Has anybody heard of the Aquarius sailboat before? I don't find much on the web for it. Is it a good boat and are parts easy to find for it? The one I am looking at is a 23 footer.
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Back in my younger days...
In 1976 & 1977, during my college days, I worked for Sailboats West in Houston, Texas. Along with other lines of boats including Cape Dory, Hunter, Prindle, Sol Cat, and the full line of AMF sailboats, we also sold the Aquarius 23. Designed with a pop top deck, the boats were very popular on lakes and inland waterways. If memory serves me well, they were trailable too.
I'm unsure if they are even made today....I haven't seen one in many years so I doubt it.
Dick
In 1976 & 1977, during my college days, I worked for Sailboats West in Houston, Texas. Along with other lines of boats including Cape Dory, Hunter, Prindle, Sol Cat, and the full line of AMF sailboats, we also sold the Aquarius 23. Designed with a pop top deck, the boats were very popular on lakes and inland waterways. If memory serves me well, they were trailable too.
I'm unsure if they are even made today....I haven't seen one in many years so I doubt it.
Dick
- Jan 22, 2008
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There's an Aquarius 21 for sale in western Manitoba
It akin to the Sirius 21 in size and performance. Trailerable and weighing in under 2000#. Asking price with a 9.9 (2008) motor $7500, $3500 with out. It was a 1972 model. Hope that helps for reference.
It akin to the Sirius 21 in size and performance. Trailerable and weighing in under 2000#. Asking price with a 9.9 (2008) motor $7500, $3500 with out. It was a 1972 model. Hope that helps for reference.
Aquarius
Aquarius sailboats were built by Coastal Recreation in So. Cal. in the 70's. Coastal rec became Balboa and Windrose, and in the early to mid 80's became Laguna before they went out of business in the late 80's. Most of the early models were swing keels, with shoal draft fin keels showing up in the Windrose/Balboa/Laguna models. The Fin keels were a hull extension filled with iron pellets for ballast. I spent one day sailing an Aquarius 23 back in 1985 on Lake Cour d'Alene in 15-18 knot winds. The boat sailed quite well, and it was an enjoyable day on the water. My friend who owned the A23 sold it that winter and bought a C25.
Aquarius sailboats were built by Coastal Recreation in So. Cal. in the 70's. Coastal rec became Balboa and Windrose, and in the early to mid 80's became Laguna before they went out of business in the late 80's. Most of the early models were swing keels, with shoal draft fin keels showing up in the Windrose/Balboa/Laguna models. The Fin keels were a hull extension filled with iron pellets for ballast. I spent one day sailing an Aquarius 23 back in 1985 on Lake Cour d'Alene in 15-18 knot winds. The boat sailed quite well, and it was an enjoyable day on the water. My friend who owned the A23 sold it that winter and bought a C25.
I owned an Aquarius 7.0
which was the 1979 (only) version of the A23. It had a transom-mounted rudder on a long pintle (so you could pull it up) instead of the balanced rudder mounted in a 'cassette' in the cockpit sole, and a masthead rig instead of the common fractional. They all had the same steel swing keel, AFAIK.
At the time, Coastal Rec. made 4 product lines: Aquarius (21 and 23), Balboa (20 and 26, plus a 27 at some point, and maybe a couple more), Ensinada (flush deck, 20 ft I think), and the La Paz motor sailer. The whole company became Balboa, I believe, in or around 1980, and the A21 and A23 became B21/23. I don't know the rest and will accept that posited in a previous post. I'm not 100% confident in the models I gave anyway.
You can get critical replacement parts from IdaSailer, including a stainless centerboard, cables, rudder, even a CB winch rebuild kit - the original CB winch was a nifty bronze unit, and they're sought after by many owners.
I have lots of pics of mine on it's original trailer (and yes, it's trailerable - single-axle on the east coast, dual-axle on the west coast). I can email them if you want, but don't have a way to host them for linking to.
As I recall, the boat was initially a bit tender, but very stiff beyond that point. Sales literature showed them pulling the mast and sails under water, then letting it go and the boat righting itself, all with the CB up. It was marketed as a safe family trailer sailer, with easy to unstep mast for transport (I could do it myself). Some say it sails like a brick, but I know folks who own them, and with the right sails for the conditions get hull speed or better routinely.
It had a draft of only 13" with the CB and rudder up, with a skiff keel (with lead in it), and was designed to be beached. If had mine in all kinds of places you wouldn't take a keel boat, and at worst, I could hop into the water and just shove it back. Down side of mine is that the rudder was a single slab, and not kick-up, but if I kept it, I would have had Joel at IdaSailor make me a kick-up. The CB, of course, will swing up if grounded.
I only paid about $3k or so for mine, with original trailer with surge brakes, plus an original Evinrude 9.9. It was in superclean condition, except for the blown out sails, but was ready to go. Mine had a Merriman/Yacht Specialties added (not a factory option), which I removed when I thought I couldn't get a new push-pull cable (oddball size, but Edson stocks them).
I only let it go when I got a larger boat, but if I was going to get another trailer boat, I'd consider the A23. Lots of cockpit space, huge cabin for it's size, easy to sail, and pretty bullet proof.
If you want pics, let me know.
which was the 1979 (only) version of the A23. It had a transom-mounted rudder on a long pintle (so you could pull it up) instead of the balanced rudder mounted in a 'cassette' in the cockpit sole, and a masthead rig instead of the common fractional. They all had the same steel swing keel, AFAIK.
At the time, Coastal Rec. made 4 product lines: Aquarius (21 and 23), Balboa (20 and 26, plus a 27 at some point, and maybe a couple more), Ensinada (flush deck, 20 ft I think), and the La Paz motor sailer. The whole company became Balboa, I believe, in or around 1980, and the A21 and A23 became B21/23. I don't know the rest and will accept that posited in a previous post. I'm not 100% confident in the models I gave anyway.
You can get critical replacement parts from IdaSailer, including a stainless centerboard, cables, rudder, even a CB winch rebuild kit - the original CB winch was a nifty bronze unit, and they're sought after by many owners.
I have lots of pics of mine on it's original trailer (and yes, it's trailerable - single-axle on the east coast, dual-axle on the west coast). I can email them if you want, but don't have a way to host them for linking to.
As I recall, the boat was initially a bit tender, but very stiff beyond that point. Sales literature showed them pulling the mast and sails under water, then letting it go and the boat righting itself, all with the CB up. It was marketed as a safe family trailer sailer, with easy to unstep mast for transport (I could do it myself). Some say it sails like a brick, but I know folks who own them, and with the right sails for the conditions get hull speed or better routinely.
It had a draft of only 13" with the CB and rudder up, with a skiff keel (with lead in it), and was designed to be beached. If had mine in all kinds of places you wouldn't take a keel boat, and at worst, I could hop into the water and just shove it back. Down side of mine is that the rudder was a single slab, and not kick-up, but if I kept it, I would have had Joel at IdaSailor make me a kick-up. The CB, of course, will swing up if grounded.
I only paid about $3k or so for mine, with original trailer with surge brakes, plus an original Evinrude 9.9. It was in superclean condition, except for the blown out sails, but was ready to go. Mine had a Merriman/Yacht Specialties added (not a factory option), which I removed when I thought I couldn't get a new push-pull cable (oddball size, but Edson stocks them).
I only let it go when I got a larger boat, but if I was going to get another trailer boat, I'd consider the A23. Lots of cockpit space, huge cabin for it's size, easy to sail, and pretty bullet proof.
If you want pics, let me know.
If what you want is a boat with a cavernous interior, then it's great! If you want a speedboat, look elsewhere. If you want one that's easy to rig and easy to sail, the A23 just might be your baby.
If you can't get original parts for the boat, almost anything will do. mine has a bunch of changes, and I intend to make a bunch more. The whole interior is in need of replacing....
If you can't get original parts for the boat, almost anything will do. mine has a bunch of changes, and I intend to make a bunch more. The whole interior is in need of replacing....
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