Watkins 23  The Watkins 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Johannes "Jopie" Helsen, modified by Watkins Yachts and first built in 1973. The Watkins 23 is an authorized development of the Helson 22, produced with permission of the designer. The design was built by Watkins Yachts in the United States from 1973 to 1980, with 400 examples completed, but it is now out of production. The Watkins 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a near-vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed stub keel with a centerboard. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the centerboard extended and with it retracted, allowing ground transportation on a trailer. The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. Similar sailboats