The Harbor 25 is a delight to sail. After I climbed aboard, this lively sloop began doing laps around much bigger boats as they lumbered in light air around the bay. The cockpit is 8 feet long, deep, roomy, and has high coamings. The helmsman can choose to look over the cabin house or duck behind it when spray blows back. All excess line stows in built-in pockets in the coamings and cabin bulkhead, eliminating the need for multiple sheet bags.
Below, the cabin is attractive but offers only sitting headroom. There’s a good-sized V-berth forward of a usable head that’s thoughtfully positioned under the forehatch, which is designed to accommodate a solar shower for owners who will weekend in their Harbor 25s. The cored-fiberglass bulkheads between the cabins feel rock solid. They’re matte-white and trimmed with varnished mahogany, which gives the interior a pleasing look.
The main cabin is a nice social area, with four opening ports and room for a simple galley. Two single quarter berths take up the area under the cockpit seats and are separated by a small Honda outboard gas powerhead that sits on a saildrive and turns a two-bladed Flex-O-Fold propeller.
This little boat reminds me of the ones I loved to cruise aboard for weeks at a time in the Gulf and San Juan islands of the Pacific Northwest when I was young. No doubt it will appeal as much to others who don’t need to bring all the comforts of home with them when they sail.
Harbor 25 Specs
LOA: 25′ 9″
LWL: 21′ 6″
Beam: 8′ 1″
Draft: 5′ 0″
Sail Area: 356 sq. ft.
Displacement: 3,900 lb.
Water: 13 gal.
Fuel: 11 gal.
Engine: 12.5-hp. Honda saildrive
Designer: Stephen Schock
Price: $81,000
W.D. Schock Corp., (951) 277-3377, www.wdschock.com
