Jaguar 23 yacht

[cuan1974]

Not a lot of information online regarding the Jaguar 23. Any information good or bad and what to look out for when viewing one would be much appreciate.

 

[ChromeDome]

Not knowing what you expect to find, but for research, photo viewing, data and specs I had no problm finding a few

SailboatData.com - JAGUAR 23 Sailboat
Jaguar Yacht Owners - Jaguar 23 Yacht
Jaguar 23 Sailing Yacht, Lifting Keel. for sale from United Kingdom
1980 Jaguar 23 Trailer Sailer Other for sale - YachtWorld
1984 Jaguar 23 for sale. View price, photos and Buy 1984 Jaguar 23 #119493
Jaguar 23 - sailboat data sheet
Jaguar 23 Trailer Sailer For Sale, 7.01m, 1986
Jaguar 23 Lifting Keel For Sale, 7.01m, 1982
Review of Jaguar 23 - www.yachtdatabase.com
Jaguar 23 — Sailboat Guide

 

[ash2020]

I had a Jag 23 for a few years, she was a lovely boat and I had many happy trips. I would suggest making sure the keel lifting mechanism works smoothly and the rudder brackets are OK. Sadly mine sank on her mooring in a gale in Poole Harbour in 2013
Good luck.

Not much of the actual boat as I only decided to make the video after the event!

 

[cuan1974]

I had a Jag 23 for a few years, she was a lovely boat and I had many happy trips. I would suggest making sure the keel lifting mechanism works smoothly and the rudder brackets are OK. Sadly mine sank on her mooring in a gale in Poole Harbour in 2013
Good luck.

Not much of the actual boat as I only decided to make the video after the event!

Thanks for the info, the keel problem seems to be a common issue with them.

 

[Thistle]

I think there were several variants of the Jaguar 23. Lifting keel or twin keel with an outboard well, and one (mine!) with a fixed fin keel and inboard engine.

 

[cuan1974]

I think there were several variants of the Jaguar 23. Lifting keel or twin keel with an outboard well, and one (mine!) with a fixed fin keel and inboard engine.

I didn’t know there was a fin keel with inboard engine. How would you find the hull number and year of build?

 

[fredrussell]

My first boat was a Jaguar 23 swing (not lift) keel. Was a good first boat, with a nice simple keel mechanism. If the boat you are interested in is called Firefly pm me, I have info!!

 

[Thistle]

I didn’t know there was a fin keel with inboard engine. How would you find the hull number and year of build?

I don't know the year of build but the hull no is cut into the moulding in the aft locker: 31 in my case.

 

[ChromeDome]

In 1972 the US made standards for hull numbers. To the extent other countires followed it could be valid also for the Jaguar>

Hull Numbers Explained.

 

[Tranona]

In 1972 the US made standards for hull numbers. To the extent other countires followed it could be valid also for the Jaguar>

Hull Numbers Explained.

Long before it was adopted in UK and Europe - 1997 although some builders used it voluntarily.

Many small builders did their own thing on identification (if any!) with just hull numbers or yard numbers, sometimes the same as sequential sail numbers of a particular design. My 1979 boat is no 208, allocated by the designer who collected a small royalty for every one built. I have a set of numbered plans for a similar design from the same designer with a letter authorising the build of one boat to the plans.

Inevitably most of the builders from that era are long gone and records lost, although some owners associations have records. There has never been any formal requirement to identify or register individual boats in the UK which goes a long way to explaining the lack of any coherent system before the introduction of the RCD in 1997. Still no independent record or register so the only evidence is the hull itself and the Builders Certificate.

 

[wombat88]

I had a Jaguar 21 with a lift (not swing) keel. It was light quick and tidy. Though heavy, it was not hard to service the keel if you could have the boat in slings for a couple of hours. replace the webbing and tidy up the rollers. The rudder fittings could have done with wooden pads on the inside to back them up and spread the load.

Fine for us but quite lightly built, with a flat aft section it could be made to plane. The keel structure within did little for the living space...

I believe the 23 is quite a lot beefier.

 

[cuan1974]

My first boat was a Jaguar 23 swing (not lift) keel. Was a good first boat, with a nice simple keel mechanism. If the boat you are interested in is called Firefly pm me, I have info!!

I had a Jaguar 21 with a lift (not swing) keel. It was light quick and tidy. Though heavy, it was not hard to service the keel if you could have the boat in slings for a couple of hours. replace the webbing and tidy up the rollers. The rudder fittings could have done with wooden pads on the inside to back them up and spread the load.

Fine for us but quite lightly built, with a flat aft section it could be made to plane. The keel structure within did little for the living space...

I believe the 23 is quite a lot beefier.

I had a Jaguar 21 with a lift (not swing) keel. It was light quick and tidy. Though heavy, it was not hard to service the keel if you could have the boat in slings for a couple of hours. replace the webbing and tidy up the rollers. The rudder fittings could have done with wooden pads on the inside to back them up and spread the load.

Fine for us but quite lightly built, with a flat aft section it could be made to plane. The keel structure within did little for the living space...

I believe the 23 is quite a lot beefier.

Thanks for the information, I’m sure the lifting keel setup on the 23 is the same design.

 

[langstonelayabout]

Thanks for the information, I’m sure the lifting keel setup on the 23 is the same design.

the 23’s varied: the one I almost bought had a swing keel (that swung underneath the hull) and other J23s had an almost vertical lifting keel. I’m not sure when the design change was made.

they are a nice looking boat, albeit the one that I almost bought (gazumped) had an outboard rather than inboard engine.

 

[Rammers]

My first boat was a Jaguar 23 swing (not lift) keel. Was a good first boat, with a nice simple keel mechanism. If the boat you are interested in is called Firefly pm me, I have info!!

I own Firefly and have done for a while now.

 

[fredrussell]

I own Firefly and have done for a while now.

Ha! Firefly was my first boat. Where are you based? Last time I saw her up for sale she was in Scotland.

 

[Rammers]

Maryport in Cumbria. The chap I bought her off got her from Scotland I believe.
Other than a broken bottom rudder bracket she's been great, even with the sometimes hefty weather the solway firth throws at her.

Ha! Firefly was my first boat. Where are you based? Last time I saw her up for sale she was in Scotland.

 

[LittleSister]

I believe the Jaguar range was built by various yards, and likely to various standards and possibly layouts (and hull numbering, if any).

My understanding is they were designed by Frank Butler and built and marketed under the Catalina brand in the USA. I've heard it said that they were perhaps more suited to California weather than that of the UK, but whether this means anything in practice I don't know. Lots were built in the UK (including under the name Alacrity 22), and also, IIRC, South Africa.

Hoskyn's (late 1980s?) A-Z Good Yacht Guide described the Jaguar 23 as follows -
'LOA 23' x BEAM 8' 2 1/2" x Draft 1' - 4' 7" (Lifting Keel), 4 berths, outboard in well.
Similar to Jaguar 21*, but higher volume hull, more room, semi-prive WC, less emphasis on performance.
Theoretically a trailer-sailer. From 1983.'

( * The same directory describes the Jaguar 21 as ' Lightweight sprinter with simple well-finished practical open plan interior. True flush-bottom trailer-sailer. From 1980.')

 

[mhannah50]

Ha! Firefly was my first boat. Where are you based? Last time I saw her up for sale she was in Scotland.

Yes, she was in Portavardie, then i bought her lol. The was moved from Suffolk as per the advert above Jaguar 23 Trailer Sailer For Sale, 7.01m, 1986
I moved her down to Maryport and had her for a couple of year before selling her to a local sailor, He added a few bits and pieces such as a stack pack etc.
She was a fine boat, not the quickest in the world but would get you there quite safely, and in reasonable comfort. Here she is in Kirkcudbright!

 

[mhannah50]

I own Firefly and have done for a while now.

She's looking wonderful, great to see you looking after her. I was having a nostalgic Jag 23 moment and found myself here. May i ask, did the AIS work ok i fitted as i never got chance to use it?

 

[Marceline]

we have a later Jaguar '24 model (Bilge Keel) and really love it. Not too big down below but we've managed a few overnights in there and hoping to do more (still quite new to sailing so haven't yet left the Menai Strait, but hoping to get out and sail around Anglesey and North Wales this season)

Just wondering, for the owners (past and present) of Firefly and other similar size Jaguar boats, noticing from mentions above Firefly was up to Scotland and down to Solway - is a boat of that size ok to take away from coastal waters (such as to Isle of Man, Ireland, Hebrides etc ?) - just as we'd love to venture out on voyages such as those once we've much more experience, but we weren't sure how far we should/could be taking the boat. It's only a petrol outboard (6hp)