The Balboa 20 is an American
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
Lyle C. Hess as a
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
, at the request of Richard Arthur and first built in 1967.
[Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 84. ]International Marine
McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
/McGraw-Hill
McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
, 2010.
The success of the Balboa 20 allowed Hess to become a sailboat designer on a full-time basis.
The Balboa 20 hull design was used for two 1972 raised deck boats, the
Ensenada 20 and the
RK 20.
Production
The design was built by
Arthur Marine and
Coastal Recreation, Inc in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, starting in 1967, but it is now out of production.
Design
The design goals for the boat were low cost and good seaworthiness.
The Balboa 20 is a recreational
keelboat
A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...
, built predominantly of
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
, with wood trim. It has a
fractional 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, with a
lazarette
The lazarette or lazaret (sometimes lazaretto) of a boat is an area near or aft of the cockpit. The word is similar to and probably derived from lazaretto. A lazarette is usually a storage locker used for gear or equipment a sailor or boatswa ...
, a transom-hung
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
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, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn ...
and a
lifting keel
A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised to ...
. It displaces and carries of
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
ballast.
The boat has a draft of with the keel extended and with it retracted, allowing
beaching or ground transportation on a
trailer.
The boat is normally fitted with a small
outboard motor
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...
for docking and maneuvering.
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two quarter berths in the main cabin. The
galley
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
is located on the starboard side just forward 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 i ...
ladder. The
head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
is located under the bow cabin berth. Cabin headroom is .
The design has a
PHRF
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other. The aim is to cancel out the inherent advantages and disadvantages ...
racing average handicap of 276 and a
hull speed
Hull speed or displacement speed is the speed at which the wavelength of a vessel's bow wave is equal to the waterline length of the vessel. As boat speed increases from rest, the wavelength of the bow wave increases, and usually its crest-to- ...
of .
Operational history
In 1977 it was reported that the designer's personal boat was a Balboa 20, named ''Genesis''.
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Lyle Hess’s designs are usually thought to be prettier (or handsomer?) than most, but in this early design it is hard to see a clear distinction from many other trailer-sailers of the era. Worst features: The cast iron swing keel, weighing more than a quarter of the total boat and controlled by a winch in the cabin, is at best a maintenance headache and at worst could cause serious leakage in the hull due to strain."
See also
*
List of sailing boat types
The following is a partial list of sailboat types and sailing classes, including keelboats, dinghy, dinghies, and multihull (catamarans and trimarans).
Olympic classes
World Sailing Classes
Historically known as the IYRU (International Yacht ...
Related development
*
Balboa 16
The Balboa 16 is an American Trailer sailer, trailerable sailboat that was designed by W. Shad Turner as a day sailer and first built in 1981.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 64-65. Ho ...
*
Balboa 21
*
Balboa 22
The Balboa 22 is an American Trailer sailer, trailerable sailboat that was designed by W. Shad Turner and William M. Downing as a Cruising (maritime), cruiser and first built in 1977.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboat ...
*
Balboa 23
The Aquarius 23 is an American Trailer sailer, trailerable sailboat that was designed by Peter Barrett (sailor), Peter Barrett and Stan Miller as a Cruising (maritime), cruiser and first built in 1969.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small ...
*
Balboa 24
The Balboa 24 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by W. Shad Turner and William Downing as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1981.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages ...
*
Ensenada 20
*
RK 20
References
{{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide
Keelboats
1960s sailboat type designs
Sailing yachts
Trailer sailers
Sailboat type designs by Lyle Hess
Sailboat types built by Arthur Marine
Sailboat types built by Coastal Recreation, Inc