Kingfisher 20 Reviews

20 from a report in 1968
Designed in 1959 the K20 has been an established favourite for many years as a sea-going cruiser and she has completed successfully in many races; she is eligible for J.O.G. classification. A twin bilge keel glass fibre sloop, her accommodation consists of four full-length berths in two cabins, with a completely separate toilet compartment. In the main cabin there is plenty of room for four people to sit in comfort around the cabin table. The standard layout includes gas cooker, sink and work surface for galley and charts. The main and fore cabin are lined up to deck level to prevent condensation. Plenty of stowage space is provided under the bunks and sink unit. The self-draining cockpit accommodates four people with ease. Sealed stowage lockers are provided under the side decks and under the cockpit seats. A unique and popular feature is the unique and self-stowing outboard. The K20 is also available "unfurnished", i.e. without interior mouldings, but ready to sail at £850. Sails are included in the complete boat. Lloyds Series Production Cert. with every boat.     Full Price £1,195.

20+ below are two extracts, one from the yachting press and one from an owner
"...over three-hundred-and-fifty boats have been produced from this mould which, in itself, shows the appeal of small family cruising boats. This, after all, is why we were at Weymouth, and the Kingfisher happily into our 'Top Ten' boats ... a lot of thought has gone into this boat, including details like the sliding doors separating the two cabins, giving unusually good privacy ... admired, too, was the outboard installation, and the engine hinging forward, rather  than aft, to bring the propeller clear of the water ... particularly admired was the moulded fitting for the galley, right across the ship, under the bridge deck ... the Kingfisher 20 Plus is a good example of straightforward honest boat building and deserves her place in the 'Top Ten'."

from fred g wolff, arlington, Va, USA
... during the sail up to Annapolis we were fortunate to encounter every conceivable weather condition available in the Chesapeake Bay, from dead calm with an unpleasant swell to full gale with very steep, short choppy seas. 'Aries' behaved beautifully under all conditions, and we were able to try all sail combinations including twin genoas. We fully expected her to be seaworthy and rugged, which she was, but we did not expect her to perform as well as she did. She went to nearly hull speed easily and did better than four knots in very light airs. She points quite well and has a very comfortable motion in swells and choppy seas. Being used to our 42-foot Tor Helm cutter which we sold this spring, we were of course quite critical of our new boat's performance, and found that she feels much more like a large boat than her size would lead one to expect.

I would like to particularly comment on the human factors aspect of her design; I have seldom sailed a boat in which the designer has taken so much care to comfort, convenience, and ease of operation - all the hardware is where it belongs, bunk and seat dimensions are proper, and the arrangement ideal. We are also very pleased with the sizing of her cleats and her hardware - so many boats today have toy-size hardware.

As you can gather, we are more than pleased with our Kingfisher. I can think of no single point of criticism.

(Mr. Wolff is planning to sail his Kingfisher 20 Plus to England during the summer of '69)