Wooden boats are timeless and often elegant, whether it’s a traditional sailboat or a sleek motorboat. Both new and used wooden boats honor age-old seafaring traditions, as well as offering one of the smoothest rides of any boat. Search for wooden boats for sale by style, age, price point, or len... learn more about Wooden Boats
51 New and Used Wooden Boats
$750,000
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
33.99 ft.
|
YEAR:
1995
LOCATION:
Palm Beach, Florida (United States of America)
OFFERED BY:
United Yacht Sales
GRAND PIRIX 34' SAINT FAIRLINER TRIPLE COCKPIT RUNABOUT Albert Tinnerman created the mechan...
$12,672 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
15.88 ft.
|
YEAR:
1960
LOCATION:
Ashore Salcombe (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Devon Boat Sales
Coves built launch for sale lying Salcombe, Devon. Justinis a lovely little launch buil...
$7,071 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
16.4 ft.
|
YEAR:
1959
LOCATION:
Menorca (Spain)
OFFERED BY:
BoatShop Menorca S.L
English Wonderfully restored traditional wooden llaut of 5 metres length by 1.80 metres be...
$11,143 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
26.02 ft.
|
YEAR:
1953
LOCATION:
Neyland, Pembrokeshire (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Boatshed
Boatshed Wales are delighted to introduce to the market this one off 26 foot, mast head sloop...
$165,559 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
26.67 ft.
|
YEAR:
2023
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
A contemporary weekender hybrid or diesel A classic Pettersson style design built in Holla...
P.O.A. *
CONDITION:
New
LENGTH:
24.02 ft.
|
YEAR:
2023
LOCATION:
United Kingdom
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
We first started talking about the new, smaller PTS model more than 18 months ago and now her...
$50,878 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
20.67 ft.
|
YEAR:
2022
LOCATION:
Beale Park (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
When the Baycraft 19 first appeared at the Traditional Boat Festival in Henley on Thames she ...
$25,407 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
22.01 ft.
|
YEAR:
1937
LOCATION:
Chertsey (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
The joy with any vintage boat is of course partly in the historic research. Sometimes this pr...
$44,574 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
31.99 ft.
|
YEAR:
1937
LOCATION:
Windsor (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
How lovely to come across a cruiser where the owners have taken the trouble to track the hist...
$44,510 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
25.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
1962
LOCATION:
Beale Park (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
A couple on Temple island then bought the boat and renamed it Scheherazade. It was then in th...
$57,245 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
27.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
2014
LOCATION:
Portland (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Boatpoint
This custom-built Wooden Motor Yacht was finished in 2014 and was drawn along traditional Dut...
$8,985,000
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
164.04 ft.
|
YEAR:
2020
LOCATION:
Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
OFFERED BY:
Bush & Noble International Yacht Brokerage
Full Description Upper Helm Station Helm Garmin VHF CAT engine display x 2 Garmin touch s...
$56,672 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
29.49 ft.
|
YEAR:
1890
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Swift x came into my life in 1990 when exhibiting at the London Boat Show as part of the Stea...
$31,775 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
15.49 ft.
|
YEAR:
1938
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
How's That is a smart 1938 pre war Chris Craft deluxe runabout and a good boat for those wish...
$57,309 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
27.99 ft.
|
YEAR:
1990
LOCATION:
Beale Park (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
All sensible offers considered This model is well known for its mahogany build with varnis...
$31,838 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
18.01 ft.
|
YEAR:
1960
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
She can best be described as an Eastern European version of a Riva (a fast little motorboat) ...
$120,985 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
35.01 ft.
|
YEAR:
1931
LOCATION:
THAMES (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Built in East Anglia in the early nineteen thirties by a well known British boat builder, JW ...
$108,250 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
33.99 ft.
|
YEAR:
1934
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Natasha is a very rare and beautiful 'belle epoque' gentleman's launch with exquisite stained...
P.O.A. *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
39.01 ft.
|
YEAR:
1936
LOCATION:
THAMES (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
How many vessels can witness their original builder coming on board aged over 90 at the helm ...
$63,613 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
46.49 ft.
|
YEAR:
1925
LOCATION:
KENT (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Built in Cowes by the venerable J.S. White in 1925 as an RNLI lifeboat, Mary Scott has had a ...
$50,878 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
23.2 ft.
|
YEAR:
1961
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Kyrenia was constructed as Kyrenia of Brundall in 1961 at the venerable yard of Broom boats i...
$89,147 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
33.99 ft.
|
YEAR:
1894
LOCATION:
Venice (Italy)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Lady Betty would originally have been a steam launch, in fact an Admiralty pinnace built as s...
$31,775 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
25.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
1959
LOCATION:
West Berkshire (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
An Andrews 25ft slipper stern launch which has been maintained over the years by its two owne...
$19,039 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
24.02 ft.
|
YEAR:
1983
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
The current owner's family originally bought and sailed their Cornish Crabber on the sea duri...
$215,863 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
48.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
1947
LOCATION:
Liverpool (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
Encountering Albaquila for the first time was a real 'wow' moment for me. This is a wonderful...
$50,878 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
25.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
1953
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Classic Yacht Management Ltd
A beautifully presented 25ft Slipper Launch built in the early 1950’s. This...
$49,668 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
20.01 ft.
|
YEAR:
2016
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
When a lake dwelling fishing enthusiast wanted the ultimate stable spacious boat to fit in hi...
$54,698 *
CONDITION:
Used
LENGTH:
25.0 ft.
|
YEAR:
1952
LOCATION:
Henley on Thames (United Kingdom)
OFFERED BY:
Henley Sales and Charter
The Andrews day launch is a nineteen fifties post WWII launch which one can imagine grew out ...
* Price displayed is based on today's currency conversion rate of the listed sales price.
Wooden boats are timeless and often elegant, whether it’s a traditional sailboat or a sleek motorboat. Both new and used wooden boats honor age-old seafaring traditions, as well as offering one of the smoothest rides of any boat. Search for wooden boats for sale by style, age, price point, or length to find the perfect one.
Wooden boats have always held a special place in sailor’s hearts, and they’re steeped in tradition and heritage. Wooden boats come in all styles and sizes, from tiny wooden rowboats up to ocean-going galleons. While materials such as fiberglass and aluminum are today most widely used in boat-building, there are still manufacturers building new wooden boats combined with modern technology and engineering. And with classic models to be found on the used market, owning a wooden boat is certainly achievable.
While wooden boats often need considerably more maintenance than those built of other materials, they are renowned for offering a soft ride thanks to the natural shock absorbing and flexible properties of timbers such as teak and mahogany. The interior of a large wooden boat can also be much quieter than composite or aluminum boats going through the waves.
Wooden sailboats run the gamut of styles and sizes, from 12-foot sloop to large cutter and everything in between. While the majority of wooden sailboats today are classics, there are still some companies building new models including boats ranging up to superyacht size (100 feet long) using a combination of cold-molded/epoxy wood construction with judicious use of carbon fiber. Large ocean-going cruising yachts will have cabins, galleys, and heads, as well as navigation equipment, while gaffers, with their long bowsprit, and sporty keelboats are typically day cruisers or racers.
Sleek and elegant, wooden sport boats or runabouts glide effortlessly across lakes such as Michigan, Como, and the French Riviera. Whether made by Riva, Chris-Craft, or others, they are head-turners reminiscent of classic cars, often with twin or triple cockpits, long, slim lines, and high-end finishings and leather upholstery. Modern versions can be combined with electric engines for a quieter, smoother ride.
Wooden cabin cruisers were popular styles in the early 1900s, with brands such as Chris-Craft building models around 28 feet that allowed for protection from the elements in the small cabin. Other types, such as small clinker cabin boats can be found all over the world and are especially traditional in the Mediterranean countries where they were built as (and are often still used as) coastal fishing boats. They are ideal for coastal cruising as well as being popular features on rivers and inland waters.
Today trawler boats offer stability and comfort, with plenty of interior space and excellent long-range seakeeping abilities. Classic wooden trawler yachts are a slice of heritage, harking from a time when they were used as fishing vessels designed to withstand harsh sea conditions. Today they are often sought after as liveaboard vessels due to their modest prices, albeit a large amount of maintenance may be required.
Wooden boats fall into two broad categories; classic models and new-build boats. Classic or used wooden boats can be highly collectible, especially those from prominent boat-builders. Brands such as Chris-Craft, who are still in operation today with their selection of luxury fiberglass bowriders and sports boats, were once one of the most highly regarded builders of wooden motorboats in the early 1900s. Century Boat’s classic mahogany runabout inboards are sought-after too, as are Italian brand Riva’s classic wooden models. When it comes to classic wooden sailboats brands such as Spirit and Herreshoff stand out.
There are a few dedicated brands still building wooden boats combined with modern engineering and innovation. Swiss brand Boesch builds a range of exquisite sports boats (some with electric engines), as do HackerCraft with their timeless sport and racer models. Other brands include Streblow, Grand Craft, and Shearline, whose unique range of custom wooden sportfishing boats stand out from the crowd. When it comes to new wooden sailboats, brands such as British-based Spirit Yachts, Artisan Boatworks (Maine), and Working Sail are just a handful of brands keeping the centuries-old traditions alive.
The main reason to own a wooden boat is to honor the traditions it represents, and to be part of a group of people preserving that centuries-old seafaring heritage. They are often beautiful vessels, can offer a smooth ride, and turn heads wherever they go. It’s important to keep in mind that wooden boats need a lot more upkeep and maintenance than boats built from modern materials, and they also cost considerably more to purchase and insure.
Wooden boats are a commitment, and owning one involves ensuring it is well-looked after and has a very regular maintenance schedule. There is a prestige and joy that comes with owning such a beautiful and timeless vessel, but wooden boats, whether new or used, are best suited to experienced boat owners and not ideal first-time boats unless DIY work already comes easily to you.
This article was written by Samantha Wilson in February 2024.