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SEA SPRITE ASSOCIATIONFor sea sprite sailboat lovers everywhere. Sea Sprite 23The 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 AUTHORLife Jackets for Active, Racing SailorsThe 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 Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. |
COMMENTS
A boat with a BN of 1.6 or greater is a boat that will be reefed often in offshore cruising. Derek Harvey, "Multihulls for Cruising and Racing", International Marine, Camden, Maine, 1991, states that a BN of 1 is generally accepted as the dividing line between so-called slow and fast multihulls.
0. 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.
With a displacement length ratio of 419 and a sail area/displacement ratio of 14.65, the Sea Sprite 30 was heavy even by early 1980s standards, but she has proven to be quite responsive even in light to moderate winds. Let it blow 15 knots or more, and the advantages of a 41-percent ballast/displacement ratio, a fractional rig, and a tapered ...
Sea Sprite boats for sale on YachtWorld are listed for a variety of prices from $19,000 on the more modest side, with costs up to $45,000 for the most extravagant model yachts. What Sea Sprite model is the best? Some of the most iconic Sea Sprite models now listed include: 34, Luders 34 and Sloop. Specialized yacht brokers, dealers, and ...
"SeaSprite" is a 1984 Sea Sprite 30 designed by Alfred "Bill" Luders and built in Bristol, RI by the C.E. Ryder Corp. This video provides an overview of the...
Following the success of the Sea Sprite 23, the 28-foot, 30-foot, and 34-foot models were subsequently introduced, and all remained in production until 1986. Although sometimes confused on the water with similar Alberg-designed Cape Dory models, the Sea Sprite 28, 30, and 34 models were all designed by Alfred "Bill" Luders (1909-1999).
Sea Sprite 30 is a 30′ 2″ / 9.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Alfred E. Luders and built by C. E. Ryder starting in 1982. ... 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. Formula. D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³ D: Displacement of the boat in pounds. LWL ...
The Sea sprite 30 is a 30.17ft fractional sloop designed by A. E. Luders and built in fiberglass by C. E. Ryder since 1982. The Sea sprite 30 is a very heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat.
Sea Sprite sailing yachts is a family of US built sailing vessels. The series includes the following yachts, a 23', 28', 30', and a 34'. They were all simply designated Sea Sprites. The twin sails in a following seas emblem is well known in the yachting world. Sea Sprites are being sailed throughout the world, with the largest concentration in ...
Registered User. Join Date: Sep 2013. Location: OBX, NC. Boat: Cabo Rico 38 & Sea Sprite 30. Posts: 158. Single Handed Sailing My Sea Sprite 30. Here is a quick video of my first single handed sail on my 1984 C. E. Ryder Sea Sprite 30. Hopefully my sailing and video skills are improving in direct proportion. Please come sailing with me and let ...
Sea Sprite 30, 1984, St. Petersburg, Florida, $29,900, SOLD 10/2/13. I had the boat in Rhode Island for two years - just relocated to Florida and only selling because I am looking for a slightly larger boat to live aboard. This boat is safe, user friendly, fun to sail and turns heads wherever she goes.
7 thoughts on " Sea Sprites 28, 30, 34 " Tim July 28, 2016 at 8:03 am. There is a Sea Sprite 28 for sale in UK. Can anyone tell me how well these boats sail? The engine is a Universal Atomic 5411, would this be the original engine?
THE SS27/30/34 STORY. At the same time Ryder began constructing the Weekender, he began building the Luder-designed sisterships of the SS23. The boats were all built to order at the Gooding Avenue facility in Bristol, RI, side-by-each. The 27 and the 34 enjoyed a good run until Ryder closed up in the late 80's.
The incredibly attractive Sea Sprite 30 was designed by Alfred E. Luders and built to the highest standards by C. E. Ryder Co. in Rhode Island. This classic yacht demonstrates traditional East Coast lines, and is sure to turn heads in any marina. This is not your typical thirty-footer - built strong and solid with a full keel and full length ...
Luders Design Built by CE Ryder Sea Sprite 34: Length: 33'11' Beam: 10'3' Draft: 5'' Year: 1981: Type: daysailer: Hull: fiberglass monohull: Location: New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor, Louisiana; ... 30' J Boats Tillotson Pearson Kinsale, Virginia Asking $6,500. 46' Kelly Peterson KP46 Napa, California Asking $120,000.
This Sea Sprite 30 fractional rig sloop was designed by the acclaimed marine architect A. E. (Bill) Luders and built by C. E. Ryder in Bristol, RI. She is one of only 18 such vessels built and at this time maybe the only one sailing the Great Lakes. ... The higher a boat's D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more ...
Sea Sprite 30, 1984, Cambridge, Maryland, $28,000, Price reduced 9/11/20 to $26,600, Taken off market 12/11/20: ... Scam Warnings: Texas Lakes: Sailboats Wanted: Contact: Free Sailboat Ad: Go to Sailing Texas classifieds for current sailboats for sale . Sea Sprite 30, 1984, built by C.E. Ryder In Bristol Condition by Generation III Marina ...
This boat is safe, user friendly, fun to sail and turns heads wherever she goes. She is fully functional for sailing anywhere in the world. Asking $32,775. Dove is in St. Petersburg, FL. Sea Sprite 30, 1983, St. Petersburg, Florida, yacht for sale, sailboat for sale.
Hook up with a Sea Sprite boat and come join the fun. For more information, contact local fleet commodore, Dom Messerli at Dom.messerli ... It is a collection of old boat manufacturing buildings that includes a large building housing about 25 to 30 sailing and power boats designed and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company from the 1860 ...
This vessel was designed and built by the Sea Sprite shipyard in 1984. Key features 1984 Sea Sprite 30: length 9.14 meters, beam 2.87 meters and max boat draft 1.43 meters. Hull key features 1984 Sea Sprite 30: hull material - fiberglass. 1 x Universal engine: fuel type - diesel. With a fuel tank capacity of 100 liters, the 1984 Sea Sprite 30 ...
How much do Sea Sprite boats cost? Sea Sprite boats for sale on Boat Trader are offered at a variety of prices, valued from $2,700 on the most reasonably-priced watercraft all the way up to $19,000 for the most luxurious yachts. Higher performance models now listed are rigged with motors up to 325 horsepower, while more economic more functional ...
Seasprite used sailboats for sale by owner. Home. Register & Post. View All Sailboats. Search. Avoid Fraud. ... Sea Cliff, New York Asking $6,800. 34' Hunter 34 Muskegon, Michigan ... 30' Pearson 30 Sailboat Hampton River Hampton, Virginia Asking $4,000. 31' Mariner Ketch - Major Restoration & Repower - New Rigging & Sails ...
In this sea of possibilities, from funny and witty boat names that evoke a sinking feeling of laughter to classy monikers worthy of the Black Pearl itself, every boat owner faces the challenge of navigating through countless ideas to anchor down the one that resonates the most. ... 30. Beyond. Boat Names Starting with a C. 31. Calypso. 32 ...
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 ...