What Was Good Then Is Still Good Now
The Used Boats They Recommended in 1985
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a sailing book from 1985 that estimated the annual cost of owning a fiberglass auxiliary sailboat at roughly $150 per foot, per year.
Adjusted for inflation, the number wasn’t all that far off from modern reality.
But buried deeper in the book was something even more interesting:
A list.
Not a list of new boats to buy in 1985.
A list of used boats.
The author’s recommended benchmark sailboats for buyers looking for quality, value, capability, and good design.
And reading it in 2026 felt oddly familiar because many of these boats are still actively sailing. Still admired. Still desired. And many of them have appeared on BoatFools Sailing (in bold).
Here was the list:
Pearson Ariel 26
Ranger 26
C&C 27
Tartan 27
Pearson Triton 28
Sabre 28
Allied Seawind 30
Dufour Arpege 30
Pearson 30
Bristol 32
Pearson Vanguard 32
Allied Luders 33
Morgan 34
Tartan 34
Allied Seabreeze 35
C&C 35
Hinckley Pilot 35
Pearson 35
Alberg 35
Chris-Craft Apache 37
C&C 38
Pearson 39
C&C 40
Cal 40
Hinckley Bermuda 40
Olson 40
Rhodes Bounty 40
Rhodes Reliant 41
That’s a fascinating lineup because it unintentionally tells us something important:
Even in 1985, the used boat market already revolved around older boats.
Many of these designs were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Some were already 20 years old when the book was published.
And yet they were still considered benchmark boats worth seeking out.
Today?
Some of these same boats are now 50 or 60 years old. And people still chase them.
Not because sailors are irrational romantics — though we certainly are — but because many of these boats were fundamentally good designs to begin with. These were not disposable consumer products. They were boats built with the assumption they might still matter decades later.
Strong hulls.
Seaworthy proportions.
Simple systems.
Comfortable motion.
Timeless lines.
What strikes me most is how little the core appeal of sailing has changed.
People still dream about escaping complexity.
About motion powered by wind.
About a simpler and freer life.
The technology surrounding boats has evolved enormously.
But the emotional pull?
Almost identical.
In fact, the closing lines of the book might explain why so many of these older boats still matter today:
“It needs to be said, finally, that this whole process of finding a boat can be intensely enjoyable and educational if you use your native wit and intelligence. Sailboats are, after all, not so terribly complicated. Indeed, that is one of their essential appeals: they realize a dream that is in many of us for a simpler, freer life...”
That line stopped me cold.
Because that’s essentially the entire spirit of BoatFools Sailing.
We’re not really chasing fiberglass.
Or teak.
Or old sailboats.
We’re chasing the idea that some dreams do not become obsolete.
And maybe that’s why these old boats keep surviving.
Not because they’re old.
Because they’re good.
Onward!
Spring Commissioning Update
We launch June 1st. Our boat is a hot mess… How are your projects coming along?
Btw, I’m looking to reduce my ocean passages and sail more locally in the Bay of Maine. So I want more [upwind] performance and less size than my Brewer 12.8 and am willing to give up weight and sea kindliness. But I still want great construction in case I have to use my boat as an escape pod from … evil. I’m thinking Sabre 28 but I’m sure you guys have many more ideas than I. Thanks, Will
Guys! You can’t write for half your blog about a book, and post a great quote from it, without giving credit to the authors! TIA, keep up the good work, Will