It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a slightly angled transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable swing keel.
[1][3] The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the keel extended and 8 in (20 cm) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water, beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.
[3] In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "here is a vessel designed to satisfy the Great American public's desire for a simple, low cost sailboat big enough to cruise a family of four (or five in a pinch), at least for a weekend.
A fold-down poptop and button-on canvas weather curtains provide interior space with 6' 1" headroom when at anchor or when sailing in a light breeze.
Foam flotation under the cockpit and the forward V-berth make the boat unsinkable despite the weight of her 460 pound swing keel.