18' buccaneer sailboat

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Buccaneer 18; too much for a mid-50s couple?

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This thread is started to avoid hijacking another thread where BobMcGov described the Buccaneer 18, in discussing room-for-four in a dinghy, as follows: "Bucc18 is lots of things, but stable ain't one of them. It's the tenderest bluddy vessel I've ever set foot in. Ripping good time if you're willing to hike below the knees, but a mischievous, wet, ill-tempered, overpowered minx. We tend to obsess over our bailers: the most important feature on the boat! While the Bucc18 has a large cockpit, large CB case + location of the mainsheet and vang make more than three people impractical -- the boat is too tippy to sit anyone to leeward." My wife and I are mid-50s and (quite capably) trailer-sail an O'Day Daysailer as our family boat. We're considering a second boat, a Buccaneer, for exclusive use at a nearby lake's yacht club for Sunday races and quick evening picnic sails together or with another couple. Basic Buccaneer questions. 1. At our age, we're fine participating in the race, we don't have to win. Sitting on the rail; absolutely; but full-extension hiking may be a stretch at our age. Would you advise that the Bucc is "too much boat"? 2. Your thoughts on the Bucc assuming we sail the boat well "under the limit" for a picnic sail for four. Would a Bucc be suitable? I ask because I have a line on a Bucc that hasn't moved from under its framed-tarp in the side yard in five years... and at that time the owner had it in his front yard looking for $1400... I think now he might say take it away for half that and I'm tempted... but not if it is really not suitable for my intended use. Thanks for any insights you can offer.  

I own a Mutineer which is the 15 foot version of the Buccaneer, many parts are interchangeable between the 2 boats. I also sailed Buccaneer's! Every said above in blue is true. Thats makes it fun. Thats because the center board is fiberglass and has little weight to add any stability or righting effort. I am mid 50's and I love my Mutineer. I have a big boat also, but there is something about a planing hull and getting wet i still enjoy. All that being said, its as much fun as you can have sailing a small boat. You will be fine with the boat, as she will tell you when you are pushing her. Buy the boat. If not let me know where the boat is.  

My sister and her husband have a Buccaneer 18. He is 64, and she is 60. They have never commented that it is too much boat. I also have a friend that just picked up a beater 505, and he is in his late 50's to early 60's.  

I bought a 1970 Buccaneer several months back. Spent some time fixing it. A few weeks ago I took it for a first sail. It was gusty. We were going with jib only, and we were going like stink. Wouldn't even dream of using the mainsail (it's much bigger than the jib) with that kind of wind. After the first sail, I added a reef point to the main. I would say the buc is fine as long as you sail in moderate winds. If I had to do it again, I would probably search for a Harpoon 5.2 instead of a Buccaneer.  

Go for it I'm 61 and the wife is 55. No problem handling the Bucc after you get used to the power. Much fun. I also singlehand in medium air under main and jib and under main alone in a breeze. Our's is for sale here in the classifieds only because we're moving up.  

I spotted a neglected Buccaneer, at a storage facility, flat tires, rusted trailer, uncovered and uncared for, hunted the owner down and now it is mine. I'm 58, wife is 55, have some work to do and I could use some ideas. The hatch cover rotted off long ago, figured on replacing with white plexiglass. The halyards need relacing, the engine mount has lost its wood and braces are rusted, interior v berth area has plastic coating pulling up with wet wood beneath. Tiller handle is so baddly rotted it doesn't resemble a tiller ahndle and leaves me no pattern for a new one. I can't find any spec's of diagrams for this craft. Help  

Deanooo, This thread is about the Chrysler Buccaneer 18 foot. I think you may have a Bayliner Bucanneer..... maybe a 27 foot? Is that right? If I find any info. I'll pass it on.  

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• Sailboat Guide

1977 Chrysler Buccaneer 18

• Description

Seller's Description

This Buccaneer 18 is in good shape considering the age. It comes with a trailer. Improvements have been made including a new gasket on the centerboard trunk and a new re-built rudder. Rigging and lines in good shape.

Equipment: This boat comes with mainsail with reef points, jib with furler, genoa with furler, cockpit-main sail cover, genoa cover, jib UV protected, boom kicker, trolling motor with lead acid battery, charger, deck mounted solar cells, and boom vang.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The BUCCANEER prototype was introduced at Yachting Magazine’s “One of a Kind” Regatta in 1967 where it displayed impressive performance, placing second over all. (Ed. note: Read the story by Dick Gibbs about the preparation for this regatta on the BUCCANEER web site.) BUCCANEER PRODUCTION HISTORY:

Chrysler Corporation - 1968 thru 1980, hull #1 thru approx. #4050. (Just over 4000 boats built). Texas Marine Industries (TMI) - 1981 thru 1982, hull approx. #4051 thru approx. #4750. (Around 700 boats built). Wellcraft Marine Corporation, Starwind Division - 1982 thru 1984, hull approx. #4751 thru approx. #5000. (Approx. 250 boats built). Gloucester Yachts (sold as GLOUCESTER 18) - 1985 thru 1986, hull #5001 thru #5059. (59 boats built). Cardinal Yachts - 1987 thru 2000, hull #5060 thru #5065, #5100 thru #5106 and #5200 thru #5214. (28 boats built). Nickels Boatworks became official builder in 2008. Nickels Boatworks merges with WindRider in 2015.

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Production History of the Buccaneer 18

1968 through 1980 , Chrysler Corporation hull #1 through approx. #4050. (Just over 4000 boats built).  I do not discourage you from picking up a Chrysler, especially a Chrysler Championship edition (1980, black hull). After 1977, the big Spin Chute became an option on all Chrysler boats. That means it has the big spin chute with the sealed mailbox.   Chrysler built thousands of Buccaneers and these are the majority of the ones on the market.

1968 ~1977 Chrysler,  the “classic” Buccaneer. These have a reputation of being heavy, with clunky gear like the standpipe bailers and pipe-luff furlers, which don’t work very well.

1978 ~1981 improved Chrysle r, these are also heavy but have rigid hulls and several improvements. The mast step is above the crown of the centerboard, making it much easier to raise and lower the mast. The jib sheets are on the seat, improving the boats’ performance close-hauled. The spinnaker tube was an option.  What lead to these improvements?

"During the severe weather of the October 1977 Championship of Champions several Buccaneers were dismasted, capsized and swamped. This had been a major redesign of the Buccaneer at considerable expense to Chrysler. All of these new redesigned Chrysler Buccaneers were known as the Champion Edition.", Michael Connolly 

1981~1983 TMI   #4051 through approx. #4750. (Around 700 boats built). TMI basically an improved Chrysler, but after the gov’t bail-out forced Chrysler out of the sailboat business.

1983 ~ 1989  the Bucc transformed into the Starwind 18 (manufactured by motorboat builder Wellcraft).

Wellcraft Marine Corporation, Starwind Division-1982 through 1984,  hull approx. #4751 through approx. #5000. (Approx. 250 boats built). 

These boats are also heavy but not as well-built, and may not be recognized for class racing

1989~ 2005  Gloucester and then Cardinal, the same company renamed.

Gloucester Yacht - 1985 through 1986, hull #5001 through #5059. (59 boats built). 

Cardinal Yachts - 1987 2005, hull #5060 through #5065, #5100 through #5106 and #5200 through #5214. (28 boats built).

 Much better boats, lighter but some are flexy; generally better rigged than any previous models.

2006 ~ 2016  Nickels Boat Works, a high-quality one-design boatbuilder.  Hull #5216 through #5281 (68 boats built (Two 5281 left the factory)). The best Buccs ever built,

also the most expensive, for obvious reasons. Nickel's last boat built was in 2016, NBW held the molds until 2022.

Production History Details

Dick Gibbs formed Gibbs Boat Company in 1950 when he was 21 years old. Dick built 

wooden and later fiberglass boats in his plant in LaSalle, MI. The Gibbs Boat Company had

produced some 6,000 sailboats by 1972 when he sold the business to MFG in Union City, PA.

The principal boats built during this time period were Y-Flyers, the Rhodes Bantam, the Shark,

Phoenix, Dingo catamarans and the Thai MK 4 catamaran designed by Rod Macalpine – Downie.

Rod Macalpine – Downie was a brilliant King’s Scholar at Eaton College who had no formal

training in yacht design. Rod had seen the Shearwater catamaran, which was the latest rage in

the UK, and felt that he could do a better job. The Thai MK 1 class B catamaran was the first

boat Rod designed. Rod handily won the UK One of a Kind Regatta with ‘straight bullets’ in

1961. Shortly after, Rod Licensed Dick to build the Thai MK 4 for the U.S. market. Dick had

built about 100 Thai MK 4’s by the time they first met in person.

In 1962 Dick and Rod finally met at the First International Catamaran Challenge at Sea Cliff,

Long Island, NY, where Rod raced his Hellcat class C design to yet another victory. It was

during this time that they agreed to corroborate on the Shark Catamaran Project. They were to

campaign the Shark prototype throughout the United States. This barnstorming adventure

would begin in Montreal in 1962, travel as far west as El Paso, TX, back to the America’s Cup

at Newport in September, down to win the President’s Cup in D.C. and on to Yachting’s One of

a Kind Regatta in Miami in February of 1963. While in New Orleans during this adventure they

formed a boat design partnership, which began with a handshake and continued until Rod’s

death in 1986. During that time Rod and Dick designed some 80 sailboats with a combined

production in excess of 150,000 units for builders in the U.S., UK, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Their business relationship was a simple one, begun with a handshake and based on a steadfast

trust in and respect for each other’s talents. Both men were competent designers. Rod’s strength

was in hull form and Dick’s in production engineering. While both participated fully in all

deliberations of design, they agreed early on that in areas of disagreement Rod had the final

word in hull form and Dick in production engineering. Dick fully appreciated that it was Rod’s

genius in hull form design that made the Buccaneer (Mutineer) the fine boat that she is.

Chrysler had purchased in 1964 or 5 the Lone Star Boat Co. in Plano, TX and in addition to the

Lone Star 13’ and 16’ they had added a Gus Linell design; the ‘Barracuda’, a 13’ dagger board,

cat rigged scow. There had been a major surge of sailboat production during that decade and

demand for Chrysler’s sailboats was dwindling. In (1968) the Marketing Director of Chrysler

Marine, who had recently moved over from MFG, employed Rod Macalpine-Downie and Dick

Gibbs to submit designs for sailboats that would help bolster Chrysler Marine’s position in the

sailboat market.

Prior to associating with Chrysler; Downie-Gibbs had designed the 16’6” ‘Upstart’ for Bud

Sanxter of Starcraft in Goshen, IN and the 15’5” ‘Sidewinder’ for Art Hansen of MFG in Union

City, PA. along with several other designs for the UK and German market. In 1968 the 15

prototype of the Man-o-War, originally designed for Starcraft, had recently been completed.

When Bangor Punta bought Starcraft he decided to get out of the sailboat business and backed

out of Starcrafts’ contract to build the boat. The Man-o-War was then made available to

Chrysler to become the first design by Downie-Gibbs to be produced by Chrysler. The next in

line was the Buccaneer 18’ followed by the Mutineer 15’, the Musketeer, a 16’ catamaran, the

Pirateer 13’ and the Dagger 14’6”, an updated version of the Man-o-War.

Design of the Buccaneer 18’ began in (1968). Because the Buccaneer was to be a production

boat; read a wider range of built weights was to be expected, the design displacement was

established at 785 lb. The boat weight was to be 500 lb. with a crew allowance of 285 lb. She

was designed with long waterlines and with adequate beam and a modest aspect ratio sail plan

to reduce the heeling moment. The waterlines were retrimmed to produce as nearly a

symmetrical heeled waterline as possible, minimizing weather helm due to heeling. She has a

long easy entry to reduce bow wave and easily greases onto a plane. The Buccaneer is a boat

that suffers little if sailed with three persons, e.g., 165 lb. over the design displacement. A

renowned builder of patternmaker prototypes constructed the original cold-molded wooden

Buccaneer 18 prototype in England. This overweight, 3/8’ thick, glass covered tooling plug,

was first sailed/raced on Lake Michigan near Chicago. The event was Yachting Magazine’s One

of a Kind Regatta which took place in late summer of (1968). The Buccaneer 18 placed second

to the Thistle in a fleet of twenty plus boats.

It took Chrysler most of 1969 to set up their marketing, distribution, sales and tooling to

manufacture the Buccaneer 18. In August of 1969 Chrysler held a press preview to introduce

the Buccaneer 18 at Honey Harbor, Ontario, Canada. The Buccaneer 18 debuted for the boat

dealers at the Playboy Club, Lake Geneva, WI in September 1969.

During 1969 when Chrysler was gearing up to manufacture the Buccaneer 18 there were only a

handful of production builders of dinghy sailboats; Alcort - Sunfish, George O’Day – O’Day

day sailor and the 505, and the Ray Green Co. - Nipper and Rebel to name a few. Chrysler had

the unique ability to produce an unlimited number of boats. They were able to warehouse

unsold inventory in 5 regional facilities and had a national marketing and distribution

organization. Their dealer organization built three sailing simulators to train salesmen and

dealers to sail and sell sailboats. It was this well founded infrastructure and commitment that

allowed Chrysler to convert sailboat manufacture from, ‘order one-build one’ to ‘what color

would you like.....Is delivery on next Tuesday OK?

It is uncertain how many Buccaneers made it into the hands of individual owners in 1969. In

the sailboat industry the model year begins in September; thus any boats manufactured in late

1969 would have been considered 1970 models. By 1970 production was in full swing. During

Chrysler’s ten-year tenure in the sailboat business they built about (4,000 Buccaneers), (8,000

Mutineers) and total of 22,000 plus dinghies. To compare, it took forty years of Flying Scot

production to reach 4,000 units.

All of the first generation Buccaneer 18’s were built by Chrysler Corporation’s wholly owned

subsidiary; Chrysler Boat Corporation at the Plano, Texas plant on 1700 Nautical Way.

(Total production is estimated to be 4,050 units). The production figures by year have not

been identified. On January 31, 1980 the Chrysler Boat Corporation was sold to the next

builder, Texas Marine International, Inc.

Please note that this is to be a work in progress. The production records for Chrysler, TMI and

Starwind have not been recovered as of this date. The records for Gloucester and Cardinal are

available from Harry Sindle. I have received some yearly/overall production estimates from

Dick Gibbs based on his recall of Royalty payments. Because TMI and Wellcraft failed to pay

Royalty payments when they were experiencing financial hardship even these estimates are not

very accurate.

I have reviewed all of the documents on hand. I hope those to be only about one third of the

material that I will eventually collect as the BCA  Archivist.

In the absence of production records I am attempting to reconstruct production numbers from

sail numbers. TMI and Starwind both produced an unknown number of boats with no sail

numbers. TMI, Starwind and Cardinal all at one time or another during their production used

some non sequential numbering systems for their sail numbers with the result that at times the

same sail numbers were used by two different builders. I have discovered that some Dealers

used inflated sail numbers, i.e., 8000, 8008 and 8888 perhaps to provide the illusion that

production was greater than it actually was. Owners over the years have selected clever or

individualized sail numbers on there own without regard to their hull number. Many owners

bought boats without sails and kept their original numbers for the new boat. There were also

lapses in production due to legal issues with Bayliner and Wellcraft and delays in transfer of the

tooling from one builder to another.

So you see it is quite a mess and will be very difficult, if not impossible, to ever determine the

actual overall production numbers. I suspect, at this time, that the numbers that I had published

earlier were inflated a bit. The Buccaneer production was inflated less than the Mutineer was. I

will continue working on solving the mystery and will add to the Buccaneer Production History

Document as I recover additional reliable information. I have uncovered much interesting

information about the various builders, the dates of their production and the terms of the

transfers. These details will be included as the document is completed.

As a counterpart to the Buccaneer Production History I plan to develop a timeline of which

developments/improvements/modifications were made and when. I will also eventually

produce a chronological listing of features, equipment and colors available for each model year.

My research to date indicates that Chrysler made boats until December of 1979 or January

1980. The model year is from Sept until the next August. So both Chrysler and TMI built 1980

Buccaneers under the Chrysler trade mark. For the 1981 model year, from September 1980

until about March of 1981, when TMI went out of business, TMI made Buccaneers under their

own Trade Name. Wellcraft purchased the legal rights to build Buccaneers from TMI in the

spring of 1981 and so also built and marketed 1981 Buccaneers under the Starwind trade

name. During 1981, Bayliner of Seattle, Washington also built Buccaneer 18's, some of these

boats could have been considered 1981 and some 1982 models. Likewise, both Starwind and

Gloucester built Buccaneer models in 1984, and both Gloucester and Cardinal built Buccaneer

models in 1987.

During the severe weather of the October, 1977 Championship of Champions several

Buccaneers were dismasted, capsized and swamped. Following this 'bad press' so to speak

several design changes were made by Chrysler to make the boat better and safer. My boat is

sail number 2332 and is a 1978 boat. Most of the boats sailed in the C of C had sail numbers in

the 2816 - 2836 range and would also have been considered 1978 models. None of these boats

had the later improvements.

It is my best guess that in mid 1978 and for sure for the 1979 model year, i.e., Sept. 1978,

Chrysler had redesigned the boat. These improvements included redesigned the inner hull to

prevent water from entering the spaces under the deck and seats, at this time the jib changed to

the luff wire replacing the tube-luff furling system. Since the forestay no longer had to be lead

below deck the spinnaker launcher was enlarged and improved. The mast step was raised to

clear the centerboard when stepping and a hinged step was provided. Jibsheet tracks were

relocated to the inside edge of the seats, eliminating the need for jib in-hauls, and Harken cleats

added to the windward side for cross sheet cleating. At this time the bow eye moved from the

top of the deck to the stem of the hull and Large Elvstrom bailers replaced the older round style

cockpit drains. This had been a major redesign of the Buccaneer at considerable expense to

Chrysler. All of these new redesigned Chrysler Buccaneers were known as the Champion

To answer your questions, the higher mast step came earlier that you thought, mid 1978 or by

Sept. 1978 for the 1979 model. Starwind announced for the 'new 1983 models' ( this would

have been in the late summer of 1982) that the hull joint would be lapped, (flanged as you call

it). This is also when the cockpit got lengthened and brought them into a squabble with Dick

Gibbs. These boats interestingly enough were not called Buccaneers but Starwind 18's. The

outboard shroud chainplates were related to the lapped deck hull joint. There was no mixing or

matching of this design feature that I am aware. Gloucester in 1984 made the change to topside

centerboard hangers. The spinnaker launcher being molded as part of the deck mold was

introduced in the Gloucester 1985 (Sept. 1984) model year. After this time one could not

purchase a Buccaneer without a spinnaker launcher. You have a much better handle on the

various mast lengths used. (I will be asking you for your data on masts when I get to that point

in the History Piece). I am still recovering documents to help sort out by sail number when

specific design changes were made. I am sorry not to be of much help to you on that issue at

Michael Connolly BCA Archivist/Historian June, 2004

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One-Design Class Profile: Buccaneer 18

August 1, 2013 by Sail1Design Editor 2 Comments

A Pirate’s Boat For Me: The Endurance of the Buccaneer 18

by Airwaves writer Gretchen Croll

When looking for a great two-handed dinghy with a spinnaker, things can get a little hairy at times. That’s when you should think of the Buccaneer 18.  The Bucc’s, as they’re called, are great for beginning or experienced sailors, and is a wonderful and affordable way to stay in the game of sailboat racing.

The Buccaneer has a long and varied history as a one-design class.  First designed in 1966 by Rod Macalpine-Downie and Dick Gibbs, the boat has had many different builders over its 35 year history.  First introduced to the sailing world in 1967 at Yachting Magazine’s “One of a Kind” Regatta, the Buccaneer 18 made quite an impression and placed second behind a Thistle.  The sloop design with a hull of fiberglass reinforced plastic and spars of extruded aluminum has proven a consistent seller.  The boat was first produced by Chrysler Corporation who built the boats from 1968 to 1980 with just over 4000 boats produced.  Texas Marine Industries (TMI) took over the design in 1981, but only built the boats for a year, producing about 700 Bucc’s before another short-lived builder took over the building of the Buccaneer in 1982; Wellcraft Marine.  Wellcraft only built 250 boats from 1982-84 before Gloucester Yachts bought the mold in 1985.  Gloucester then renamed the boat the Gloucester 18, but only produced 60 vessels before it again sold the mold to Cardinal Yachts who built the boat from 1987 to 2000, still only producing about 30 boats in total.  In 2008, Nickels Boatworks bought the mold for the Buccaneer 18 and has been producing these great one-design boats ever since.

What makes the Buccaneer such a popular boat is its ease of use as both a daysailer as well as a competitive racing dinghy.  Seats in the cockpit allow for a smooth cruise and the sit-in aspect also makes the boat popular amongst dinghy racers who have graduated from racing 420’s and Vanguard 15’s, the sit-on dinghies.  One of the best aspects of the Buccaneer is its fast planing and symmetrically heeled design.  The boat, due to its relatively small waterline, planes in 8-10 knots of wind.  Due to its wide beam at the waterline, the boat, though a dinghy, eliminates the need for a trapeze.  This makes it an easier boat to sail and creates a bigger pool of capable sailors. In addition, the waterline is almost perfectly symmetrical which decreases a lot of the weather helm caused by the heel of the boat.  The high potential performance of the Buccaneer 18 allows for the skills of the helmsman and crew to be better rewarded than they would be in any other non-trapeze designed vessel.

The Buccaneer 18 is also one of the most popular boats in North America, with at least 17 active fleets around the continent.  This widespread notability allows for great racing all over the country and guarantees a great fleet at every North American Championship Regatta held, no matter the location.  In addition, the low Portsmouth yardstick numbers prove the boat to be a fast one and granting comparisons to boats like the Lightning and Finn.

Unlike many other dinghies raced not on the junior circuit, the Buccaneer uses a spinnaker as well as a jib and mainsail.  This makes the boat a great way for experienced helmsmen to improve their boat handling skills and a chance for crew to work on their ability to trim both a jib and spinnaker.  This can greatly impact the experienced sailor’s skills on big boats, allowing for a greater participation of skilled athletes in the sport.

However, the Buccaneer 18 also appeals to the beginner sailor due to its simple rigging, well balanced design and easy handling.  The roller furling jib is a big draw for the new sailor, cutting down on another sail to worry about dumping in the water when rounding the windward mark and allows for an easy transition from chute to jib at the leeward mark.  The roller furling jib is also what helps to make the Buccaneer 18 a great cruising boat, cutting down on the number of sails which need to be rolled and packed away at the end of the day.  Another tempting aspect of the Bucc for the new sailor is the ease in which the boat can be launched and hauled out of the water.  The centerboard makes the boat easy to trailer and at a relatively slim 500 lbs., all that is needed is a winch in order to lift it into the water.

Overall, the Buccaneer 18 is a great boat for a new sailors, competitive racers and daily cruises with the family.  It’s well constructed sail plan and ease of design have allowed the class to thrive for over three decades and will continue to ensure its survival far into the future.

LOW: 16ft 8in

Draft (Board down): 3ft 10in

Sail Area (Main and Jib): 175 sq. ft.

Sail Area (Spinnaker): 178 sq. ft.

Weight: 500 lbs.

# of Boats Built: 5000+

Active Fleets: MI, WI, CO, CA, NC, SC, AK, MD, IL, DC, AZ, VT, NY, AB, Canada

Portsmouth Yardstick- 87

Class Website: http://buccaneer18.org/

Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buccaneer_(dinghy )

http://buccaneer18.org/

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=3292

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5557

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January 18, 2019 at 08:59

We own hull # 753 purchased in 1974 and have raced, daysailed it more many years. The earlier boats had some manufacturing flaws, but once we had them taken care of we have enjoyed the boat. Easy to sail and we have sailed it on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan and other mid west lakes when we raced it. Great boat to learn with and helped me to sail eventually larger race boats. We retired it from racing now teaching my grand children the basics of a life long hobby. Hipefully it will see many more years of putr enjoyment

September 4, 2019 at 00:24

I have a Nickels boat that was built n early 2007 so not sure if your 2008 date forn the Nickels purchase is correct.

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