I like the term “pocket cruiser” but I have seen it applied to boats as long as 30 feet LOA. The new Sage 15, designed by Jerry Montgomery, would hardly belong in a group of 30-footers, so Sage is calling its new model a “micro cruiser.” I think that works. Maybe the cutoff point is where the boat can no longer be towed by the standard family car. The Sage 15 weighs 775 pounds, so it’s very easy to tow. It’s a perky looking little boat with molded in lapstrake planking. I quite like the overall look.

The hull is quite modern looking, lapstrake detailing aside. The entry is moderately fine and the stern moderately broad. The D/L is 113.5 but on a boat this small I would be inclined to add the crew weight to the designed displacement for the D/L and that would bring the total displacement up to around 1,115 pounds for a D/L of 163. That seems just right to me. 

Calling this boat any kind of cruiser implies that you can sleep aboard. The Sage 15 has a V-berth, but it is divided by the daggerboard trunk so if you roll over to kiss your honey in the middle of the night and she feels cold and bald, drop the daggerboard. There are two small seats aft of the V-berth and the head is tucked in under the companionway. There is a lot of stowage space under the cockpit for your food and cruising gear. I can’t quite bring myself to say you would be comfortable below, unless you were lying down. I think a sense of adventure is needed to truly enjoy this boat.

There are two rigs available. The sloop rig has 128 square feet of sail area for a SA/D of 19 with our crew-included displacement. The fat-head catboat rig has 122 square feet for a crew-included SA/D of 18.15. My inclination would be to go for the cat rig with its rotating mast. I think this rig would outperform the sloop rig in most conditions in addition to being an easier rig to operate.

I can see people enjoying this boat in a place like Puget Sound where the anchorages are close together.

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LOA 15’3”; LWL 14’6”; Beam 6’5”; Draft 7” (board up) to 3’ (board down); Displ. 775 lbs.; Ballast 220 lbs.; Sail area 128 sq. ft.; Auxiliary outboard.; SA/D 19 (sloop) or 18.15 (cat rig); D/L 113.5; L/B 2.34

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