north american spirit 23 sailboat review

Review of Spirit 23

Basic specs., sailing characteristics.

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Spirit 23 is 2.24, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Spirit 23 is about 98 kg/cm, alternatively 551 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 98 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 551 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Spirit 23 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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Draft: Spirit 23 vs. North American 23

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Sailboatdata.com states that the minimum draft of the Spirit 23 is 2.40' (about 2' 5") and the minimum draft of the North American 23 is 2.0'. These are really the same boats, right? My guess is that the correct draft is 2.0'. Is that right? Thanks.  

The Spirit 23 page on sailboatdata says "An earlier version was known as the NORTH AMERICAN 23. It was renamed after North American Yachts was sold off by powerboat manufacturer Glastron. " They should be the same boat.  

Thanks... but I'm still looking for the correct minimum draft for these two boats. Is it 2 feet or is it 2.4 feet?  

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Ben Lobaugh

New toy: north american spirit 23 – zzzippety doo dah.

This post is well overdue, by a couple of months actually…sorry.

A few years back I became interested in sailboats when a friend began looking for one, and my aunt began telling me stories of her time living aboard a sailboat. I started doing some research of my own and after several months I came to the conclusion that when I moved back near the Puget Sound I would be interested in acquiring my own sailboat. Over the next couple years I regularly read articles on sailing and specific sailboats, surfed Yacht World looking at types, sizes, and prices, and checking out Craigslist to see what was available nearby. Originally I wanted to get a large sailboat that I could live on (trust me, it’s way cheaper in Seattle to live on a boat than to rent an apartment!) but after sitting down and defining my life goals over the next two years I realized the trade off would not allow me to accomplish my primary long term goal, but a smaller sailboat without live aboard features might do fine. The only problem with small sailboats is that I do not like the way most of them look. Lines are very important to me and little sailboats just aren’t all that great to look at.

Fast forward to two months ago, I was sitting at my desk at work waiting for a project to build and hopped on Craigslist looking at…you guessed it, sailboats. Up pops a post for a North American Spirit 23 within a 50 minute drive. I loved it! The lines are beautiful and it is a rare boat, which makes me like it all the more as I like to have something just a little different (I drive a 1965 VW Bus remember?). I called the seller and went out the next day to take a look. The hull was in great condition, paint needed redone, and the motor was in the shop, but she was gorgeous. I wanted her, but I forced myself to walk away and think it over. As you guessed I did in fact buy the sailboat, the next day. I figured she was cheap enough that it would not matter if something bad happened, like finding out I hate sailing. Lucky for me I knew I would love it and I do.

It is my extreme joy to introduce to you now zzZippety Doo Dah, a 1977 Spirit 23 who has found a loving new owner in me.

zzZippety Doo Dah – pic from previous owner

I purchased her in Everett, Washington and motored all the way to Bremerton, Washington due to lack of wind. It was a long trip(s). I hopped from marina to marina, making a route from

• Everett to Edmonds
• Edmonds to Elliot Bay
• Elliot Bay to Bremerton

each hope took at least 4 hours and was completed around my regular work schedule. Everything went smoothly once I actually made it out of the Everett marina, however while still inside the breakwater in Everett my outboard Evenrude 15 hp bit the dust. The seller told me he had it rebuilt and installed it the day before I picked up the boat, however when I pulled the top off it clearly had never been rebuilt, the yacht repairman confirmed my suspicion. The next morning I had a shiny new (well it’s a used motor) Honda 7.5 hp outboard hanging off my boat and was ready to take off on my adventure. The Honda ran great all the way down to Bremerton and does not give me any problems if I give the enginve time to warm before putting a load on her.

And there you go, the story and the boat. Every boat has something the owner wants to change and here is my short list (luckily small sailboats are relatively cheap to work on!)

• New rigging
• Replace all running lights with LED bulbs
• Install a new depth finder
• Run new life lines
• Pick up some new sails (mine work but are old and worn)
• Scrape all the growth off the hull (years worth, clearly the seller had not cleaned it like he said…)
• Repaint the hull and change the color
• Sew up some new cushion coves for the cabin (the cabin is HUGE for this small of a boat)
• Look for a cheap manual headsail furler (nice to have but optional)
• Install an automatic electric bilge pump (the owner of the beautiful Hello Gorgeous sailboat donated an extra for my cause, thanks Jody!)
• Lube up the track for the mainsail (right now it is a chore to get the sail down :(, it should just drop)

There it is, my list. And now Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

9 thoughts on “ New Toy: North American Spirit 23 – zzZippety Doo Dah ”

• Ben Lobaugh Online » Unplugging the fuel system on an outboard motor
• Ben Lobaugh Online » ZDD: Time for a new headsail setup

That is a beauty of a boat Ben! I learnt on a Catalina 22 which didn’t have much of a cabin but was fun to learn on!

Glad to see you are taking care of her as well 🙂

Hey, I just spent the last year and a half restoring our Spirit 23. Still got about a months work to go…but should look good as new!

That is awesome Randy! Do you mind if I send you an email? Would love to hear more about your baby and see some pics!

awesome! i just got a north american 23! i need to do some work on the rudder, new gudgeon’s ect. maybe you could send some photos or advice my way of where to start!

Congrats! You are going to love that boat! I highly recommend joining http://www.sailnet.com/forums/north-american-yachts/ . I was not able to find pintles and gudgeons properly sized for Zippey. I did accidentally run across some that were the correct width but they did not have enough standoff. I jury-rigged it with a piece of treated lumber bolted to the transom as a standoff. I believe this is the product page for what I used http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/p-g/rl690/index.htm . I posted a photo of it https://ben.lobaugh.net/ship-log/zippey-has-a-rudder but it is not a close up that shows the board on the transom well :(.

Hey I bought my Spirit 23 on July 4, 2015. I am loving it but doing a lot of work. I sail Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and hope to get on Lake Michigan. Rick

That is fantastic Rick! Thanks for dropping a line. I love my Spirit 23! She is a bit slower than the big boats in the races, but it is fun anyways.

The Spirit 23 is a 23.0ft masthead sloop designed by Robert Finch and built in fiberglass by Glastron (USA) between 1978 and 1981.

The Spirit 23 is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

Spirit 23 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Engineering:Spirit 23

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The Spirit 23 , also called the North American 23 , is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Robert Finch as a cruiser and first built in 1978. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

• 1 Production
• 5 References
• 6 External links

The design was built by Glastron in the United States , starting in 1976, initially by their North American Yachts subsidiary in Henderson, Tennessee, as the North American 23. Morgan Yachts, builders of the North American 40, threatened a lawsuit over the naming, resulting in North American Yachts being sold and the boat being built starting in 1978 by a different Glastron subsidiary, Spirit Yachts, in Austin, Texas as the Spirit 23. Production was ended in 1981. [1] [4] [6]

The Spirit 23 is a recreational keelboat , built predominantly of fiberglass , with wood trim and an optional cabin "pop-top" for increased headroom. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a reverse transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a stub keel with a retractable centerboard or with a fixed fin keel . A "kick-up" rudder was a factory option. [1] [4]

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. [1] [4]

The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a drop-down dinette and a straight settee in the main cabin. An alternate main cabin plan provided two settee berths in place of the dinette. In this latter arrangement the starboard berth is 10.0 ft (3.0 m) long. The galley is located on the starboard side just aft of the bow cabin and is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located in the bow cabin on the port side under the "V"-berth. Cabin headroom is 57 in (145 cm) or 74 in (188 cm) with the optional "pop-top" open. [1] [4]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 240 and a hull speed of 6.0 kn (11.1 km/h). [4]

• List of sailing boat types
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Spirit 23 sailboat" . sailboatdata.com . https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/spirit-23 .  
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Spirit 23 K sailboat" . sailboatdata.com . https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/spirit-23-k .  
• ↑ McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Robert Finch" . sailboatdata.com . https://sailboatdata.com/designer/finch-robert .  
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats , page 206. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN :978-0-07-163652-0
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 McArthur, Bruce (2022). "North American 23 sailboat" . sailboatdata.com . https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/north-american-23 .  
• ↑ McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Glastron" . sailboatdata.com . https://sailboatdata.com/builder/glastron-usa .  

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• Photo of a Spirit 23
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• Sailboat Guide

1977 North American 23

• Description

Seller's Description

North American 23 (aka Spirit 23) For Sale Great daysailer or weekender. $4800

This is a great 23 foot swing keel sloop with trailer. Lots of room, both in the cockpit and down below. Long cockpit can easily accommodate 4 people, and the cabin easily sleeps 4. Its also very easy to single hand. All sails are still crisp and in good shape. Includes multiple headsails, Genoa, Jib, and Storm Jib, as well as a symmetrical spinnaker. All cushions including cockpit cushions were reupholstered in 2017. New mainsheet and jibsheets in 2018. New wood tiller in 2018. Tiller extension. New deep cycle battery in 2020. Nice lightweight Fortress anchor. 6hp Tohatsu outboard, only 5-6 years old, starts easy every time. Under the companion way is a pull-out galley with sink and butane stove. The cockpit has one very large lazarette storage locker. Trailer has a tounge extension to make launching and retrieving easy.

The North American 23 was build by Glastron between 1976 and 1981, also known as a Spirit 23 (name changed in 1978). It was designed by Robert Finch, who was also responsible for the very popular Catalina 27.

Boat Specs:

LOA 23.0 ft. LWL 20.0 ft. Beam 7.92 ft. Sail Area 215 sq. ft. Displacement 2,800 lbs. Ballast 800 lbs. Draft Max 5.00 ft. Draft Min 2.00 ft.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

North American Yachts was a division of Glastron, one of the largest builders of powerboats in the US. Later known as the SPIRIT 23.

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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Boom Vang for Spirit 23

• Thread starter Lodi47
• Start date Sep 16, 2015
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

I just purchased a Spirit 23 with very basic rigging. There is no boom vang and I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for purchasing one. In addition the main and jib halyards tie off on the mast and I was thinking that if they came back to the cockpit it would be easier to sail alone. As always your knowledge and experience is always appreciated....  

Boom vang - try Garhauer Marine Moving lines to cockpit can be expensive.  

Hey thanks, I checked them out and they have some non-rigid boom vangs that seem reasonable, i need to research the size limit i need.  

I agree, Garhauer for the boom vang. Do you have the hardware on the boom and the base of the mast to install it? I also used their hardware to run the halyards back to the cockpit, this year. Best thing I did to make it easier to single hand. To do this I used a halyard lift block, cheek block, and rope clutch per side. I have a hanked on jib, so I had to do both. If you have a hanked on jib you'll also need to rig a downhaul. Also, you'll need new halyards for the longer length.  

Tom G, This sounds like what I want to do, do yu have any pictures handy? I also have a hanked on jib. Rick  

Lodi.. Great boat ! I bought a brand new one in 1978 and sailed it a good bit over the Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi coast.. Lots of rom for a 23 and she sails very well. Owned it until 1991 when I bought the H-34. There should be hardware to attach a "soft" vang since that was a factory option.. mine was a four part system with a cam cleat on the bottom pulley. I don't have pictures.. except non-digitized 35mm slides..  

Attachments

Re: Here are some pictures Wow, thanks for the great info I thought this what I had to do.  

Yes a soft vang will work. The mast is marked for a cunningham, did you have one?  

Yes, I had a Cunningham and I had installed an adjustable backstay tensioner. Mine was a pop-top, so running lines to cockpit wasn't an easy option. I had rigged a line that enabled me to secure the tiller, so handling the mast mounted halyards wasn't that much of a problem. A Tillerpilot would be a great addition ! Had a 7.5 hp Honda long shaft that was perfect for the boat. Had problems with leaking chainplates and windows.. got those properly sealed and had no more leaks. The forward hatch was a problem .. the original prism-shaped cover was smoked Lexan which got attacked by the sun and crazed and cracked.. Many owners carefully fiber glassed over the Lexan. Some owners made a plaster-of-paris mold of the original and fabricated a new cover of thicker, UV stabilized material. Had a problem with the noise of the centerboard so made some big washers of scrap Teflon to keep it true in the stub keel slot.. The Spirit is a fine sailing, stout boat.. Edit.. I see yours is a pop-top too.. I am not sure I'd trust the top securing hardware to handle the rope forces, if halyards led to cockpit.  

Dave Groshong

We offer many different block choices, here's an example of a vang kit that will work fine on your boat: http://shop.hunterowners.com/hp/part.php?m=216&c=6&p=54788  

Couple of things I should add. When installing the clutch make sure you open it up so you know the handle won't interfere with anything ( i.e. hatch or handrail). I highly recommend that you use Mainesails butyl tape to install the hardware. See Mainesails thread. http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=117172 IF you need to buy new halyards you can get them right here at the shop. http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail-rigging.php  

yes mie is a pop top Trying to figure out how to load pics on here.  

It looks like someone has run the halyards to the cockpit for a Spirit 23. See this listing in sailing Texas. http://www.sailingtexas.com/sspirit23a.html  

Looks like he did a fine job of keeping the halyard out of the way as well.. Lodi, Looks like what you are thinking.. don't put anything on the pop top.. That is an early model with the settee on port and no gas tank locker to starboard in the cockpit.  

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North American Spirit 23 Sailboat

1978 north american / glastron.

• Price: Contact seller
• Condition: Used
• Make: North American / Glastron
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Description

Beautiful 1978 North American Spirit 23 for sale. This boat has a swing keel and is very easy to trailer. She is currently in the water at Las Vegas Boat Harbor at Lake Mead Nevada and she is an absolute dream to sail. I encourage you to Google this model, you'll find nothing but good reviews and love for the boat.

CDI Roller Furler, brand new upholstery throughout with top quality marine fabric, brand new ship to shore radio, brand new stereo, Magma grill, depth finder, two batteries with shore power chargers, master shore power breaker, dual internal breaker switch panels, sails and lines are all in top condition, Bimini top, 8hp Johnson long shaft outboard motor, very cool indirect LED lighting in cabin and cockpit, battery level indicator, and aux port for charging devices. Everything works: all lights, outboard motor, rigging, trailer lights, and trailer brakes. You don't have to do anything to this beautiful boat; just hoist sail and enjoy!

I am including mast stepping rigging and a "Mast-Up" stern brace with purchase. They provide significant help raising and lowering the mast, but it really is a two person job. NADA Guide suggests low price is $4,395 without trailer. This boat is not even close to being "low", she's in fantastic condition and the $5,000.00 NADA estimate is more realistic. The tandem axle trailer is worth over $1,000.00. Accessories like the roller furler and grill would cost you at least another $1,000.00.

I'm selling because grandkids are old enough to go on the water, but too young to sail (too much going on when sailing), so I seek a more practical, young child friendly, vessel.

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