Can you Tell What Boat This Is?

[Zeida]

[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... b7e635.jpg[/img]
If anyone knows or recognizes what type boat this is, Sea Hunt will be very grateful. A friend has sent him this photo, thinking it was a CD Typhoon, but we do not think so. It may be a small Alberg, or similar. Any help will be appreciated.

[marilou]

Might be a Sea Sprite or C.E. Ryder 23?

[Sea Hunt]

Zeida:

Thank you VERY much for posting the photo on my behalf. One would think I would learn how to post a photo to this board. So far, no success. I am told I suffer from "OMD".

I do not yet have any dimensions for this particular sailboat. A friend who is very, very knowledgeable about sailboats, thought it was a Cape Dory. I am very sure it is not, although it does look very much like a Carl Alberg design. The research I have done suggests it may be a Sea Sprite 23 although it has two round portals port and starboard instead of one elongated portal port and starboard. I guess it is possible they glassed in the elongated portals and installed round portals on each side.

I have not inspected this sailboat yet because I have been unable to hook up with the owner.

The big advantage to me of this sailboat (knowing nothing about her except from this photo) is that she is docked somewhere in Miami Beach, Florida.

Zeida, thank you again for your kindness.

Fair winds,

[Oswego John]

Zeida,

The boat is too long for a Ty Weekender. The picture does look to be about 23 feet long.

The Weekender's mast is on top of a cuddy cabin. The boat pictured has the mast frw'd of the cabin.

The Ty has a rounded off cuddy. The boat that is pictured has a squared edge trunk cabin

The Ty W/E has one port light on either side of the cuddy, whereas the boat pictured has two per side.

All in all, the hull has very similar lines to that of a Typhoon. It could be an Alberg designed boat.

Other than that, it's a nice looking boat that might be good for Sea Hunt.

Best regards,
O J
PS: It's not a Ty Sr. either.

[Steve Kuhar]

The Sea Sprite 23s that I have seen have a single oblong (like Cape Dories) port on each side. Other than that I can't see any differences, and would bet it is a Sea Sprite. If I remember correctly it is an Alberg design, and they were built in Maine.

Steve Kuhar

[Clay Stalker]

I am not sure, but I would guess a Sea Sprite. The hull looks like an Alberg hull, which the SS23 was, but the cabin is different than any of the various types I have seen on Sea Sprites. As they were built by several different builders, most in Rhode Island, there are several different cabin designs....but I have never seen that one. It could be a custom job (homemade) to made a larger cabin area....We could send the picture to Clarke Ryder (who built the majority of the SS23s) and see what he thinks. He still lives in Rhode Island and still messes around with boats.

[John D.]

I do not know what the boat in the photos is, but for what it's worth, there is a Typhoon size boat in my marina that looks very like the Sea Sprite 23. The owner told me that Alberg designed it, but would not allow the builder to call it an Alberg design, because he did not like their build quality. Has anyone else heard this? If true, there is a 23-footer out there that looks like a Sea Sprite but that should be looked at carefully before being bought.

[Sea Hunt]

The following is a website photo gallery for Sea Sprites:

http://www.seasprites.com/gallery_23Fleet.asp

If you click on a particular photo, it will show an enlarged photo in the space below the gallery. The photo of the one with the blue hull looks an awful lot like the one Zeida posted on my behalf except for the one oblong (?) portal on each side versus the two round portals on the one in Miami Beach.

I still have not heard from the owner.

Fair winds,

[Alan D.]

I own a Sea Sprite 23. That boat is almost certainly a Sea Sprite. The only thing that looks "off" is the double portholes. But there was some variation in the Ryder boats. Supposedly, my boat was the Annapolis boat show display boat for '81, and it had some factory upgrades, incuding opening bronze portholes -- a large, oval one on each side.

For what it's worth, it's a lovely boat. Beautiful lines, a blast to sail, narrow 7-foot beam that is happiest heeling at 20 degrees or so, yet keeps me out of trouble even when I screw up. Very cramped in the cabin, but a wonderful daysailor. Practical Sailor reviewed it a few years ago, and loved it. If you're interested, you could buy the review from the Practical Sailor site, or buy their 2-volume set of boat reviews.

[bhartley]

I would also concur that it's a Ryder Sea Sprite. Ryder's have the full lazarette/motor well aft. Replacement portlights are pretty common as the originals are not available. The round lights are a little different though!

I emailed Robert the 22D ad which he felt was too cramped below with the diesel. I love our SS23 dearly, but it is the definition of cramped down below!!! Absolutely divine sailing boat though.

Carl Alberg knew how to draw a good looking boat!

Bly

[Sea Hunt]

Hello Bly:

The sailboat I may look at on Miami Beach (if the owner ever calls me) does not have an aft lazarette/motor well aft. It has an attachment/bracket affixed near the transom similar to the Typhoon Weekender so that you attach a small O/B motor to this bracket. This does not show up well on the photo that I emailed to Zeida. Sorry. However, there were several other photos my friend sent to me that clearly show the bracket hanging off the transom (like the CD Ty Weekender). I think this may be one of the reasons he initially thought it was a Cape Dory.

There is no aft lazarette at all on this sailboat. Also, from what I can see in the other photos I received, apparently the cockpit seats do not have lockers.

I have looked at some Internet pictures of some Sea Sprite 23s that do appear to have an aft lazarette/motor well (similar to the CD 25). I suspect that, depending on the builder, there were different modifications, etc. that could be done. Sort of like the CD 22 with a diesel or a CD 22 without a diesel. While the hull, etc. is essentially the same, they are very different sailboats in many ways, including cabin space.

If I ever get to look at this probable SS 23, I will pay careful attention to the cabin space. While I am not looking for a lot of space, particularly in a small sailboat, I do want at least to be able to have space to be able to "camp overnight" in Biscayne Bay.

I will also report back to this board on mfg, year, etc. if I ever get to inspect her.

The search continues.

Fair winds,

[bhartley]

Sea Sprite poop deck differences... (copied from my same posting on the triton381.com forum)

Sea Sprite 23s are one of the longest built production sailboats having been built first by Sailstar then Wickford and finally Ryder. A "finish-yourself" model was also offered. As with so many of the Cape Dories, the original molds have been destroyed. There are distinct variations with each. One of the most obvious is the poop deck. Pulpits, stern rails and lifelines are all optional and don't really tell the builder.

The original design called for a small diesel but very few were built or still exist. Many of the original Sailstar Sea Sprites have no provision for a motor at all. The Wickford built SS's (like mine) have the port side outboard well and lazarette on starboard. The Ryder SS's (last ones built) have a center well that is HUGE and the outboard protrudes into the cockpit.

Most SS's sit a little bow down due to the lack of the diesel weight in the original design. I have a pile of lead pigs I keep meaning to put under the gas tank shelf in the starboard lazarette. The only problem it really causes is that water accumulates on the seats along the bulkhead when it rains.

Note: Although the cabin is very small, it is still far larger than the Typhoon's. One can sit up without hitting their head while on the head on the SS!


Sailstar with no well at all.


Wickford with no outboard in place. I removed the hatch cover as it was always open and looked odd.


Ryder's are center mounted with a gas tank locker under the starboard seat.


I saved the lid and the teak pieces are removable should I or someone else want to change it back. The hatch used a piano hinge so the aft piece of teak is covering 20+ holes.

[/b]

[bhartley]

I believe this is the exact boat you are looking at. It was for sale in Florida back in 2005. External chainplates, odd portlights, transom mounted outboard. Clearly, it has been painted.

The only other SS23 I know of with external chainplates and no lazarette opening is a Ryder-built hull that was a "finish it yourself" model. It is one dock down from me on Lake Hartwell!



Do I win?

Bly

[Sea Hunt]

Hello Bly:

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. Yes, you win

The owner left me a voice mail message this morning with some information. I hope to look at her later this week. The current owner apparently travels a lot.

It is a 1976 Sea Sprite 23. He says he bought it 3 years ago for $10,000 (this seems very high ) and put "several thousand" into upgrades (new sails -main & roller furler, new shrouds, mostly new running riggings, etc.) He did not yet disclose his asking price.

According to his voice mail message, she has a two year old bottom paint job (I think this would be consistent with your comments about the SS 23 in your photo) and a 3 HP Nissan long shaft (difficult to tell what O/B is on the SS 23 in your photo).

He says there is "cosmetic damage" on the starboard side from an errant boater docking next to him.

Bly, do you happen to have any specifics on what this SS 23 had on her in 2004/2005 time frame or what she sold for when last sold?

Given my track record, I am not holding out a lot of hope, although I do have fingers appropriately crossed.

If this turns out to be my first sailboat, I will be disappointed that it was/is not a Cape Dory, but at least she is a Carl Alberg design.

Bly, and all others, thank you again for all of your support, advise and encouragement.

As others have justly said, this board is absolutely amazing in the depth of its knowledge, offers of assistance, camaraderie, etc.

Fair winds,

[Cathy Monaghan]

...she sure is pretty.

If you can get behind her, and she's not too old, you'll find her HIN in the upper right (starboard) corner of the transom. The first 3 letters in the HIN identify the manufacturer.

Here are some links for Sea Sprite associations:

Sea Sprite Association: http://www.seasprites.com/
Sea Sprite 23: http://www.seasprite23.homestead.com/
Alberg30 Association (Sea Sprite 23 history): http://www.alberg30.org/collaborate/Sea ... wentyThree

Hope this helps,
Cathy
CDSOA Webmaster