angled

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

, a transom-hung

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

and a fixed fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

with a weighted bulb or optional triple keels with steel plate side fins. It displaces and carries of iron ballast. The boat has a draft of with the fin keel and with the triple keels. The boat was factory-fitted with a number of powerplants for docking and manoeuvring, including the British Stuart-Turner gasoline engine. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double

"V"-berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located on both sides of the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...

ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The

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is located on the starboard side under the bow cabin "V"-berth. Cabin headroom is . The design has a hull speed of .

Operational history

In a 1970 review in ''Yachts and Yachting'' concluded, "the Halcyon is a sturdy and comfortable little yacht which, although lacking some of the refinements of more modern designs, may well still have considerable appeal to those who do not believe in cramming the maximum number of separate compartments and berths into the minimum overall length. Not only is she offered with a very reasonable inventory but the general standard of fitting out, particularly below deck, is well above average standards in relation to the very modest price at which she is offered. The yacht is also offered in various stages of completion and many owners have taken advantage of this facility to complete the boat either in standard form or to meet their own ideas." In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "best features: The big-boat features offered as standard are impressive, especially the inboard engine. The ballast weight is shown here as 1,100 pounds, but 900 of these are mostly in a bulb at the bottom of a fin keel, so ultimately her ability to stand up in a blow would likely be significantly greater than the boat's comp

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, all of which are centerboarders with inside ballast. Worst features: The basic boat came with a hand-start inboard engine, which sounds mighty inconvenient for all but the most hardened sail-right-into-the-slip sailors, who never use engines anyway. The outboard rudder is hung on the transom with no support or weed guards below the stock itself, leaving the rudder open to damage if it connects with a rocky bottom, Some do-it-yourself kits were badly finished. Let the boat buyer beware."

References

External links

Photo of a Halcyon 23Photo of a Halcyon 23
{{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide Keelboats 1960s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Trailer sailers Sailboat type designs by Alan Buchanan Sailboat types built by Offshore Yachts Limited

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links