Flicka 20
The Flicka 20 is an American sailboat that was designed by Bruce Bingham as a cruiser and first built in 1974.[1][2][3][4]
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Bruce Bingham |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1974 |
| No. built | 400 |
| Builder(s) | Nor'Star Fiberglass Yachts, Pacific Seacraft |
| Boat | |
| Boat weight | 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) |
| Draft | 3.25 ft (0.99 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 20.00 ft (6.10 m) |
| LWL | 18.17 ft (5.54 m) |
| Beam | 8.00 ft (2.44 m) |
| Engine type | Yanmar 1GM10 10 hp (7 kW) diesel engine |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | long keel |
| Ballast | 1,720 lb (780 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | keel-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Cutter rig |
| I (foretriangle height) | 27.90 ft (8.50 m) |
| J (foretriangle base) | 10.50 ft (3.20 m) |
| P (mainsail luff) | 23.30 ft (7.10 m) |
| E (mainsail foot) | 8.90 ft (2.71 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Gaff rigged or Bermuda rigged cutter |
| Mainsail area | 103.69 sq ft (9.633 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 146.48 sq ft (13.608 m2) |
| Total sail area | 250.16 sq ft (23.241 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 288 (average) |
The design has a length overall of 20.00 ft (6.10 m) and a waterline length of 18.17 ft (5.54 m). Including the bowsprit the total length is 24.00 ft (7.32 m).[1][3][4]
Production
The design was originally sold in the form of plans for amateur construction, with more than 200 sets of plans sold. Bingham, the designer, commenced the construction of a plug for a hull of his own, but was compelled to sell it before it was completed to Nor'Star Fiberglass Yachts in California United States, who put the boat into production. Nor'star produced kits for owner completion and also ready-to-sail boats, built under contract by Westerly Marine of Santa Ana, California. In 1977 Nor'star ended production and the molds and tooling were purchased by Pacific Seacraft of Washington, North Carolina. That company produced the design until 1998, but it is now out of production.[1][3][5][6]
During the period the boat was produced a wide range of materials were used and the boats can vary widely.[1]
Design
The Flicka 20 is based upon the general design of early Newport, Rhode Island lobster boats that were sailed upon Block Island Sound in the mid-19th century. Bingham saw some of these on a river near Wickford, Rhode Island in the 1950s and made sketches of them. The boat design was featured in a six-part article in Rudder magazine starting in September 1972. The boat was proposed for building in ferro-cement construction at that time, but later changed to fiberglass, although wooden examples with caravel planking were also built.[1][3][4][7]
The design is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a cutter rig with a bowsprit, a slightly spooned plumb stem, an over-vertical transom, a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed long keel. It was sold as a gaff-rig or a Bermuda rig. It displaces 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) and carries 1,720 lb (780 kg) of ballast.[1][3][4]
The boat has a draft of 3.25 ft (0.99 m) with the standard keel fitted.[1][3][4]
The boat has been fitted with a number of engines, including the Japanese Yanmar 1GM10 diesel engine of 10 hp (7 kW). Some use outboard engines. The fuel tank holds 12 U.S. gallons (45 L; 10.0 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 20 U.S. gallons (76 L; 17 imp gal).[1][3]
Accommodation includes a forward "V"-berth a galley situated amidships, with a hinged table and an icebox. There is an enclosed head. The cabin has teak trim and a holly sole, plus standing headroom.[3]
There are two jib sheet winches in the cockpit, bronze deck hardware and an anchor roller mounted on the bow. Many different sail combinations were sold, including jibs, genoas, drifters, yankees and a spinnaker.[3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 288 with a high of 270 and low of 303. It has a hull speed of 5.71 kn (10.57 km/h).[8]
Operational history
In a review in Good Old Boat magazine, John Vigor wrote, " The Flicka is high quality in a small package with a large price tag. But you have to remember that she offers the accommodations (if not the performance) of a boat 6 or 8 feet longer. For a cruising couple, that's snug, but ample ... Because she is a cult boat, and because she is strongly and sensibly constructed, the Flicka retains her value very well on the second-hand market. She ages well, and there is very little to go wrong. The price of a used Flicka will be substantially lower than that of a new boat, of course, but there are very few basement bargains unless you happen to come across one of the pre-1978 originals, built by an amateur from a finished hull or a kit. Flickas built by Pacific Seacraft are rugged, solid craft, with top-quality cabinetry, finish, and detailing. There isn't another production boat of her size in the U.S. that rivals her interior space and ocean-going capabilities. She's small enough to handle easily, but big enough to live in comfortably. For the price of a new Flicka, you could buy a used larger boat of another make, just as seaworthy and a whole lot faster and more comfortable. Hundreds of Flicka owners know that full well, but they're not tempted. This little spellbinder is all they've ever sought and all they'll ever need."[9]
A 2011 staff report in Sailing Magazine described the boat, "The Flicka is like Elvis or Prince, one word and you immediately draw a mental picture. Love it or dismiss it as a cutesy paean to tradition, it's impossible not to like the Flicka. A pocket cruiser with a big heart and impressive resume, it's a plodding beagle of a boat, small but adorable."[10]
A 2016 review in Blue Water Boats described the design, "If you can get over the lack of deck space and finding place to stow your tender, you’ll find a boat that’s essentially solid, seaworthy and with the interior space of a boat 6 feet longer. She’s large enough to live in, and being so small she’s incredibly easy to handle. She sails well despite her short length and heavy displacement. These are some of the reasons people rationalize buying the Flicka 20, but perhaps the real reason is her charm and character; this little boat has quite the cult following."[7]
See also
Similar sailboats
References
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Flicka 20 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Bruce Bingham". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 156-157. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
- "Flicka Specifications". flicka20.com. 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Pacific Seacraft". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Westerly Marine (US)". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Rosiemac (6 April 2016). "Flicka 20". Blue water Boats. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- InterVisionSoft LLC (2019). "Sailboat Specifications for Flicka 20". Sailing Joy. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Vigor, John (1999). "What's the Flicka got that makes otherwise rational deep sea sailors haul out their checkbooks?". Good Old Boat magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- Staff (3 June 2011). "Flicka". Sailing Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2019.