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• Sailboat Reviews

One of the oldest fiberglass boats, this traditional overnighter is long on looks, short on space.

The Sea Sprite 23 is a trim but rugged daysailer-overnighter from naval architect Carl A. Alberg that enjoyed a 25-year production run under several different Rhode Island builders, most notably Clarke Ryder. It’s a typical Alberg design—narrow beam, full keel and conservative ballast-to-displacement ratio and graceful lines. This is a boat that still turns heads when it sails into a harbor.

The origins of the Sea Sprite 23 go back to 1958 when the small American Boat Building company of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, wanted to expand its product line, consisting at the time of the Block Island 40. Carl Alberg, then in the U.S. Coast Guard, came up with a 22 1/2-foot, full-keel design. (We’re not sure what Alberg’s duties were in the Coast Guard, but they apparently left plenty of free time; besides the Sea Sprite, Alberg also drew the Pearson Triton and Bristol 27 while in the service.) The Sprite, incidentally, was first marketed as a 22; a later builder accentuated the positive and it became the 23.

American Boat Building employee Tom Potter Remembers being asked to test sail the new design. “We were terribly impressed by the boat, the way it performed.” It was, Potter said, typical of most of the boats Alberg would design over the years—”sensible boats you could take to sea.”

When American Boat Building dissolved during the early 1960s, production of the Sea Sprite was taken over by the nearby Wickford Shipyard, which built it for several years, after which the molds passed briefly to Sailstar, another small Rhode Island company, then to Clint Pearson, who was starting up his own Bristol Boat Company across Narragansett Bay.

Earlier, cousins Clint and Everett Pearson had obtained the rights to the Triton, which American Boat Building for some reason had not wanted. But when Bristol employee Paul Coble designed the Corsair 24, the rights to the Sea Sprite were sold to another Bristol builder, Clarke E. Ryder. This was about 1974, and Ryder continued to build the 23 until 1985 when his company folded.

Ryder built new molds for the boat, encapsulating the heretofore external lead keel and creating a self-bailing cockpit. Except for a few other minor changes and the introduction of hull colors besides white—bright red, blue and green—the Sea Sprite 23 built by Ryder (he began with hull #525) was fundamentally the same as the first off the line at American Boat Building. All told, the model reached a run of nearly 800 before Ryder closed the doors on this highly successful boat.

Like most of Alberg’s boats, the 23 is relatively narrow of beam (7′ 0″) and heavily ballasted—43 percent of its weight is in the full keel. Freeboard and superstructure are low, which makes for pleasing lines but less than spacious accommodations below. In short, this is a boat designed for sailing and not lounging around belowdecks.

With a waterline length of just 16′ 3″, the boat rated well (16.6) under the old Cruising Club of America (CCA) rules. It is intended to heel 30 degrees or so when underway (some regard this as initial tenderness), adding waterline length and increasing hull speed. The heeling angle plus the low freeboard—the rail gets close to the water—can bring an occasional dousing for the crew in a chop. But the boat is inherently stable, and the gentle sheer and distinctive overhangs add to its seagoing profile. The 23 draws only three feet, virtually shoal draft and less than many smaller boats.

Under the more modern PHRF rating system, which is a performance-based handicap system rather than a measurement rule, the Sprite has an average rating of about 270 seconds per mile—hardly a rule-beater, but reasonably fast for a full-keeled 23-footer. (One owner crowed about beating those “tubby” Cape Dorys—in all likelihood a competing Alberg design.)

The Sprite carries a modest 247 square feet of sail under main and working jib. (The newer O’Day 23, by contrast, is lighter by almost 300 pounds and has 246 square feet.) Early in its career, the Sea Sprite also came in a daysailer model, with an eight-foot cockpit instead of the standard six, and with two berths below instead of four, and no galley or icebox. Apparently few were made, which is understandable because the standard model has ample cockpit space and little enough room below.

Construction

The hull, deck and cabinhouse of the Ryder-built boats are solid, hand-laid fiberglass for a tight, sound body. One owner called the boat “overbuilt.” The hull/deck joint is a typical inward flange sealed with 3M 5200 and fastened with machine screws.

Most fiberglass boats older than 10 to 15 years show deterioration of the gelcoat and require painting. This will be true of many used Sea Sprites, too. None of the owners who responded to our survey reported gelcoat blistering, however. Some of the earlier models seemed to experience slight leaks around the mast step or chainplates; several of the Ryder boats apparently had leaking from the pulpit stanchions. Otherwise, the interiors are reported to be dry. Overall, the Sea Sprites seem to be structurally sound with no major repairs called for and few, if any, cosmetic problems. A 1983 model we sailed looked almost new.

The Sea Sprite was built as a top-of-the-line “sailing yacht,” as company literature described it. The quality shows in the non-skid surfaces on the deck and deckhouse, the standard bronze hardware, including opening portlights, and in the generous use of wood—mahogany coamings and backrest and teak grabrails above, and lots of teak trim below. Ryder introduced a full interior liner (previous models were painted fiberglass), and the judicious use of holly and teak helps offset the shiny white surfaces. We don’t know whether the Sea Sprite’s teak cockpit grids were standard on all models, but they are a nice touch.

The boats, at least the Ryder version, carry a 30- foot fractionally rigged mast by Hall Spars. The mast is deck-stepped and halyards are led internally. The small deckhouse makes for a roomy foredeck, which is reached via comfortably wide walkways.

Performance

Several of our readers say the Sea Sprite exhibits fairly sluggish light-air performance, which is a common complaint among smaller full-keel boats. Others have found that raising a 130- or 150-percent genoa in winds under 10 knots makes a definite improvement.

Performance improves noticeably as the wind pipes up and the boat digs in. Although the rail is near the water, the boat, once in its sailing mode, seems very stable and the steering nicely balanced with just a hint of weather helm. The low freeboard enhances the feeling of being on the water which, for a small-boat enthusiast at least, is worth the occasional spray in a head sea. And while the keel-hung rudder doesn’t respond as rapidly as a spade would, the 23 tacks smartly enough. One owner, who now sails a J/Boat, remembered his Sea Sprite’s tacking ability as “not unreasonably slow.”

This is a small boat that handles well when the going gets rough and goes readily offshore—no worries about early reefing here. One owner we know said he “never thought twice” about sailing his Sea Sprite to Block Island or Cuttyhunk. In fact, Ryder used to tout a transatlantic trip—60 days from Wickford, Rhode Island to Falmouth, England—made in 1974 by a 21-year-old singlehander as evidence of the boat’s ocean-going qualities. (The only damage—to the skipper—occurred when he tripped on the dock in England and broke his ankle.)

Moving under power, however, is another matter. A 4-hp outboard, which is located in a well aft of the tiller, will get the boat to hull speed; anything smaller is a strain, more than 6 hp and you may experience control problems. The outboard well is the usual nuisance and several readers surveyed either had banished the motor below or would like to. The best that can be said for the well is that it preserves the lines of the boat. Outboard performance is inversely proportionate to wind and waves. Having once fought a losing battle against gusting winds, tide and current, with ground speed reduced to about zero, we can attest to the Sea Sprite’s poor performance under power in these conditions. If only the channel had been wide enough to hoist the sails….

Ryder for a time offered an optional Yanmar Model 1 GM diesel. This would no doubt eliminate many of the headaches associated with the outboard motor and well, but the weight and expense of an inboard seems difficult to justify. None of the readers responding to our questionnaire own inboard models.

Down below, the cabin is light and reasonably airy with two opening ports and a smoked hatch. Despite some complaints about the lack of room (even Clarke Ryder says the interior is best suited for stowing stuff) we found there was satisfactory sitting headroom if you are under six feet. The 6′ 0″ V-berths are too short and have minimal clearance; the 6′ 3″ settee berths in the main cabin disappear quickly under the cockpit seats. This is an interior that is definitely not for the claustrophobic, but at least you won’t need lee cloths. The marine head (many owners have replaced it with a portable head) is located in a wedge at the foot of the V-berths where its virtual inaccessibility makes the privacy issue moot. To be fair, this is typical of the arrangements on most boats of this size.

To starboard, between the forward and main berths, is the “galley,” consisting of a sink and some stowage. To port, there’s an insulated icebox and more dry storage. The sink, fed by a 10-gallon fiberglass water tank under the starboard berth, drains via a through-hull. The icebox drains into the bilge. There’s more stowage, under bunks and here and there, but it’s basically covered openings to the bilge. On deck, there’s good storage space in a port locker and a fuel locker to starboard that’s sized for a three-gallon tank.

Conclusions

The Sea Sprite 23 isn’t for everyone. A lack of space and accommodations relegates it to the daysailer/occasional overnighter category. Although it lacks cruising luxuries, it is an exceptional daysailer—seaworthy and strongly built, and with a sailing range that belies its small size. Its stability and ease of handling make it a good choice for the older sailor who doesn’t need a big boat anymore, or for a small family primarily interested in day sailing.

We saw several Sea Sprites listed for sale this past fall (1991) in the $6,500 range—a good price for a well-built boat that’s going to be around for a while. Older Sprites originally sold for $5,000 (minus sails) with the later Ryder models going for about $11,000.

The Sprites can be said to have held their value well while still representing a bargain relative to what you get. As Clarke Ryder says, “They sail like a charm and they’re pretty. People who have them love them.”

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Sea Sprite Boats for sale

1981 Alberg Sea Sprite

Punta Gorda, Florida

Make Alberg

Model Sea Sprite

Category Sloop Sailboats

Posted Over 1 Month

1981 Alberg Sea Sprite 23' Alberg Sea Sprite, 1981 built by CE Ryder.  Excellent condition.  Nearly new Yamaha 6 h.p. four-stroke. Trailer, cushions (inside and cockpit).  Beautiful and fun daysailor or weekender.  781-883-7646 or 781-883-7647.

2014 Princecraft SeaSprite

Manchester, Maine

Make Princecraft

Model SeaSprite

Category Utility Boats

2014 Princecraft SeaSprite For the Best in Compact, Lightweight Utility Boats Princecraft aluminum utility boats provide lightweight and compact models, built to give you years of satisfaction.

2016 Princecraft SeaSprite

Request Price

Ogdensburg, New York

2016 Princecraft SeaSprite A fishing rod, a waterway, a utility boat: it’s often the simple things that are the most fun. Add unmatched durability, incredible lightness, and rock solid strength. Can’t you just feel the tingle of the line as you move through the water? Hey, you’ve got a bite! Please note: This boat model may or may not be in-stock. A Nationally Advertised Price, if listed, may change without notice or include accessories not fully described herein. Please contact your local, authorized dealer for exact details on model availability and package pricing.

Irmo, South Carolina

2015 Princecraft SeaSprite

2015 Princecraft SeaSprite This boat model may or may not be in-stock. Please contact your local, authorized dealer for more information.

1983 Sea Sprite 2095 Sea Skiff

Barnhart, Missouri

Make Sea Sprite

Model 2095 Sea Skiff

Category Powerboats

1983 Sea Sprite 2095 Sea Skiff custom cover, stereo, and dual battery switchEngine & Drivetrain:- Engine Make: OMC- Engine Model: 3.8 V-6- Horsepower: 185- Fuel Type: Gas Engine hours: 300

Sea Sprite 22 full keel sailboat, used, built 1980 fiberglass

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Category Cruiser Motorcycles

Length 22.0

A fine example of this classic day sailor and cruiser. Hull in great shape with new shrouds, sails, motor and cushions in the past five years. Bright work sanded and revarnished. Roller furling and lazy jacks for easy handling. Beautiful boat to sail! Can be seen in the water inn Old Lyme, Ct. Call (860) 526-7104 for further details.

1981 C.E. Ryder Sea Sprite

Oriental, North Carolina

Make C.E. Ryder

Category Sailboats

1981 C.E. Ryder Sea Sprite The Sea Sprite 34 has classic lines and a full keel. Her center of gravity is very low which contributes to her being easily sailed and handling well. The 34 was designed by the world renowned Alfred "Bill" Luders, Jr and was built by C.E. Ryder. Ferenc Mate in his book "Best Boats To Build or Buy" described the Sea Sprite/Luders 34 as, "one for the heart". This Sea Sprite is a wonderful pedigree boat that has had tender loving care. She is ready to go. Sea Sprite has been brought to the highest of standards, and shows it. Sea Sprite was repowered in 2012 with a new Beta Marine diesel.  She only has 365 hours!  check out the specifications for a full description of this fine yacht.   She is a true beauty.  More pictures of the cockpit will be added when the weather improves and the Dodger and Bimini are installed.

1988 Sea Sprite 195

Liberty, Indiana

Category Bowrider Boats

1988 Sea Sprite 195 Nice boat with some recent updates.  This one is ready for the water.  175 HP Mercruiser, covers, tandem trailer and more.  Get on the water for not a lot of money!

1992 Sea Sprite 2350

Tafton, Pennsylvania

Category Center Consoles

1992 Sea Sprite 2350, RECENT TRADE, SOLID BOAT THAT RUNS WELL, V8 POWER, DUAL BATTERIES WITH SWITCH, GREAT FOR FISHING WITH A LIVEWELL, PLENTY OF ROD STORAGE, TRAILER INCLUDED IN SALE!

1977 Sea Sprite 230

Cataumet, Massachusetts

1977 Sea Sprite 230 The Classic 23 Sea Sprite designed by Carl Alberg has a full keel and excellent sail inventory.

1959 Sea sprite

Haughton, Louisiana

Category Daysailer Sailboats

MAKE ME AN OFFERI am selling my SS23 Narvick because my father, who owned her, passed away recently. I used to sail her with him and my Grandfather in Mass. where we originally bought her.She is in pretty good condition. We moved down to Louisiana, and sanded her and put new gray marine paint from top to bottom about 10 years ago. We put her back into the water in Arkansas at Lake De Gray. We have pulled it out twice to re coat the bottom and polish the paint the last time it was out was about 2 1/2 years ago. We have added an outboard motor mount on the stern that can lift the motor out of the water when she is underway. She has a knot meter and a depth gauge with 12 volt battery and solar charger.My Dad had a new trailer built for her before his death that goes with the boat. It cost $2,800.Her name is Narvik. She is hull #10 with sail number 10. The only thing not original are the winches. She sleeps four and I have two sets of cushions one set that is gray and the other that is maroon. She has multiple sails in reasonable condition and a good sail cover.The bow has some damage from hitting the dock, and needs to be fiber glassed and repainted, about $500 will fix the damage. Location: Lake DeGray, ArkansasPlease contact me for more pics and info

1989 Sea Sprite 195CC

Antioch, Illinois

Model 195CC

Category Cuddy Cabin Boats

1989 Sea Sprite 195CC, Trailer this boat to whichever lake you want! Trades considered.

1987 Sea Sprite SS 195

Windsor Charter Township, Michigan

Model SS 195

1987 Sea Sprite SS 195 1987 Sea Sprite 195 SS Cuddy - powered with a Cobra 130 HP 3.0 I/O!  This is a great boat to get you and your family out on the big water - for either fishing or cruising - without breaking the bank! If you want to break into the cuddy market with a solid-running tried-and-true craft, this is the right cuddy for you! The photos show everything you need to know!  Stop by the marina or give us a call if you have any questions!

1992 Sea Sprite Fishing Boat 2350 WA

Model Fishing Boat 2350 WA

1992 Sea Sprite Fishing Boat 2350 WA, RECENT TRADE, SOLID BOAT THAT RUNS WELL, V8 POWER, DUAL BATTERIES WITH SWITCH, GREAT FOR FISHING WITH A LIVEWELL, PLENTY OF ROD STORAGE, TRAILER INCLUDED IN SALE!

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SEA SPRITE ASSOCIATION

For sea sprite sailboat lovers everywhere.

Sea Sprite 23

The first portion of this section is links to Sailboatdata.com for diagrams and specs for both the Weekender and the Daysailor.

FOR THE DAYSAILOR:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/sea-sprite-23-daysailor

FOR THE WEEKENDER:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/sea-sprite-23-weekender

The second section is a review from Practical Sailor about the boat:

One of the oldest fiberglass boats, this traditional overnighter is long on looks, short on space.

The Sea Sprite 23 is a trim but rugged daysailer-overnighter from naval architect Carl A. Alberg that enjoyed a 25-year production run under several different Rhode Island builders, most notably Clarke Ryder. It’s a typical Alberg design—narrow beam, full keel and conservative ballast-to-displacement ratio and graceful lines. This is a boat that still turns heads when it sails into a harbor.

The origins of the Sea Sprite 23 go back to 1958 when the small American Boat Building company of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, wanted to expand its product line, consisting at the time of the Block Island 40. Carl Alberg, then in the U.S. Coast Guard, came up with a 22 1/2-foot, full-keel design. (We’re not sure what Alberg’s duties were in the Coast Guard, but they apparently left plenty of free time; besides the Sea Sprite, Alberg also drew the Pearson Triton and Bristol 27 while in the service.) The Sprite, incidentally, was first marketed as a 22; a later builder accentuated the positive and it became the 23.

American Boat Building employee Tom Potter Remembers being asked to test sail the new design. “We were terribly impressed by the boat, the way it performed.” It was, Potter said, typical of most of the boats Alberg would design over the years—”sensible boats you could take to sea.”

When American Boat Building dissolved during the early 1960s, production of the Sea Sprite was taken over by the nearby Wickford Shipyard, which built it for several years, after which the molds passed briefly to Sailstar, another small Rhode Island company, then to Clint Pearson, who was starting up his own Bristol Boat Company across Narragansett Bay.

Earlier, cousins Clint and Everett Pearson had obtained the rights to the Triton, which American Boat Building for some reason had not wanted. But when Bristol employee Paul Coble designed the Corsair 24, the rights to the Sea Sprite were sold to another Bristol builder, Clarke E. Ryder. This was about 1974, and Ryder continued to build the 23 until 1985 when his company folded.

Ryder built new molds for the boat, encapsulating the heretofore external lead keel and creating a self-bailing cockpit. Except for a few other minor changes and the introduction of hull colors besides white—bright red, blue and green—the Sea Sprite 23 built by Ryder (he began with hull #525) was fundamentally the same as the first off the line at American Boat Building. All told, the model reached a run of nearly 800 before Ryder closed the doors on this highly successful boat.

Like most of Alberg’s boats, the 23 is relatively narrow of beam (7′ 0″) and heavily ballasted—43 percent of its weight is in the full keel. Freeboard and superstructure are low, which makes for pleasing lines but less than spacious accommodations below. In short, this is a boat designed for sailing and not lounging around belowdecks.

With a waterline length of just 16′ 3″, the boat rated well (16.6) under the old Cruising Club of America (CCA) rules. It is intended to heel 30 degrees or so when underway (some regard this as initial tenderness), adding waterline length and increasing hull speed. The heeling angle plus the low freeboard—the rail gets close to the water—can bring an occasional dousing for the crew in a chop. But the boat is inherently stable, and the gentle sheer and distinctive overhangs add to its seagoing profile. The 23 draws only three feet, virtually shoal draft and less than many smaller boats.

Under the more modern PHRF rating system, which is a performance-based handicap system rather than a measurement rule, the Sprite has an average rating of about 270 seconds per mile—hardly a rule-beater, but reasonably fast for a full-keeled 23-footer. (One owner crowed about beating those “tubby” Cape Dorys—in all likelihood a competing Alberg design.)

The Sprite carries a modest 247 square feet of sail under main and working jib. (The newer O’Day 23, by contrast, is lighter by almost 300 pounds and has 246 square feet.) Early in its career, the Sea Sprite also came in a daysailer model, with an eight-foot cockpit instead of the standard six, and with two berths below instead of four, and no galley or icebox. Apparently few were made, which is understandable because the standard model has ample cockpit space and little enough room below.

Construction

The hull, deck and cabinhouse of the Ryder-built boats are solid, hand-laid fiberglass for a tight, sound body. One owner called the boat “overbuilt.” The hull/deck joint is a typical inward flange sealed with 3M 5200 and fastened with machine screws.

Most fiberglass boats older than 10 to 15 years show deterioration of the gelcoat and require painting. This will be true of many used Sea Sprites, too. None of the owners who responded to our survey reported gelcoat blistering, however. Some of the earlier models seemed to experience slight leaks around the mast step or chainplates; several of the Ryder boats apparently had leaking from the pulpit stanchions. Otherwise, the interiors are reported to be dry. Overall, the Sea Sprites seem to be structurally sound with no major repairs called for and few, if any, cosmetic problems. A 1983 model we sailed looked almost new.

The Sea Sprite was built as a top-of-the-line “sailing yacht,” as company literature described it. The quality shows in the non-skid surfaces on the deck and deckhouse, the standard bronze hardware, including opening portlights, and in the generous use of wood—mahogany coamings and backrest and teak grabrails above, and lots of teak trim below. Ryder introduced a full interior liner (previous models were painted fiberglass), and the judicious use of holly and teak helps offset the shiny white surfaces. We don’t know whether the Sea Sprite’s teak cockpit grids were standard on all models, but they are a nice touch.

The boats, at least the Ryder version, carry a 30- foot fractionally rigged mast by Hall Spars. The mast is deck-stepped and halyards are led internally. The small deckhouse makes for a roomy foredeck, which is reached via comfortably wide walkways.

Performance

Several of our readers say the Sea Sprite exhibits fairly sluggish light-air performance, which is a common complaint among smaller full-keel boats. Others have found that raising a 130- or 150-percent genoa in winds under 10 knots makes a definite improvement.

Performance improves noticeably as the wind pipes up and the boat digs in. Although the rail is near the water, the boat, once in its sailing mode, seems very stable and the steering nicely balanced with just a hint of weather helm. The low freeboard enhances the feeling of being on the water which, for a small-boat enthusiast at least, is worth the occasional spray in a head sea. And while the keel-hung rudder doesn’t respond as rapidly as a spade would, the 23 tacks smartly enough. One owner, who now sails a J/Boat, remembered his Sea Sprite’s tacking ability as “not unreasonably slow.”

This is a small boat that handles well when the going gets rough and goes readily offshore—no worries about early reefing here. One owner we know said he “never thought twice” about sailing his Sea Sprite to Block Island or Cuttyhunk. In fact, Ryder used to tout a transatlantic trip—60 days from Wickford, Rhode Island to Falmouth, England—made in 1974 by a 21-year-old singlehander as evidence of the boat’s ocean-going qualities. (The only damage—to the skipper—occurred when he tripped on the dock in England and broke his ankle.)

Moving under power, however, is another matter. A 4-hp outboard, which is located in a well aft of the tiller, will get the boat to hull speed; anything smaller is a strain, more than 6 hp and you may experience control problems. The outboard well is the usual nuisance and several readers surveyed either had banished the motor below or would like to. The best that can be said for the well is that it preserves the lines of the boat. Outboard performance is inversely proportionate to wind and waves. Having once fought a losing battle against gusting winds, tide and current, with ground speed reduced to about zero, we can attest to the Sea Sprite’s poor performance under power in these conditions. If only the channel had been wide enough to hoist the sails….

Ryder for a time offered an optional Yanmar Model 1 GM diesel. This would no doubt eliminate many of the headaches associated with the outboard motor and well, but the weight and expense of an inboard seems difficult to justify. None of the readers responding to our questionnaire own inboard models.

Down below, the cabin is light and reasonably airy with two opening ports and a smoked hatch. Despite some complaints about the lack of room (even Clarke Ryder says the interior is best suited for stowing stuff) we found there was satisfactory sitting headroom if you are under six feet. The 6′ 0″ V-berths are too short and have minimal clearance; the 6′ 3″ settee berths in the main cabin disappear quickly under the cockpit seats. This is an interior that is definitely not for the claustrophobic, but at least you won’t need lee cloths. The marine head (many owners have replaced it with a portable head) is located in a wedge at the foot of the V-berths where its virtual inaccessibility makes the privacy issue moot. To be fair, this is typical of the arrangements on most boats of this size.

To starboard, between the forward and main berths, is the “galley,” consisting of a sink and some stowage. To port, there’s an insulated icebox and more dry storage. The sink, fed by a 10-gallon fiberglass water tank under the starboard berth, drains via a through-hull. The icebox drains into the bilge. There’s more stowage, under bunks and here and there, but it’s basically covered openings to the bilge. On deck, there’s good storage space in a port locker and a fuel locker to starboard that’s sized for a three-gallon tank.

Conclusions

The Sea Sprite 23 isn’t for everyone. A lack of space and accommodations relegates it to the daysailer/occasional overnighter category. Although it lacks cruising luxuries, it is an exceptional daysailer—seaworthy and strongly built, and with a sailing range that belies its small size. Its stability and ease of handling make it a good choice for the older sailor who doesn’t need a big boat anymore, or for a small family primarily interested in day sailing.

We saw several Sea Sprites listed for sale this past fall (1991) in the $6,500 range—a good price for a well-built boat that’s going to be around for a while. Older Sprites originally sold for $5,000 (minus sails) with the later Ryder models going for about $11,000.

The Sprites can be said to have held their value well while still representing a bargain relative to what you get. As Clarke Ryder says, “They sail like a charm and they’re pretty. People who have them love them.”

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Life Jackets for Active, Racing Sailors

The third section contains individual project stories and other articles of interest to sea sprite 23 owners. To submit an article, write up the article either as an email or as a separate attachment, number the pictures, and make it clear where in the article they belong. Attach the pictures to the email and send it to:      Carter Hall at [email protected].

Take a look at the article Dejan wrote for the SS23 about chain plate replacement. It is under “Technical” and then “SS23” then “Chainplate”. Your pictures will be inserted at the point you indicate in the article .

The article will be posted as a feature post on the home page for about 2 to 3 weeks,and then put into the Technical section.

Also, please attach a little blurb about yourself, where you sail, something about the boat, etc, information that can be used as a lead in to the article.

Send your article with pictures to Carter Hall at [email protected].

Also, questions and comments about the article should be discussed in the Forum, not after the article.

SS23 WEEKENDER

7 thoughts on “ Sea Sprite 23 ”

Does anyone have a dodger on a SS 23? I’m in Maine and would like to add one!

I have a sea sprite 23 weekender after a major re fit and fitting a 1 gm inboard diesel engine new rudder etc we launched Hitchiker last week stepped the Hall spars 1970 mast now painted white all new standing and running rigging ,we are using the mainsail that must be 25 plus years old but in good condition,I am not sure what size headsail to have made I have put the original tracks on the new teak toe rail but am not happy with the shape of a jib that sheets outside the spreaders .I am swayed to putting two tracks close to the cabin sides and sheeting inside the cap shrouds has anyone any ideas about this?

I have a the same concerns with head sail shape. My 1963 has fair leads on the cabin, one forward and one aft and one on the deck aft of the windows. I’ve played around with sheeting angles for both my 110 and 150 head sails. I also have a copy of the original line drawings. My plan is to have a new jib made which will be sheeted on the cabin top. A friend of my operates a sail loft here in Vermont and measured for it. I’ll also have the 150 cut to a smaller size and rearrange to sheet on the deck. I think toe rail sheeting is ineffective. I have a pic from my last sail, going up wind in 15+ if interested.

I was given a SS 23 day sailor a couple of years ago that had been languishing in a boatyard since it’s owner went into a nursing home and his wife and children got tired of paying the fees to store it. This spring I’m planning on doing a complete paint and varnish job from the bilges to the cabin top and polishing the hull to go sailing. The boat and I are located on Lake Ontario so salt damage isn’t an issue. What I’m wondering is, where is the normal place for a battery to power the running lights and VHF radio? In the stern next to the outboard motor compartment? I can see no indication of where the previous owner ran his power cords from, but the running lights and mast antenna are all there. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

my battery box was inside cabin under companionway ladder,molded fiberglass box with cover fits flush with cabin floor.

A friend has a SS 23 weekender. Can anyone help with the process of taking the mast down in order to replace the anchor light. Moored boats in south Florida are getting ticketed for missing mast top lights

Love to look at a few in person! It would be a nice step “down” from my old Countess, now sold and I miss her! Thanks and fair winds! Alan

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Moscow city, Oko tower. Luxurious apartment on the 50th floor for the most sophisticated buyer. The apartment itself seems to dictate – live for yourself, your life, manage it! He is ready to help, he also has a soul, the designers put it into it. A man with a sense of beauty has worked on the style of the apartment! Interior details are carefully selected with taste and attention. The color concept is moderate, daring, modern, but not shocking! The soft energy of the Oko Tower, you can feel it, just touch it … I think there is no point in describing this beautiful apartment, it is better to live in it and see it with your own eyes. There is a possibility of a test drive of the apartment with a check-in for several days. In the spacious hall of the apartment, there is: – Huge, graphite-colored designer sofa; – Cinema with sound system and karaoke – Lounge area with striptease pole and swing – Large dining table for 6 people – Bar counter with 10 bar stools – A large number of board games, including mafia, imaginarium, cash flow, etc. In the kitchen area: – Professional coffee machine, with incredible delicious coffee – A collection of teas collected for every taste – Fridge-freezer, which always has ice for drinks – Oven, microwave oven, electric kettle – Glasses for wine / champagne and dishes for food The first and second bedrooms of the apartment are a separate world from which you don’t want to leave. All Furniture is made to order in the same style. Incredibly large bed Complements the bedroom – access to a luxurious bathroom with panoramic views of Moscow.

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