The 22’ Sea Sprite Sloop "Freedom"

 

(Click on images to enlarge.)

 

The 22' Sea Sprite sloop was designed by Carl Alberg in 1958. Over a period of more than a quarter of a century, the Sea Sprite was produced by a several different Rhode Island boatbuilders.

The first Sea Sprites were built by American Boat Building, builders of the original Block Island 40 yawl. Production was taken over by Wickford Shipyard in the early 1960’s and then passed to Sailstar. Clarke E. Ryder took over production in 1974 and continued production until 1985.

Freedom is a 1964 Wickford built Sea Sprite.

 

For comparison, to the right is a much later C.E. Ryder built Sea Sprite. The C.E. Ryder boats had encapsulated ballast whereas the previous versions had bolted ballast keels. C.E. Ryder also arranged an outboard motor well under a hatch in the deck aft of the cockpit.

 

For auxiliary power, Freedom had a 5 horsepower outboard motor. This proved to be plenty of power for her. A 3.5 horsepower motor would probably have been adequate. I never had problems in powering through a chop with the 5 horsepower motor. I found that I had greater problems maneuvering into her berth at slow speeds due to the relatively high stall speed of the engine.

This is Freedom looking for wind in Hampton Roads harbor.

 

This is Freedom avoiding traffic on Chesapeake Bay.

 

 

This is Freedom hauled for bottom cleaning. On land, deck level for a Sea Sprite is about equal to waterline level for the J30's in the background.

 

 

In 1974, Robert Gainer, then 21 years of age, sailed a Sea Sprite from Wickford, Rhode Island to Falmouth, England in 60 days. Robert made his voyage solo and without the benefit of self steering gear.

 

Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 18:22:10 -0400

I thought that your page on the Sea Sprite was very nice. I grew up in East Greenwich R.I. and knew of the Sea Sprite built by American Boat Building Co. at Norton shipyard in Greenwich bay. I think that a strip planked plug was built in East Greenwich and the first mold was made from that. After the mold was made the plug was finished off as a boat and was sailed for many years. Sailstar got the molds from American Boat Building Co. My first Sea Sprite was built by Sailstar. Then Wickford Shipyard picked up the boat. C.E. Ryder got the molds from Wickford Shipyard. When my second Sea Sprite was built, for my first trans Atlantic trip the molds were sent to Ryder from Wickford Shipyard. All of the fiberglass work was done by Clark Ryder. Then the hull and deck were sent back to Wickford for the woodworking. I built the mast and rigging myself at Rig Right in East Greenwich. After my trip Clark Ryder made new molds and started making the Sea Sprites.

All the best;

Robert Gainer

  

Bibliography:

 

"Practical Sailor", Volume 18, No. 1, January 1, 1982, Page 12, "Used Boat Survey: The Sea Sprite"

 

Sailing Designs, by Robert E. Perry, Port Publications, Inc. Port Washington, Wisconsin, 1977. (This book is a compilation of design reviews that appeared in "Sailing" magazine. The Sea Sprite review should be on page 12. Beware that, due to a printing snafu, page 12 is blank in some editions of this book.)

 

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