23' Gem Class Sloop (2011) - JADE

Jade is a classic gaffer in the tradition of the dayboats made popular on the East Coast of the USA at the turn of the 19th century. Designed from a half model that looked right to the eye Jade performs beautifully in New Zealand conditions. With her long keel, 660lb of ballast, weighted centre board combined with a narrow beam Jade slices through the afternoon chop driven by her 200sqft of sail.

Sailing Jade is simple. Being gaffed rigged the mast is up without fuss or tension. However, we’ve never managed to rig Jade in the 30min’s her designer promised due to the constant interruption from admirers. Once sailing Jade leans over to her happy place and all the sensations and motions are pure keelboat. Whether sailing with full sails, 1st or 2nd reef she balances beautifully and can be tuned endlessly for that extra 1/10th of a knot.

Jade’s other party trick is that although she has a full keel she can be trailered. This opens up many of NZ’s famous cruising destinations from the amazing Bay of Islands to the South Islands Southern Lakes.

Jade can be crewed by 2 to 5 and is regularly cruised for up to 5 days at a time in NZ’s Marlborough Sounds & Able Tasman National Park. Her 2 berth cabin is snug with the ‘extra’s either tenting on the beach or at a pinch under the boom tent.

Details:
Jade was built using a mould per frame and using very narrow carvel planks (yellow heart kahikatea) edge glued together over laminated tanekaha ribs. The hull is glassed over & finished it in two-pot paint.
There are also two watertight compartments, one up front and one behind the outboard well.
The centreboard, is made of 50mm thick Oregon timber with a 30kg lead insert and glassed for a proper hydrofoil shape.
The tiller is laminated kauri and mahogany.
The rudder is made from Oregon timber as are all the spars.
The seats and floorboards are of teak. One seat has a custom built ice box under it. The other three seats have storage under them.
The coamings and cabin sides are of heart macrocarpa with mahogany trim.