Kitty Hawk 23

The Kitty Hawk 23 is a typical Carolina style hull with lots of flare up forward that turns into tumblehome back aft. The midship sections have the traditional “S” shape, particularly in the area of the sheer break. She will use external spray rails like on the other Kitty Hawk designs in order to simplify construction. Some integral chine flats are available.

The cockpit sole goes all the way to the anchor locker bulkhead at the bow, with the seating built on top. These boxes can easily be drained overboard and used as fish boxes. In the sole between the seats there are two large storage areas that would be best used as general storage. The console is the same as the one on the Kitty Hawk 26, so there is room below for a head. Aft of the console, you can mount a leaning post with a baitwell or storage for a cooler. All the way aft, just forward of the motor well, there is another access hatch for machinery and storage.

Construction is similar to the other Kitty Hawk designs. Her framing and bottom stringers are 3/4″(18mm) marine plywood. The topside stringers will be douglas fir or mahogany, as will the chine logs, clamps and keel. She will be built over a framework made up of both temporary and permanent frames. Topside planking will be either 2 layers of 6mm or 3 layers of 4mm okoume marine plywood. Her bottom consists of either 2 layers of 3/8″ douglas fir or 2 layers of 9mm okoume marine plywood. If it makes life easier, you can plank the bottom with 3 layers of 6mm okoume. After planking she gets a layer of 1208 double bias (0/90) fiberglass set in epoxy before fairing and painting. Her interior should be coated with 2-3 coats of epoxy to seal the wood. Her transom is rather overbuilt with three layers of 18mm okoume or 3/4″ douglas fir if you want to save some money. All three layers go all the way across and tie in with the side planking. All the stringers tie into the transom and the cockpit sole is glassed to the transom all the way across.

Her fuel tank sits just aft of the console and holds 117 gallons with the export version holding 454 liters. The tank is aluminum and the entire fuel system is designed to meet the latest standards. The tank has welded on mounting brackets so it can be fastened directly to the stringers and frames. The tank can be easily serviced as there is a soft patch in the sole that is larger than the tank. The batteries will go up forward under the console, along with the battery charger. There are bilge pumps fore and aft, both of which are readily accessible. Wash down pumps and bait well pumps will be located by the builders, depending on what systems they choose. We suggest they go beneath the aftermost hatch in the sole as that should be a pretty roomy space.

Power will come from a single outboard mounted directly to the transom, using a 300 hp V-6.

The Kitty Hawk 23 is available as both a Plan Set with full size frame patterns or as a CNC cut Frame Kit. The Plan Set includes around 20 pages of drawings and the patterns printed on plastic film to ensure accuracy. The patterns were created from the CNC cut files and are a bit complex as they include all the cut-outs for the stringers, chines and clamp. A strongback drawing is included. The stem is laminated over a mold and this mold is included in the patterns. The plans have been drawn with dual dimensioning, so are ready for those of you outside the US.

The CNC cut Frame Kit includes both the permanent and temporary frames, longitudinal bottom stringers, the 3 layer transom and the strongback. There is also a pre-cut form for laminating the stem to the correct shape. The Frame Kit includes most of the drawings from the Plan Set detailing her construction, including hull and deck details and a machinery arrangement.