Investigator 563
Description
The Investigator 563 is an Australian trailerable pocket cruiser / daysailer designed by Kevin Shepherd (also a sailmaker by trade) and built by Investigator Yachts in Sydney, Australia, from 1975 to 1989. It won a Gold Design Award from the Industrial Design Council of Australia for its innovative and practical design, featuring a fractional sloop rig, shoal-draft fixed keel with lead ballast (for yacht-like self-righting stability and good performance), a retractable steel centerboard (centerplate) for versatility in shallow waters or beaching, a unique drop-down outboard motor well (tucked away in the cockpit area for clean lines and easy storage), solid fiberglass construction for durability and low maintenance, and a compact but functional interior suitable for weekend cruising, coastal gunkholing, or club racing—often described as a "miniature yacht" with excellent manners, light-air capability, and the feel of a larger boat despite its size. Production totaled approximately 170 boats, making it a classic Aussie trailer-sailer with an active owner community (including forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube restoration/sailing videos), and many examples still sailed, restored, or for sale today in Australia (e.g., Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland).
Construction Details
| Designer | Kevin Shepherd |
|---|---|
| Builder | Investigator Yachts (Sydney, Australia) |
| Length | 18.500 ft |
| LOA | 18.470 ft |
| LWL | 16.470 ft |
| Beam | 6.890 ft |
| Displacement | 1653 lb |
| Ballast | 8000 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.740 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.770 ft |
| Year Built | 1975 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 20.67 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 6.90 ft |
| p | 20.67 ft |
| e | 7.87 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.67 ft | 6.90 ft | 20.67 ft | 7.87 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Investigator 563 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 19.86 ft - (6053 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.28 ft - (2829 mm) |
| Leech | * 17.44 ft - (5316 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.15 ft - (2484 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 80.91 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Investigator 563 - GENOA
| Luff | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.36 ft - (3463 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.27 ft - (6788 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.99 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.63 ft - (3240 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.08 ° |
| Area | * 125.31 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Investigator 563 - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.32 ft - (6498 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 149.99 % |
| Length Perp | * 10.63 ft - (3240 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.04 ° |
| Area | * 125.33 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Investigator 563 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.69 ft - (3563 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.69 ft - (6611 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 207 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Investigator 563 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 24.5 ft - (7468 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Leech | 23 ft - (7010 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 257 ft² |
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Investigator 563 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 12.76 ft - (3889 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.76 ft - (3889 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 256 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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