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Our wooden masts and spars are made with the same uncompromising quality and attention to detail as our oars and paddles. We have made hundreds of masts and spars for boats as small as nutshell prams, for many Herreshoff designs, and numerous larger boats like Concordia yawls. Due to our shop size, 50 feet is our maximum length.

We offer solid and hollow masts in a variety of cross-sections. We typically require the original naval architects drawings or your old mast, but can assist you in dimensioning the mast if the aforementioned items are unavailable to you.

Most of our masts and spars are constructed from select Eastern red spruce. Ideal for mast making, it has the highest strength to weight ratio of all North American softwoods. We also offer Sitka spruce and Douglas fir as options.

Please call us to discuss your mast and spar needs.

Unfortunately, because of its length, this product cannot be shipped through our Online Store. Please call 800-240-4867 to place your order.

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How to Size Your Oars

To determine the correct length oar for your boat measure the distance between the port and starboard oar sockets. Then apply the Shaw and Tenney oar length formula to determine the oar length that will provide the correct 7:18 leverage ratio. This length will provide an oar where 7/25 the length is inboard of the oarlocks and 18/25 of the oar is outboard of the oarlocks. It is the ideal ratio to row almost all boats. Sized correctly, when rowing your hands will be 1 to 3 inches apart and you will be pulling directly towards your abdomen. If you are popping out of your oarlocks when rowing your oars are far too short. If you prefer an overlapping grip, add 6” to the calculated oar length. If you have more than one rowing station in your boat, measure both. Typically they will require two different length oars which is fine if you’re going to be rowing tandem and need two sets. Otherwise you’ll need to compromise the correct length to work properly in both stations. If you are rowing more than 75% in one station size the oar to that length. As always feel free to call us and were happy to help you select the correct oar length and blade style for your boat.

The Original Shaw & Tenney Oar Length Formula

To help our customers size their oars correctly, we’ve been using the same formula since 1858: Measure the distance between the center of the port and starboard oar sockets, which hold the oar locks on each gunnel. This is called the “span” between the oarlocks. Divide the span by 2, and then add 2 to this number. The result is called the “inboard loom length” of the oar. Multiply the loom length by 25, and then divide that number by 7. The result is the proper oar length in inches. Round up or down to the closest 6” increment.

How to Size Your Paddle

For traditional wooden paddles the ideal length for the Stern paddler is the bridge of your nose or 6 inches less than your height. For the bow paddler the paddle reaching the cleft of your chin or 9 inches less than your height is correct.

For our Racine paddle if you are over 5’6” tall select the 63-1/2” length and the shorter paddle if you are under5’-6”tall.

When paddling solo we typically recommend a bow length paddle. For Canadian style solo most paddlers prefer an even shorter paddle.

For paddling canoes when standing (yes our mother let us do this) a 69 inch or 72 inch paddle is usually about right.

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Toll Free: 800-240-4867 207-866-4867 20 Water Street, PO Box 213, Orono, Maine 04473

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U.S. Spars --->

U.S. Spars is your source for Z-Spars for Masts, Booms, Rigging, and all associated hardware

“ Sailing starts with U.S. Spars”

U.S. Spars is part of Z-Spars Group in France, the World’s Largest Spar Builders. Z-Spars has been supplying the sailing world with quality products since 1973. US Spars supplies quality brands like Hunter, Beneteau, Com-Pac and Performance Cruising. We would be happy to quote your mast, boom, and rigging needs.

US Spars takes pride in excellent customer service for Business or Individual customers. Please take advantage of our online ordering and fast shipping for all of your small part needs using our easy to use boat look-up to find your boat model and view a diagram with part numbers for easy ordering. For quotes on special orders please use our easy to use quote page for a speedy response.

U.S. Spars looks forward to getting you back on the water!

Questions? – send us an email at  [email protected]  or  [email protected]

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furling mast SMF

... an electric motor in the mast with a newly developed electric winch for the outhaul, E40i. Push a button and the sail comes out in a controlled fashion as the winch adjusts the outhaul tension in relation to the motor ...

sailboat mast C-sections and F-sections

... outhaul, Cunningham etc.) are transferred to the mainsail and on to the mast . As the mainsail is designed according to the expected curve of the mast , a longitudinally stiff mast allows ...

sailboat mast CC series

... controlled for ultimate accuracy, repeatability, efficiency and that stunning ‘Viper’ pattern. Seldén produce over 400 carbon masts per year as well as booms, poles and bow sprits for boats including high performance ...

sailboat mast M540

... famous customer, J Boats : https://www.jcomposites.eu/is-a-cruiser-racer-monohull-as-competitive-with-an-aluminum- mast -rather-than-a-carbon- mast /

sailboat mast M450

... full-battened sail for ocean cruisers very easily because they don’t have structural issue, you can always hoist the sail when the mast is bending. Regarding the performance, the profile is stiffer thanks to the track; ...

sailboat mast FIRST 31.7

FIRST 31.7 - light, reliable and efficient mast for this fast cruiser M350 MAST FRACTIONAL RIG, KEEL-STEPPED. 2 SPREADER PAIRS Straight profile grey anodisation Mast ...

sailboat mast BERMUDIEN

... years of manufacturing custom glued laminated wood spars. The construction of marconi masts is part of our specialty. Marconi masts have been present on our seas for over 300 years now. Allowing a ...

sailboat mast AURIQUE ET HOUARI

... SPECIALISED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WOODEN MASTS Constructions up to 30 meters ! A marine carpentry shipyard perfectly suited for work on wooden spars. Broken masts , damaged booms, gaffsaddless, bowsprit ...

sport keelboat mast AURIQUE ET HOUARI

sailboat mast

... introduced by Pauger made our top quality carbon masts , booms, vangs and spinnaker poles a serious and cost effective option to replace alloy rigging. Standard specification We offer complete rigging including masts , ...

sailboat mast Performance range

... are available according to your sailing needs : fractional or mast head rig, extruded, tapered or non. There are several sheave options. The spreader sections are profiled and the spreader ...

CUL-Masten develops and produces masts made of carbon (carbon fiber, carbon) for yachts and sailboats , both for recreational sailors and the ambitious regatta sailor. The carbon masts ...

sailboat mast Classic

... carbon masts is very labor intensive.  AXXON doesn’t make any compromise and most of the components are built in carbon : mast head, sheave boxes, head stay and stay sail attachments with the exception ...

sailboat mast Grand Prix

... so that the spars and sails work as one cohesive unit. This enables racers to extract maximum performance and trust that the mast will get them across the finish line. Southern Spars rigs are made from thin ply carbon ...

... for the lowest possible windage. • Enhanced tuning ability: With our carbon-fibre mast chocks, our adjustable spreader systems and our adjustable mast step, our masts ...

... joints in the mast eliminates the need for additional construction or thickness, ensuring no "hard spots" in the mast 's bend. This consistency in thickness and strength results in an equal spread of ...

sailboat mast Z105

GMT Composites has been building carbon fiber masts for sailboats longer than anyone else in the world. Our masts have sailed in every ocean, including many successful passages around ...

sailboat mast WING 150

Thanks to its patented technology, HEOL COMPOSITES will bring you one of the best solution for the production of your own mast profile. Aluminium female moulds and autoclave curing will guarantee both strength and perfect ...

sailboat mast XR

... reefing system in order to achieve lower mast weight and a greater mainsail area we offer the proven Leisurefurl furl boom, either for retrofitting or in combination with our XR mast . In contrast to ...

... or semistayed,including circular, oval, D-shaped, complex furling, and wing masts . We engineer spar solutions for all ranges of vessels size and performance. From sailboats to racing scows and historical ...

sailboat mast ONE DESIGN

Brasker Masten produces wooden spars for the following classes: • 12 voets jol • 16 m2 • 22 m2 • 30 m2 • DN • Finnjol • Flits • Flying Junior • Olympiajol • Pampus • Regenboog • Schakel • Sharpie • Spanker • Top • Vaurien • Valk • Vrijheid

Offshore Spars’ aluminum mast and booms have custom design and manufactured, integrally welded components. We use no aluminum castings. All aluminum mast systems are primed and top coated using Awlgrip ...

sailboat mast Cherub

Cherub C-Tech small diameter HM Cherub masts have been performing very strongly at recent Australian Nationals. Our Masts are available with on band or adjustable spreaders.

sailboat mast ELLIPSE series

We are able to produce carbon mats from 10m to 80m. VELENA YAT SAN. Aluminum mast manufacturing, deck and rigging hardware in Bodrum / Icmeler began to serve. VELENA YACHT INDUSTRY has adopted the principle of high ...

10 years since we became manufacturer of masts . Today we can produce custom projects.

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A sailboat mast is a roughly cylindrical, vertical spar which supports the vessel's sails.

Most of these masts are made of aluminum, with standard sections. Most racing sailboats use fractional rigs, in which the headsail reaches 7/8ths or 9/10ths of the way up the mast, which is thinner at the top. Carbon masts reduce weight aloft, increasing vessel stability and stiffening the sails under load. Some masts are equipped with spreaders to tension the shrouds and absorb some of the mast flex.

In the case of a production boat, choice will depend on make and model. For a one-off without a designer's sail plan, the characteristics of the mast step, the vessel's length and displacement, the presence or absence of backstays and/or running backstays and the number and location of chainplates will be determinant. If the mast is stepped on deck instead of on the keel, a photo of the step should prove useful to the mast manufacturer. Those who race often should consider a carbon mast for improved performance.

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Dwyer mast & rigging offers 20+ extrusions for masts and booms on sailboats up to 30 feet..

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Spars & Spar Sets

Maintain or upgrade your Opti mast, boom, and sprit pole with our extensive selection of complete spar sets, new masts, booms, and sprit poles, and a full range of replacement spar fittings, blocks, and components designed specifically for the optimist sailboat.

Looking for spar fittings and parts? Visit our Spar Fittings page.

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Optimax MK4 Racing Boom 45 mm Optimist

Optimax MK3 Racing Boom 40 mm Optimist

Optimax MK4 Racing Mast Optimist

Opti BlackGold Medium Spar Set

Opti BlackGold Power Spar Set

Opti BlackMax Spar Set

Opti BlackMax Boom 55mm

Opti BlackGold Sprit 27mm

Opti Silver Regatta Mast

Opti Silver Regatta Boom 40mm

Opti Upgraded Club Spar Set

Opti Upgraded Club Mast

Opti Upgraded Club Boom

Opti Silver Regatta Sprit 24.5mm

Opti Sleeve School Mast

Opti BlackGold Power Boom 45mm

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Opti spar sets.

An Opti Spar Set is a complete, ready to go set including a mast, boom, sprit pole, and necessary rigging. We have multiple spar set options including the entry/club level Upgraded Club Spar Set, the intermediate level Silver Regatta Spar Set, and three BlackGold spar sets including the BlackGold Medium Spar Set (includes 40mm boom), BlackGold Power Spar Set (includes 45mm boom), and BlackMax Spar Set (includes 55mm boom and 29mm sprit).

Replacement or upgraded optimist masts are available in a variety of configurations, from the race-ready BlackGold range, to the intermediate Silver Regatta range, to the entry level Club mast.

Opti Booms  

The standard Opti boom is 40mm in diameter. Both the Silver Regatta Boom and Upgraded Club Boom are 40mm and designed to work as part of either the Silver Regatta Spar Set or the Club Spar Set, respectively. In the BlackGold series, there are multiple boom diameters geared towards sailor weight. These include the BlackGold Medium (40mm), BlackGold Power (45mm) and BlackGold Max (55mm). While the BlackGold Medium is the standard, the Power and Max versions are available for heavier sailors at the top weight range of the class.

Opti Spirt Poles

The sprit pole attaches to the top of the sail and the sprit halyard to help tension the sail. Like the various Opti masts and booms, there are several sprit pole options designed to work with the various spar set ranges. The Club Sprit and Silver Regatta Sprit poles are very similar, except for the wear strip found on the Silver sprit that helps prevent wear. There are two sprit poles in the BlackGold collection, with the standard BlackGold Sprit 27mm used by most sailors and the BlackMax Sprit 29mm designed to be used in conjunction with the BlackMax boom for heavier sailors.

Opti Spar Fittings

In addition to the full range of spar sets and individual spars, West Coast Sailing carries a full range of Optimist spar fittings, from boom end caps and boom jaws, to mast heel plugs and halyard cleats, to eyestraps, blocks, sprit halyard assemblies, and sprit pole ends. Many of these fittings can be used accross multiple spar types, with some designed specifically for BlackGold spars and others for the Silver and Club spars. 

Guide to Selecting Opti Spars & Spar Sets - PDF

Selecting the right individual spar or spar set can be confusing, but does not have to be! Major factors to consider are sailor ambition (sailing well and desire to race vs more entry level), sailor weight, and cost. Generally speaking, 'Club' spars are designed for entry level sailors while 'BlackGold' spars are best for active racers who have developed sound skills sailing the Opti. The 'Silver Regatta' spars attempt to offer similar characteristics to the racing spars while priced more like a club set.

Racing Spars vs Club Spars

The most common question is what the difference is between racing and club spars. The defining characteristic of a Upgraded Club Spar Set is the permanently attached sprit halyard block on the front of the mast and the permanent lacing eyes at the head of the mast. These permanently attached fittings mean that the sail cannot be removed from the mast without untying all the sail ties along the luff of the sail. It also means the club spar set has no parts that can be misplaced or dropped in the water because it is self-contained. With the club spar set the sail is typically left on the spars during storage. Although this is a fast, easy way to store your spars and sail, it is hard on the sail. Club sails are constructed to hold up to this kind of abuse and can still be expected to last many seasons.

Racing sails, however, are very delicate and are generally rolled on the boom or separately from the spars to avoid creases, wrinkles and damaged. Racing spars are fitted with a hook-in-block and a wind pennant plug masthead system. These two features allow all the fittings to be removed. The sail is now free to slide on and off of the mast. It should be noted that the Silver Regatta Spar Set has been design to achieve all the features of the racing spar set with a price more comparable to the club spar set. The silver spar set comes with the stiffer 40 mm boom as a standard feature.

Choosing A Racing Spar Set (BlackGold)

When considering racing spars, such as the various BlackGold spar sets, the difference resides mainly in the quality, diameter and manufacturing method of the aluminum tubing used in the spars. Quality is a function of the series number of the aluminum. 7,000 series is an aviation grade, higher in tensile strength than 6,000 series. Coincidentally as the series number goes up, so does the cost. The diameter of the aluminum tubing also affects both the performance and cost. Larger diameter tubing is stiffer and more expensive. The manufacturing process also impacts the cost and quality of the spar. A rolled tube with welded seam is cheaper to produce than an extruded one. (Extruded means that it is formed in one continuous piece) Theoretically, an extrudeds par is both stronger and stiffer. 

Booms are available in different diameters as mentioned above. There are 55mm, 45mm, 40mm, and 32mm diameter racing booms. These can be used by different skipper weight ranges or specific sailing conditions. Another unique feature is found in the Black Max boom. It does not have a bridle, just a single attachment point. This benefits a tall sailor in that there is more room  under the boom making it easier to tack. Sprits are available in 27mm and 29mm.

Most coaches have preferences and will usually recommend a specific boom orsprit if they feel it will complement your skippers sailing style. The 40 mm boom is considered standard and sail makers test their sails with this boom. With all the confusion and so many choices if you have any doubts get the standard 40 mm boom.

• Opti Sailboat Photo Gallery - Detailed photos of rigging and setup, including different upgrades.
• Opti Line Guide - Recommended line lengths and materials for halyard, mainsheet, and control lines.
• Opti Owners Manual - Rigging Guide and Owner's Manual from McLaughlin, an Optimist builder.
• Opti Rigging Guide - Rigging Guide for Pro and Advanced Racer from McLaughlin.
• Opti Spar Guide - Understanding Club, Silver, and BlackGold Spars.

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Rise Up! How to Raise Your Sailboat Mast

Posted by Zoran Glozinic | Dogwatch , Projects , Sails & Canvas

Spring is here and marinas will soon be filled with mast-raisers. And while the world is filled (to the brim?) with mast-raising solutions, I have another. I believe my method is possibly the simplest solution most applicable to a wide range of boats. It allows a sailor to raise a mast independently, without a crane, affording freedom. It also enables a sailor to do it by themself. And while most mast-raising solutions require various panoply of items a sailor needs to either purchase or fabricate—various gin poles, A-frames, lifting poles, winches, 2×6 boards, lawn-mower wheels, and mast supports mounted to rudder fittings on the transom—and while sailors who trailer their boats to various waters have to carry all of that with them, the solution I’ve come up with uses a very small amount of extra equipment, so small it can almost be carried in one’s pocket.

Everything rigged and mast ready to be raised with a tug on the mainsheet.

So, what is required and how do you rig it?

• First, to use my solution, your mast should have a mast base/step or tabernacle on which the mast can pivot. This is common.
• Next, there will need to be an attachment point on either side of the boat, aligned with the mast pivoting point—athwartships and on the same axis. You might need to get creative here because each boat is different. The two attachment points (eyes are fine) can be permanent (as in this photo), or they can be made using a steel ring and two short lengths of steel wire or chain temporarily attached to an existing hardpoint. The wider these attachment points are spaced, the better, because they serve as hardpoints to attach two sets of temporary shrouds.
• About seven feet above the mast step (or as high as you can comfortably reach up the mast when it’s vertical) on either side of the mast, there must be tangs or permanent mounts to attach the mast-supporting set of temporary shrouds. I used a length of ¼-inch threaded rod that passes through the mast and through two small hardwood blocks and two small tangs made from mild steel. I install these tangs when needed, using wingnuts. When sailing, there is nothing on the mast to snag halyards, and the two small holes are not something I worry about.

And that is it for boat modifications.

Mast successfully raised, note the athwartships attachment points on the dorade boxes and the two sets of temporary shrouds.

A close-up view of the athwartships attachment points.

To raise and lower the mast, I rig things and operate as follows. In this example, the mast is attached to a pivoting base and stowed lowered onto the bow pulpit.

• Between the athwartships attachment points and the mast tangs, I attach a set of temporary shrouds. These I made from coated wire rope (the same as used for lifelines). These will remain taut for the duration of the mast raising or lowering (because they’re attached on the same axis on which the mast pivots) and serve to prevent the mast from swaying from side to side.
• I attach the boom like I’m ready to sail, 90 degrees to the mast, connected to the gooseneck fitting and with the topping lift and end-of-boom mainsheet rigged. I use the main halyard and boom downhaul to keep the gooseneck fixed (so it cannot slide up or down, if track-mounted).
• Between the athwartships attachment points and the clew end of the boom, I attach a second set of temporary shrouds. These I made from low-stretch braided line and they will also remain taut for the entire mast raising and lowering.
• Once all set, I pull on the mainsheet (rigged with 4:1 block-and-tackle for purchase) to raise the mast. It’s relatively easy and the mast remains in control; I can stop and start at any point in the process if needed.

If my mast was instead pivoted aft and stowed on an aft-rail support, I could still use the same method, but I would have to attach a separate gooseneck fitting on the front of the mast and some separate running rigging to function as the topping lift does.

Happy spring mast raising!

One nice-to-have modification I’ve made is to the pulpit where my mast rests when stowed. I made a wooden mast support mounted on the bow rail. The rubber roller has two positions: the lower position is used for winter mast storage, and the upper position allows for easy mast sliding, fore and aft, when getting it to the exact position in order to install (remove) the pivoting bolt/pin at the mast base or tabernacle. When not in use, I stow this support at the bottom of a sail locker.

About The Author

Zoran Glozinic

Zoran Glozinic is a retired business professional who has been messing around in boats and old cars all his life. He currently lives in Laval, Quebec, where he divides his free time between a good old English bilge-keel boat and a 16-year-old Saab car.

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Better Sailing

Best Sailboats with Free Standing Masts

What is a mast in a sailboat? A mast in a sailboat is a spar or structure rising above the hull and upper portions of a boat or ship to hold sails, spars, rigging, booms, signals, and others, at some point on the fore-and-aft line, as a foremast or the mainmast. It is also described as any of the various portions of a single spar beside particular sails, as a top-gallant mast, and a royal mast formed as a single spar. 

What then is a free-standing mast? A free-standing mast (also known as an unstayed mast) is a type of mast that is not supported by any stays (a sailboat stay is a cable, line, rope, or essentially any material that supports the weight of the mast and ensures safe sailing). A free-standing mast is often seen in small boats because of the pressure exerted on the sail. However, they can also be found on larger vessels. 

What is the function of a mast? A mast is a tall wooden structure consisting of spars and is usually found at the center of a water vessel used in carrying a sail, derricks, and other structures. Although that is the primary function of a mast, it can be used for other purposes, such as adding navigation lights, a radio aerial, and other secondary functions. 

Here Are Some of the Best Sailboats with Free-Standing Masts

The Nonsuch sailboat series is a boating brand with history. A part of the boat series was first developed as far back as three decades ago. It is a boating brand that has been refined over the years and is known for its quality products. The Nonsuch 30 was designed by Gorgon Fisher and Mark Ellis. After its construction, it was released in 1978, and it became popular in Canada and the United States. 

Overall Features

The most apparent feature of this sailboat is its balance. The boat’s balance is unaffected by the full weight of a person on its rail because of its tall, tapered, unstayed mast with a wishbone boom. There is sufficient space above the deck due to the absence of chainplates, shrouds or stays, Genoa track or cars, mainsheet traveler, or primary winches on the cockpit coamings (there is one mainsheet winch well aft on the starboard coaming). The interior illuminates brighter than most sailboats, with three opening hatches in the coach roof, including nine opening ports. Two-quarter berths sit perfectly at either side of the companionway, and there is a sizable L-shaped galley to port.

The head comprises a shower and is a generous size, also is the forward lounging area, which has a port and a starboard settee, complete with a drop-leaf table on the centerline. The port side berth extends to render a double capacity bunk. A slide-up panel and bi-fold doors to close off the forward cabin were introduced in the later classical interior designs. This sailboat also boasts of sufficient storage space available in the form of a hanging locker in the forward cabin. The area designated for sleeping is private, quiet, comfortable, and free from interruptions. The diesel engines of the Nonsuch 30 span from Volvo MD11C Sail drive (most Classics) to a Westerbeke V-drive in the Ultra year’s edition.

>>Also Read: Best Small and Trailerable Sailboats

Tanton 44 Cutter

The Tanton 44 was built for a company called Offshore Marine. In the 1970s and early 1980s, small firms like Offshore Marine contracted Asian yards to produce boats of numerous designs. In 1982, the boat was built at the Ta Chiao Bros yard in Taiwan. It is otherwise called the Ta Chiao 44 or CT44. Tanton 44 was designed by one of the greatest, well-respected, prolific, and innovative designers of all time, Yves-Marie Tanton. 

The Tanton 44 is structurally solid and designed so that its speed is up to par with that of a cruising yacht. The anodized rig is properly positioned and is on its second set of standing rigging. On deck, the bulwarks and braces for the stanchions provide an instant sense of anti-theft. The boat consists of a comfortable private stateroom forward of considerable size with a centreline berth and a custom-made inner-spring mattress. Also, the hanging locker and a linen cabinet below the starboard settee make room for adequate storage. To port is the expansive head compartment at the sink that alternates hot and cold pressure water. Close to the centreline, there are two deep stainless sinks to port. The major salon has a huge “L” settee to port with a straight settee to starboard. 

There is enough room for at least six people to eat with a large leaf table and storage below. Proper storage has been prioritized with lockers and a spice rack that permit storage, and there is a large counter aft of the sinks. Rigged as a cutter, the potent sailplane is split into manageable sections. The subtle beam and fin keel/skeg rudder make this one of the unique performance cruisers. At about 26,000lbs designed displacement, the Tanton 44 has reasonable displacement and a long waterline of 37.6′. The Tanton 44’s all-around sailing peculiarities set her apart from conventional full-keel cruisers. 

>>Also Read: Best Small Sailboats To Sail Around The World

Herreshoff Cat Ketch 38

The Herreshoffs were built by the Cat Ketch Corporation; although short-lived, the company built some peculiar cruising auxiliaries. They were all called Herreshoffs, named after their designer, Halsey Herreshoff. The boats were created between about 1982 and 1986, and they came into existence as a result of the collaboration between the company’s founder, third-generation boatbuilder John Newton, and Herreshoff (who similarly was the third generation in his family to venture into the same business.) Newton had experience building Grand Banks trawlers in Hong Kong; likewise, Herreshoff was not a novice in the field as he had also designed a couple of production boats. The Herreshoffs 38 were a one-time production, constructed with each vessel containing unique properties.

The Herreshoff 38 Cat Ketch is a blue water cruiser with available space for an extended cruise or to live aboard. The Herreshoff 38 cruiser offers a teak interior, parquet floor, two staterooms, spacious salon, and full galley. As you come underneath, the aft stateroom is on your left with a double berth, under-berth storage, and a hanging locker. A full galley with teak cabinets, a tile counter, stainless steel sink, an icebox, and even a dishwasher can be located by your right. The salon accommodates a large wraparound dinette, teak dining table with storage, under-seat, and bulkhead storage. The head compartment is enclosed and has mirrored vanity and shower stall. The forward stateroom has an offset berth, under-berth storage, dresser, and hanging locker.

On this boat, there is a spacious cockpit with enough seating, a helm pedestal, and a Bimini top on deck. To help you enjoy the fresh catch-of-the-day is a Magma grill. There is also a swim ladder to assist you as you get on board after swimming or diving. The wide side decks ensure free movement forward. The teak bow pulpit has a dual roller, rode, windlass, and two anchors with chain. Auxiliary power is made available by the Universal Diesel Engine that lights up the entire boat. The Herreshoff 38 is a one-of-a-kind blue water cruiser with potential that can serve dual functions; a vacation getaway or a liveaboard.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats to Singlehand

Best Sailboats with Free Standing Masts – Final Thoughts

The boats that have made our list are the best boats out there that use a free-standing mast, a unique feature that is not popular. So now, you have an idea of the options and features to look out for if you want tο purchase a boat with a free-standing mast.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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10 Best Small Sailboats (Under 20 Feet)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 28, 2023

Compact, easy to trailer, simple to rig, easy to maintain and manage, and affordable, the best small boats all have one thing in common: they offer loads of fun while out there on the water.

So whether you're on a budget or just looking for something that can offer ultimate daytime rides without compromising on safety, aesthetic sensibilities, alternate propulsion, and speed, the best small sailboats under 20 feet should be the only way to go.

Let's be brutally honest here; not everyone needs a 30-foot sailboat to go sailing. They come with lots of features such as electronics, entertainment, refrigeration, bunks, a galley, and even a head. But do you really need all these features to go sailing? We don't think so.

All you need to go sailing is a hull, a mast, rudder, and, of course, a sail. And whether you refer to them as daysailers, trailerable sailboats , a weekender sailboat, or pocket cruisers, there's no better way to enjoy the thrills of coastal sailing than on small sailboats.

There are a wide range of small boats measuring less than 20 feet available in the market. These are hot products in the market given that they offer immense thrills out on the sea without the commitment required to cruise on a 30-footer. A small sailboat will not only give you the feel of every breeze but will also give you the chance to instantly sense every change in trim.

In this article, we'll highlight 10 best small sailboats under 20 feet . Most models in this list are time-tested, easy to rig, simple to sail, extremely fun, and perfect either for solo sailing or for sailing with friends and family. So if you've been looking for a list of some of the best small sailboats , you've come to the right place.

So without further ado, let's roll on.

Table of contents

{{boat-info="/boats/hunter-15"}}

The Marlow-Hunter 15 is not only easy to own since it's one of the most affordable small sailboats but also lots of fun to sail. This is a safe and versatile sailboat for everyone. Whether you're sailing with your family or as a greenhorn, you'll love the Hunter 15 thanks to its raised boom, high freeboard, and sturdy FRP construction.

With high sides, a comfortable wide beam, a contoured self-bailing cockpit, and fiberglass construction, the Hunter 15 is certainly designed with the novice sailor in mind. This is why you can do a lot with this boat without falling out, breaking it, or capsizing. Its contoured self-baiting cockpit will enable you to find a fast exit while its wide beam will keep it steady and stable no matter what jibes or weight shifts happen along the way.

This is a small sailboat that can hold up to four people. It's designed to give you a confident feeling and peace of mind even when sailing with kids. It's easy to trailer, easy to rig, and easy to launch. With a price tag of about $10k, the Hunter 15 is a fun, affordable, and versatile boat that is perfect for both seasoned sailors and novices. It's a low-maintenance sailboat that can be great for teaching kids a thing or two about sailing.

Catalina 16.5

{{boat-info="/boats/catalina-16-5"}}

Catalina Yachts are synonymous with bigger boats but they have some great and smaller boats too such as Catalina 16.5. This is one of the best small sailboats that are ideal for family outings given that it has a big and roomy cockpit, as well as a large storage locker. Designed with a hand-laminated fiberglass sloop, the Catalina 16.5 is versatile and is available in two designs: the centerboard model and the keel model.

The centerboard model is designed with a powerful sailplane that remains balanced as a result of the fiberglass centerboard, the stable hull form, and the rudder. It also comes with a tiller extension, adjustable hiking straps, and adjustable overhaul. It's important to note that these are standard equipment in the two models.

As far as the keel model is concerned, this is designed with a high aspect keel as the cast lead and is attached with stainless steel keel bolts, which makes this model perfect for mooring or docking whenever it's not in use. In essence, the centerboard model is perfect if you'll store it in a trailer while the keel model can remain at the dock.

All in all, the Catalina 16.5 is one of the best small sailboats that you can get your hands on for as low as $10,000. This is certainly a great example of exactly what a daysailer should be.

{{boat-info="/boats/hobie-16"}}

There's no list of small, trailerable, and fun sailboats that can be complete without the inclusion of the classic Hobie 16. This is a durable design that has been around and diligently graced various waters across the globe since its debut way back in 1969 in Southern California. In addition to being durable, the Hobie 16 is trailerable, great for speed, weighs only 320 pounds, great for four people, and more importantly, offers absolute fun.

With a remarkable figure of over 100,000 launched since its debut, it's easy to see that the Hobie 16 is highly popular. Part of this popularity comes from its asymmetric fiberglass-and-foam sandwiched hulls that include kick-up rudders. This is a great feature that allows it to sail up to the beach.

For about $12,000, the Hobie 16 will provide you with endless fun throughout the summer. It's equipped with a spinnaker, trailer, and douse kit. This is a high-speed sailboat that has a large trampoline to offer lots of space not just for your feet but also to hand off the double trapezes.

Montgomery 17

{{boat-info="/boats/montgomery-17"}}

Popularly known as the M-17, The Montgomery 17 was designed by Lyle C. Hess in conjunction with Jerry Montgomery in Ontario, California for Montgomery Boats. Designed either with keel or centerboard models, the M-17 is more stable than most boats of her size. This boat is small enough to be trailered but also capable of doing moderate offshore passages.

This small sailboat is designed with a masthead and toe rail that can fit most foresails. It also has enough space for two thanks to its cuddly cabin, which offers a sitting headroom, a portable toilet, a pair of bunks, a DC power, and optional shore, and a proper amount of storage. That's not all; you can easily raise the deck-stepped mast using a four-part tackle.

In terms of performance, the M-17 is one of the giant-killers out there. This is a small sailboat that will excel in the extremes and make its way past larger boats such as the Catalina 22. It glides along beautifully and is a dog in light air, though it won't sail against a 25-knot wind, which can be frustrating. Other than that, the Montgomery 17 is a great small sailboat that can be yours for about $14,000.

Norseboat 17.5

{{boat-info="/boats/norseboat-17-5"}}

As a versatile daysailer, Norseboat 17.5 follows a simple concept of seaworthiness and high-performance. This small sailboat perfectly combines both contemporary construction and traditional aesthetics. Imagine a sailboat that calls itself the "Swiss Army Knife of Boats!" Well, this is a boat that can sail and row equally well.

Whether you're stepping down from a larger cruiser or stepping up from a sea kayak, the unique Norseboat 17.5 is balanced, attractive, and salty. It has curvaceous wishbone gaff, it is saucy, and has a stubby bow-sprit that makes it attractive to the eyes. In addition to her beauty, the Norseboat 17.5 offers an energy-pinching challenge, is self-sufficient, and offers more than what you're used to.

This is a small, lightweight, low-maintenance sailboat that offers a ticket to both sailing and rowing adventures all at the same time. At about 400 pounds, it's very portable and highly convenient. Its mainsails may look small but you'll be surprised at how the boat is responsive to it. With a $12,500 price tag, this is a good small sailboat that offers you the versatility to either row or sail.

{{boat-info="/boats/sage-marine-sage-17"}}

If you've been looking for a pocket cruiser that inspires confidence, especially in shoal water, look no further than the Sage 17. Designed by Jerry Montgomery in 2009, the Sage 17 is stable and should heel to 10 degrees while stiffening up. And because you want to feel secure while sailing, stability is an integral feature of the Sage 17.

This is a sailboat that will remain solid and stable no matter which part of the boat you stand on. Its cabin roof and the balsa-cored carbon-fiber deck are so strong that the mast doesn't require any form of compression post. The self-draining cockpit is long enough and capable of sleeping at 6 feet 6 inches.

The Sage 17 may be expensive at $25k but is a true sea warrior that's worth look at. This is a boat that will not only serve you right but will also turn heads at the marina.    

{{boat-info="/boats/laserperformance-laser-sb3"}}

Having been chosen as the overall boat of the year for 2008 by the Sailing World Magazine, the Laser SB3 is one of the coolest boats you'll ever encounter. When sailing upwind, this boat will lock into the groove while its absolute simplicity is legendary. In terms of downwind sailing, having this boat will be a dream come true while it remains incredibly stable even at extraordinary speed.

Since its debut in 2004, the Laser SB3 has surged in terms of popularity thanks to the fact that it's designed to put all the controls at your fingertips. In addition to a lightweight mast, its T- bulb keel can be hauled and launched painlessly. For about $18,000, the Laser SB3 ushers you into the world of sports sailing and what it feels to own and use a sports boat.

{{boat-info="/boats/fareast-18"}}

As a manufacturer, Fareast is a Chinese boat manufacturer that has been around for less than two decades. But even with that, the Fareast 18 remains a very capable cruiser-racer that will take your sailing to the next level. In addition to its good looks, this boat comes with a retractable keel with ballast bulb, a powerful rig, and an enclosed cabin.

Its narrow design with a closed stern may be rare in sailboats of this size, but that's not a problem for the Fareast 18. This design not only emphasizes speed but also makes it a lot easier to maintain this boat. Perfect for about 6 people, this boat punches above its weight. It's, however, designed to be rigged and launched by one person.

This is a relatively affordable boat. It's agile, safe, well-thought-out, well built, and very sporty.

{{boat-info="/boats/chuck-paine-paine-14"}}

If you're in the market looking for a small sailboat that offers contemporary performance with classic beauty, the Paine 14 should be your ideal option. Named after its famous designer, Chuck Paine, this boat is intentionally designed after the classic Herreshoff 12.5 both in terms of dimensions and features.

This is a lightweight design that brings forth modern fin keel and spade rudder, which makes it agile, stable, and faster. The Paine 14 is built using cold-molded wood or west epoxy. It has varnished gunnels and transoms to give it an old-time charm. To make it somehow modern, this boat is designed with a carbon mast and a modern way to attach sails so that it's ready to sail in minutes.

You can rest easy knowing that the Paine 14 will not only serve you well but will turn heads while out there.

{{boat-info="/boats/wd-schock-lido-14"}}

Many sailors will attest that their first sailing outing was in a Lido 14. This is a classic sailboat that has been around for over four decades and still proves to be a perfect match to modern small boats, especially for those still learning the ropes of sailing.

With seating for six people, the Lido 14 can be perfect for solo sailing , single-handed sailing, or if you're planning for shorthanded sailing. While new Lido 14 boats are no longer available, go for a functional used Lido 14 and you'll never regret this decision. It will serve you well and your kids will probably fall in love with sailing if Lido 14 becomes their main vessel during weekends or long summer holidays.

Bottom Line

There you have it; these are some of the best small sailboats you can go for. While there are endless small sailboats in the market, the above-described sailboat will serve you right and make you enjoy the wind.

Choose the perfect sailboat, invest in it, and go out there and have some good fun!

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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This Was Village Life in Britain 3,000 Years Ago

The superbly preserved remains of a Bronze Age settlement offer a glimpse of a “colorful, rich, varied” domestic life circa 850 B.C.

Must Farm Quarry, a Bronze Age site on a river channel in eastern England. “At times, excavating the site felt slightly rude and intrusive, as if we had turned up after a tragedy,” said Mark Knight, the project director. Credit... Cambridge Archaeological Unit

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By Franz Lidz

• March 19, 2024

Three millenniums ago, a small, prosperous farming community briefly flourished in the freshwater marshes of eastern England. The inhabitants lived in a clutch of thatched roundhouses built on wooden stilts above a channel of the River Nene, which empties into the North Sea. They wore clothes of fine flax linen, with pleats and tasseled hems; bartered for glass and amber beads imported from places as far-flung as present-day Iran; drank from delicate clay poppyhead cups; dined on leg of boar and honey-glazed venison, and fed table scraps to their dogs.

Within a year of its construction, this prehistoric idyll met a dramatic end. A catastrophic fire tore through the compound; the buildings collapsed and the villagers fled, abandoning their garments, tools and weapons. Everything, including the porridge left in cooking pots, crashed through the burning wicker floors into the thick, sticky reed beds below and stayed there. Eventually, the objects sank, hidden and entombed, in more than six feet of oozing peat and silt. The river gradually moved course away from the encampment, but the debris remained intact for nearly 3,000 years, preserving a record of daily life at the end of Britain’s Bronze Age, from 2500 B.C. to 800 B.C.

That frozen moment in time is the subject of two monographs published Tuesday by Cambridge University. Based on a 10-month excavation of what is now known as Must Farm Quarry, a submerged and superbly preserved settlement in the shadow of a potato-chip factory 75 miles north of London, the studies are as detailed as a forensic investigation report of a crime scene. One paper, a site synthesis, runs to 323 pages; the other, for specialists, is nearly 1,000 pages longer.

“This didn’t feel like archaeology,” said Mark Knight, the project director and one of the paper’s authors. “At times, excavating the site felt slightly rude and intrusive, as if we had turned up after a tragedy, picked through someone’s possessions and got a glimpse of what they did one day in 850 B.C.”

Evidence for life in Britain’s Bronze Age has traditionally come from fortified and religious sites that are often found on high, dry landscapes. Most of the clues come as pottery, flint tools and bones. “Generally we have to work with small bits and pieces and barely visible remains of houses, and read between the lines,” said Harry Fokkens, an archaeologist at Leiden University. Convincing anyone that such places were once thriving settlements takes a little imagination.

Paul Pettitt, a Paleolithic archaeologist at Durham University who was not involved with the new studies, said the monograph — a case study of exceptional preservation combined with highly skilled excavation — provide a reminder that domesticity in that period was “colorful, rich, varied and not solely about metal weapons, as the public’s love of metal detecting would suggest.”

Bogged Down

Francis Pryor, a British archaeologist best known for his 1982 discovery of Flag Fen, a Bronze Age site one mile from Must Farm, added: “The Must Farm report is transforming our understanding of British society in the millennium before the Roman Conquest, 2,000 years ago. Far from being primitive, Bronze Age communities lived in harmony with their neighbors, while enjoying life in warm, dry houses with excellent food.”

Until a decade ago, the so-called Pompeii of the Fen lay buried in a clay brick quarry. The original hamlet is believed to have been twice as big — mining in the 20th century obliterated half the archaeological site — and may have housed several dozen people in family units.

What remained were four substantial roundhouses and a small, square entranceway structure erected on a wooden platform and surrounded by a six-foot-high palisade of sharpened ash posts, a barrier no doubt designed for defense. The green timber, fresh wood chips and the absence of repair, rebuilding or insect damage suggested that the complex was relatively new at the time of the blaze.

An analysis of the outermost growth rings of the scorched hardwood pointed to late autumn or early winter as the start date, while the skeletons of three- to six-month-old lambs and the charred larvae of a local species of flea beetle implied that the settlement was destroyed in summer or early autumn.

By piecing together the material culture of these ancient Britons, the study reveals how the houses were constructed and the household goods within, what the residents ate and how their clothes were made.

Among other things, the archaeologists unearthed 180 textiles and fiber items (yarns, cloth, knotted nets), 160 wooden artifacts (bobbins, benches, hafts for metal tools and wheels), 120 pottery vessels (bowls, jars, jugs) and 90 pieces of metalwork (sickles, axes, chisels, a dagger, a hand-held razor for cutting hair). Masses of beads that had formed part of an elaborate necklace indicated a level of sophistication seldom associated with Bronze Age England.

“What’s interesting about this is that it’s an inventory of five Bronze Age households,” Mr. Knight said. “It was like each one had a wedding list for an upmarket department store.”

Although the bones of fish, cattle, sheep and pig were pulled out of the middens (halos of garbage dumped from the huts above), there was no evidence of human casualties. A young woman’s skull turned up outside a dwelling, but because it had been polished by repeated touch, the researchers decided that it was more likely a keepsake or a ritual decoration than a battle trophy. “Auntie’s skull tacked over the front door,” Mr. Knight speculated.

Mosquitoes and Cold Porridge

Interest in Must Farm was first aroused in 1999 when a Cambridge University archaeologist spied a series of oak posts poking out of the beds of clay at the quarry. Dendrochronology dated the poles to prehistory, and excitement grew when preliminary digs unearthed fish traps, bronze swords and spearheads.

The discovery of nine log boats — dugout canoes as long as 28 feet — buried in the muck hinted at the vast wetlands that once blanketed the region. “Boat journeys through reed swamps to the woodlands would have been made many times during the site’s short life,” said Chris Wakefield, the project archaeologist. “In summer, that meant traversing clouds of mosquitoes.”

A large-scale investigation conducted by Cambridge University in 2015 and 2016 exposed the palisade fence, lightweight walkways, the ruins of a roundhouse roof and walls made of woven willow branches called wattle. The way the timbers fell — some vertically, others in eerie, geometric lines — enabled the researchers to map the layout of the circular architecture. One house featured roughly 500 square feet of floor space and seemed to have distinct “activity zones” comparable to rooms in a modern home.

The thatched roofs had three tiers. The base layer of insulating straw was topped by turves — soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants — and finished with clay, which near the apex of the roof may have formed a chimney or flue. “The people were confident and accomplished homebuilders,” Mr. Knight said. “They had a blueprint that worked beautifully for a drowned landscape.”

Stored in what was presumably the kitchen of one residence were bronze knives, wooden platters and clay pots, some of which were even nested. “There was a simple aesthetic at work that felt coherent and unified,” Mr. Knight said. A clay bowl bearing the fingerprints of its maker still held its final meal: a wheat-grain porridge mixed with animal fat, possibly from a goat or a red deer. A spatula rested against the inside of the dish.

The craftsmanship of the recovered relics and the presence of log boats, perhaps the only reliable means of transport, led researchers to conclude that, rather than an isolated outpost, the site may have been a bustling crossroads for trade. “There was a sense that these early fen folk were at the high end of their society and had access to anything available at that time,” Mr. Knight said. “At the end of the Bronze Age, the rivers of eastern England were the place to be for trade and connections; sites like Stonehenge were now at the periphery.”

Tale of the Tapeworm

The Must Farm community harvested crops and felled trees on the closest dry land. Sheep and cattle grazed there, too. Boar and deer were hunted in the local woodlands — within a two-mile radius of the homestead, the researchers reckon. “The irony is that the community wanted to live on water yet their economy was terrestrial,” Mr. Knight said.

Evidently, food was so abundant that the villagers all but ignored the fish, eels and water fowl swimming around the foundations of the settlement. With good reason, it turns out: Sanitation was an iffy proposition in the fenlands. Sausage-shaped globs found in the settlement’s murky sediment turned out to be fossils of dog and human feces, many flush with eggs from fish tapeworms and giant kidney worms acquired from foraging in the stagnant waterways. The tapeworms are flat, ribbonlike parasites that coil around the intestines of people and can grow to a length of 30 feet. The kidney worms stop at three feet but can destroy vital organs.

Two questions were left unanswered by the otherwise exhaustive Cambridge monographs: Was the blaze the result of an accident, or of an attack by rivals who may have envied the residents’ wealth? And why didn’t any Bronze Agers bother to retrieve all that soggy stuff?

“A settlement like this would have had a shelf life of maybe a generation, and the people who built it had clearly constructed similar sites before,” said David Gibson, a Cambridge archaeologist who collaborated on the study. “It may be that after the fire, they simply started again.”

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New & Custom Home Builders in Elektrostal'

Location (1).

• Use My Current Location

Popular Locations

• Albuquerque
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• Elektrostal', Moscow Oblast, Russia

Featured Reviews for New & Custom Home Builders in Elektrostal'

• Reach out to the pro(s) you want, then share your vision to get the ball rolling.
• Request and compare quotes, then hire the Home Builder that perfectly fits your project and budget limits.

Before choosing a Builder for your residential home project in Elektrostal', there are a few important steps to take:

• Define your project: Outline your desired home type, features, and layout. Provide specific details and preferences to help the builder understand your vision.
• Establish a budget: Develop a comprehensive budget, including construction expenses and material costs. Communicate your budgetary constraints to the builder from the beginning.
• Timeline: Share your estimated timeline or desired completion date.
• Site conditions: Inform the builder about any unique site conditions or challenges.
• Local regulations: Make the builder aware of any building regulations or permits required.
• Custom Homes
• Floor Plans
• House Framing
• Land Surveying
• Site Planning

What do new home building contractors do?

Questions to ask a prospective custom home builder in elektrostal', moscow oblast, russia:, business services, connect with us.