The design was built by Grampian Marine in Canada between 1971 and 1976 with 450 boats completed, but it is now out of production.^[1][3][4]

The Grampian 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, an angled transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a stub keel with a swing keel, or optional fixed fin keel. It displaces 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and carries 1,033 lb (469 kg) of lead ballast.^[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 5.33 ft (1.62 m) with the swing keel extended and 2.36 ft (0.72 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.^[1][3]

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring.^[1][3]

The design has sleeping accommodation for five people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a dinette table in the main cabin that converts to a double berth and an aft berth on the port side, under the cockpit. The galley is located on the port side amidships. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 64 in (160 cm).^[1][3]

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker.^[1][3]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 270 and a hull speed of 6.1 kn (11.3 km/h).^[3]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "the emphasis on this design appears to be to provide basic sailboat transportation at a low price. Beauty is not a selling point; her appearance is too slab-sided and top-heavy to qualify her as pretty. Best features: The raised poptop can be fitted with snap-on weather curtains and vinyl windows to make a serviceable convertible doghouse underway. Between the poptop hatch and a good-sized ventilation hatch forward, there should be plenty of air below. Worst features: The Grampian 23 is the slowest of her comp[etitor]s (despite her relatively long waterline), with a significantly higher PHRF rating. Construction is not nearly as high in quality as either of her comps. Her cockpit is small and squeezed toward the stern, which tends to force the stern down and the bow up when the cockpit is loaded. One owner says that the cockpit is 'about two feet short of perfect.' Presumably, the original plan was to allot more space to accommodations, but the idea somehow didn't work, as seen by comparing the Grampian 23 to the O'Day 23 Mk I ... The O'Day's layout nearly duplicates the Grampian’s, but somehow ends up with a 6 1/2-foot cockpit compared to the Grampian's 5 1/2-foot arrangement."^[3]

In a review, Michael McGoldrick wrote that the design is, "a spacious 23 footer with enough room for a private head. The large interior comes at the expense of the cockpit, which is a little small in comparison to other boats in this size range."^[5]

• List of sailing boat types

• Photo of a Grampian 23