sailboats with 6 5 headroom

7 Trailerable Sailboats That Have Standing Headroom

Trailering your boat is a great way to sail in a lot of different places while keeping your boat budget in control. You can take a smaller boat a long way to launch it somewhere new, and you don't get saddled with a lot of mooring and dockage fees while your boat sits around unused.

That sounds great, but one key word in about trailerable sailboats is small . To move a boat on a street legal trailer without special permits and problems, it has to stay within certain size limits.

You may struggle to find a trailer sailer with head room when you're down below. But there are some out there that an average person doesn't have to sit to work in the galley, and we've put together a list of seven great pocket cruisers you can stand up in (if you're not too tall!).

On this page:

Standing headroom and trailering, westerly pageant, catalina 25, grampian 26, beneteau first 27, macgregor 26m / tattoo 26, corsair 760.

Our list includes some old classics dating back to the 70s, new boats in production today, and even a high performance multihull. The range of trailer sailers to pick from is enormous, but if you want something you can stand up in, here's a good place to start.

• Catalina 25 (poptop)
• MacGregor 26

The terms "trailerable" and "standing headroom" are both a little vague. Many boats can be moved by trailer, but you wouldn't want to move them that way every weekend. Bigger boats require heavier trucks and trailers, and once they get past eight feet of beam, you may need permits, special routing, and commercial equipment. Just because you can get it on a trailer doesn't mean it's "trailerable" in this context.

And standing headroom means something very different to different people. It's not just tall and short people who need different space, but what space in the boat you can stand in. Most people can stand up inside a small boat with the companionway open, but can you cook standing up with your head out in the cockpit? Or stand and stretch on a rainy day?

For our purposes, we're going to use the following definitions:

A trailerable boat is one you can launched, rig, and recover with the crew which sails it, an move on normal roads with no special permits or commercial tow vehicles. Many boats will fit on a trailer, but to be "trailerable" it needs to be reasonable to use for a trip on a long weekend, starting from and ending on a trailer. Most roads in North America have a vehicle width limit of a little over eight feet without special permits. This eliminates any boat with a beam much over eight and a half feet.

Standing headroom for this discussion means a person of average height (5'10" or 178 cm for men) can stand inside the main saloon, out of the elements. It doesn't mean you can stand everywhere down below, but you should be able to stand and move around a bit, get dressed and undressed without doing calisthenics, and hopefully work in the galley if there is one. "Headroom" on a boat is a very fuzzy measurement, and is distorted by marketing hype and wishful thinking. There isn't a standardized measurement for it, so we'll work with our own.

Within these parameters, there are many boats. If you can deal with some inconvenience in your trailering, or you only plan to move your boat by trailer once or twice a season, you can get more boat and still get the headroom you want. But that's not what's on our list.

Built by Westerly Marine in the 1970s, the Pageant is a 23' bilge keeled cruiser with full standing headroom in the saloon. At 4,300 pounds, it's heavy for its size and is known more for comfort than speed. The bilge keels may make getting onto a trailer interesting and require modifications to accommodate its under water layout.

There is a fin keeled version marketed as the Kendal 23/24, with a four-foot draft and two hundred pounds less displacement. They built only a few, so they're difficult to find.

The Catalina 25 is one of the most popular pocket cruisers built, with almost 6,000 hulls built between 1978 and 1994. A variety of keel styles and rigs were built, including a fin keel, swing keel, winged keel, and a tall rig. But the most distinctive feature of these boats is the "pop top" over the companionway, which enabled the entire area in the saloon under the companionway to lift for standing headroom. Some owners built covers and sides, enclosing this area into a true part of the belowdecks space.

The pop top was an option prior to 1987, but became standard after that through the end of the production run. It's important to know the build year for any Catalina 25 you consider, since the features varied considerably. Always check pictures for the pop top!

This trimaran is fast, but still has six feet of headroom. With the amas folded, the boat is narrow enough to trailer and with a 3,000 displacement is light and easy to move. While you won't have the interior beam of an eight-foot wide monohull in the living space, you will have quite a comfortable space with room to stand. But unlike most of the shallow draft, trailerable monohulls on this list, this one can hit fifteen knots under sail.

The Canadian-built Grampian 26 was built from the late sixties through the late seventies, and many of the almost 1,000 boats that were built are still around. It has six feet of headroom inside, an enclosed head, and a galley. It's an ideal weekender for a couple, or even a couple with a small child. Some boats had inboard engines, others had outboards. Additional options were for a keel or a centerboard model; with 4'3" of draft, the keel model is still easy to trailer.

One of the few new and in production boats in this list, the Beneteau First 27 is a fraction of an inch under our 5'10" qualifier (technically 5′9 5/16"), but it's such a roomy and quick boat that it seems appropriate to waive a few millimeters. This lightweight boat has sleeping space for up to six, and has a galley, fridge, and a proper marine head.

Don't confuse this boat with the earlier First 27 from 1978 or the First 27 SE (for "Seascape"), sold as the First 27 from 2018 to 2020 after Beneteau acquired Seascape. Those were quite different boats, though they had their own merits and strengths. They didn't have quite the headroom or interior volume as the newest model, and the earlier boat had too much beam for easy trailering.

Finds specs here

The MacGregor 26 series of boats is the most popular trailer sailor ever built. The first "Mac 26" was built in 1986, and went through several design upgrades and enhancements, including the 25D (dagger board), 26S (centerboard), 26X (dual rudder, motor sailing) culminating in the 26M (motorsailor with a rotating spar) built from 2002 though 2013. Earlier models have less headroom, but all are water ballasted, lightweight trailerable boats. The later 26X and 26M models can be equipped with rather large outboards (for sailboats) which could hit almost 20 knots under power.

Though the rigs on these boats are undersized and they're lightly built, they're spacious near shore and inland cruisers you can easily rig and de-rig for a weekend of sailing.

The founder of MacGregor Boats, Roger MacGregor, retired in 2013, and his daughter Laura founded Tattoo Yachts and bought the tooling for the 26M. Tattoo continues to build the Tattoo 26, which is a Macgregor 26M with a few modernizations and enhancements.

Corsair Trimarans offers several trailerable tris which meet the headroom test. The Corsair 760 is the smallest current production model, and like the Catalina 25, this 24' trimaran uses a clever pop-top over the companionway to get more headroom. It's sleeps two in the default configuration, though a foldable table can convert to sleep four.

Corsair designs their trimarans for easy setup and breakdown of the amas, and can be setup and launched in under an hour. The very shallow draft allows for anchoring in areas many boats can not, and even beaching.

The larger Corsair 970 is also trailerable with standing headroom, as is the older F-31.

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First sailboat for a very tall guy with a very tall family

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I am looking for some advice on selecting a used sailboat for my family. This will be my first sailboat purchase but not my first sailing experience. I sailed an 18ft Laser several dozen times many years ago and enjoyed it very much. Now that I can afford a decent sailboat I want to get back into it and share it with my wife and kids. I am looking for a fiberglass sloop not older than 1980 and under $75,000. The problem is that in order to get the 6'6" headroom I want and need down below I am forced to go to a much larger boat than one would normally choose for a first sailboat. Unfortunately there are not many boats than can provide that kind of headroom and still fall into my budget. I did find a few "project" boats but I don't want to go that rout. It needs to be almost ready to sail and of course have no major problems that are found during a survey. I would like to purchase the shortest sailboat in my price range that will give me at least 6'6" headroom without going over my budget. So far I have only found 1 boat that meets this criteria. Here is a link to it. I am considering this boat but I am still looking of course. It seems like the older boats don't have as much headroom as the newer boats of the same size and I have no idea why that is. If I could afford it I would buy a newer, shorter boat with the headroom I need and I would be happy with that. Not very many boats list the headroom and some have listed it incorrectly as well. yachtworld.com/boats/1989/Beneteau-Oceanis-500-2633626/Rochester/NY/United-States The only thing I don't like about this boat is no cabin heater, lots of hours on the engine, and a stand-up nav station but that certainly wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. I have ruled out boats outside of the US just because of the transportation cost and the amount of time in saltwater which leaves some uncertainty in my mind. Mostly because I can't afford to travel all over to inspect boats and I also don't have the time either. All of my family is very tall so the headroom is very important to me. My mother is 5'11, my dad is 6'4", 2 of my sisters are 6'1" and the other is 5'10"(the short one in the family). My brother-in law is 6'7", my 12yo is 5'5" already and still growing, my 6yo is 4'2", my 4yo is 3'2 and alot of my friends are also over 6'. Obviously long beds and lots of headroom for living aboard is a must. Headroom and long beds isn't the only thing I am looking for though. It needs to be fairly roomy, easy to sail, with nothing major needed to be done to it to make it seaworthy, and if it all possible not need any majorly expensive things in the future. I can do most repairs that don't require a high degree of skill myself and I am in pretty good physical condition. I don't think lifting heavy sails on a big boat would be a problem for me and I would most likely have some help as well. The one thing that I really like that comes with a longer boat is that I can go faster than the shorter boats because of the hull length, and I love to go fast. A fast would is great too but not a must. I also need to figure out if it would be cheaper to pay someone to sail the boat here and put them on a plane to go home, or to take the mast down and put it on a trailer and have it driven here on a truck. I just want to know the entire cost of getting it here before I make a decision on a boat because for a big boat it will be a significant chunk of change to get it here. I probably won't be making a decision until a few months from now. I am hoping to find a boat that is on the great lakes that has already been hauled out for the winter. This is because it will save me several hundered bucks to have it hauled out for a survey because the owner will have already done it. Any ideas and advice on finding the right boat for me and my family will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Brian  

In Duluth, MN the sailing season is what, 3 months? You sure you need that much head room for such short time? Most boats can get 6'4" headroom, which would be more practical in every other way. You are most likely talking 40+ foot boat and these are not cheap, even if made in early 80's. My approach would be to visit a few marinas with brokerage so you can take a first hand look at various boats. That will give you a feel for the size and cost of boats out there.  

The sailing season is about 6 months here. The winters aren't as long as you would think. What if I want to take it to Philadelphia to visit the in-laws or to NYC to visit my sister? I don't think I could live on a boat with only 6'4" headroom for that long. I addition to that I believe that the beds would also be shorter as well so my feet would be hanging off the end or I would be in the fetal position which wouldn't be quite as bad. Nevertheless comfort is a big deal for me and I will continue my search at the local marinas and see what it is really like down below. Around here it's rare to see a sailboat over 40ft but at least it will give me a better idea of what it's really like in cramped quarters.  

Bartster said: The sailing season is about 6 months here. Click to expand...

Bartster said: What if I want to take it to Philadelphia to visit the in-laws or to NYC to visit my sister? Click to expand...

You folks don't think out of the box.... A Catalina 25 Tall rig with a pop top will fit his bill quite NICELY... WHY? Cause the pop top goes up... he can stand there, and the boat is trailerable to PHILA. Done... Your welcome. PS: The berths are 6'6"... I only slightly jest but headroom isn't what many think it's supposed to be. Comes down to HOW you use your boat.  

Bartster said: Headroom and long beds isn't the only thing I am looking for though. It needs to be fairly roomy, easy to sail, with nothing major needed to be done to it to make it seaworthy, and if it all possible not need any majorly expensive things in the future. Click to expand...

Bartster said: The one thing that I really like that comes with a longer boat is that I can go faster than the shorter boats because of the hull length, and I love to go fast. Click to expand...

Bartster said: Nevertheless comfort is a big deal for me and I will continue my search at the local marinas and see what it is really like down below. Around here it's rare to see a sailboat over 40ft but at least it will give me a better idea of what it's really like in cramped quarters. Click to expand...

Bartster said: I don't think I could live on a boat with only 6'4" headroom for that long. Click to expand...

JonEisberg said: Oh, and for the record, I'm 6' 5", myself... ;-) Click to expand...

Thanks to everyone for all the good advice! There are certainly some things to consider that I didn't think about initially. I will definitely head up to Bayfield, WI and see what I can find. I will also do some research on the Catalina 25 as well. Maybe headroom shouldn't be my biggest priority at this point in time. I might have to rethink that one. I will see how it is on some boats with less than 6'6" and see how I do before I base my decision only on the space below. I never actually calculated the difference in speed between different hull lengths so maybe it's not as big of a difference as I was thinking it would be. I do know that sailboats are slow and going to NYC or Philly in it was kind of something on my wish list that I might want to do if I had the time. I know it would probably be a couple weeks to get there and a couple weeks to get back again. Just wishful thinking at this point in time for something I would like to do in the years ahead without getting another boat in the meantime. I am not interested in a power boat at this time and will probably get a Crestliner if I feel the need to go fast. I will be getting a sailboat sometime in the near future after some more research is done so I can make a better decision on what will work for me and my family. Maybe someone else will chime in on what a shorter boat with good headroom might be. I just want to make sure that I will be happy with the boat that I purchase and not curse it every time I go below or use a berth. It needs to be enjoyable for everyone! What's the best way to be absolutely sure that I have chosen the right boat when the time comes?  

Check out the Catalina line of sailboats. They have great headroom.  

Thanks Scotty, I will certainly do that!  

You really just need to get on a bunch and see what you like. Keep in mind most of your time will be sitting. But you will want to see if you can move around in the head (bathroom) enough to use it. It will be the smallest place. And if you cook much check out the galley. The Catalina 25 has a small section that pops up like the old VW campers did and has canvas sides. Also keep in mind age is not all that important it is all about condition! A well maintained 50 year old boat may well be a better buy than a 15 year old boat that has been abused. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk  

Mr. cthoops is 6'4", so I get the fact that headroom is important to you. He also insisted on full standing headroom which, as you are discovering, severely limits your options when you're looking for a boat under 40'. I would suggest that you actually get on some boats and see if headroom continues to be your number one priority. In our case, as we went on different boats, Mr. cthoops eventually realized that there were other factors that were more important. We ended up with a Bristol 29.9 which has 6'2"/6'3" headroom and he is thrilled with the boat. Good luck.  

Perhaps you should find a broker to act your behalf. Ask him to find boats that meet your criteria (if they exist - that is a lot of headroom). The buyer's broker is paid by the seller - the two brokers split the commission so it would not cost you anything other than the fact that you are limited to boats being sold by a broker, which would be most boats in your price range.  

You might want to have a look at a Bavaria 37 cruiser. The most headroom I ever encountered on a charter boat was in a 2006 model of that kind. never seen that again, neither on older nor newer years nor other european brands I usually charter. And I found it to sail quite well and comfortably, as well as good for small crew (we were 2) I'm not sure about the US market, but in Europe you have plenty of those, especially ex charter tboats, as hey run reliantly in charter all over the med and baltic in great numbers. One of those might suit your budget. beeing 6' 5" (196 cm), headroom has alway been an issue for me as well and certainly will be, when it comes to finding "my" boat for extended cruising one day. I do not make it priority no. 1 when chartering, though... The picture attached is me in that boat 5 years ago. Its still running in charter here: :| not allowed to post links, yet... good luck, curious how this will turn out for you. v.v  

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Just a quick comment about something you asked. When will you know you've picked the right boat? For me it was the moment I stepped on my second one. Then, the day after signing the paperwork, I wished I would have looked at some other boats. lol! Something else to think about headroom wise. I'm 6 ft even. My boat is advertised as 5'11" headroom. And that's the case when I first go below standing dead center of the cabin. All I have to do is slightly incline my head and I'm fine. As I move to either side or forward it gets less and less. The kicker - I hardly notice. The small amount I have to move my head doesn't bother me at all. My first boat was barely 5 foot of headroom and I hated it. I was always hunched over. My current one, doesn't bother me at all having to simply move my head. I think you'll be surprised when you see a couple of inches isn't that big of a deal. The advice you've gotten here has been great. Go look at boats. When you're down below think about the actual time you'll be spending down there. Mostly you'll be sitting or laying down. While underway you'll be on deck or in the cockpit (if not, you're doing it wrong). The two most important headroom spaces are the galley and the head - at least in my opinion. Have fun looking! I had a blast doing it. I ended up with a solid boat that needed a lot of little things fixed or updated. I don't regret it at all. The work brought me closer to the boat and made it feel more mine.  

Thanks for all the great feedback on the headroom issue! After rethinking it I have decided NOT to make it my main priority and I have also decided that a 40ft will be the largest that I will consider buying. I think I will be very happy with something in the 35ft-40ft range. I did some more research asking sellers about headroom and found 2 different models made by Hunter that should work out pretty good for me and my family as far as headroom and price are concerned. They are the Hunter 37.5 and the Hunter 40.5. There was only 1 40.5 that I found listed for sale at $75,000 and several 37.5 boats for sale about $10,000-$15,000 less than the 40.5. The newer ones are usually more expensive and out of my price range compared to the older models which is true for most boats. I like the way things are laid out, the way they look, and the amount of room there is down below. I haven't found anything yet that I don't like about them but I am sure something will come up once I actually see them in person. As far as I can tell there isn't much difference from one year to the next for those of them built in the 90's. The year doesn't really matter to me as long as it is sound and functional. Now what I need to do is to actually go below on both of them and see what makes the most sense for me. Supposedly the headroom is about the same in both of them. Mostly 6'6" and down to 6' in some places. I am leaving for a 2 week vacation to Philadelphia in a few days so hopefully I will find the time to check them out while I am there. If not I will just have to travel to the nearest ones to where I live. Does anyone have any pros or cons about these boats that they could share with me? Any Hunter 40.5 or 37.5 owners care to chime in about their own experiences with these boats? Is there any reasons why I should or shouldn't buy one of these boats? How much difference is there between the 37.5 and the 40.5 other than length and width?  

You are on the right track. I am 6'6" and the only place I can stand up fully is at the bottom of the companionway steps. I also had "height" as high up on my list and it gradually got wore down to where I didn't really care. In the galley I have to lean my head forward (unless we are heeling to port, then I have LOTS of head room!). Most of the time you are sitting or sleeping. One thing is to make sure there is a place to hang your feet off. The amidships bunks on mine are not quite tall enough for me to lie flat, but the fore and aft cabins are both long enough that I have quite a lot of space. My boat actually has tons of space for a 35 (maybe more than any other 35), so I am guessing you may be headed closer to 40 than 35 to meet some of your height requirements. Just look at a LOT of boats. It's like a woman...you'll know the right one when you are on her... Or as I heard of another sailor mention: "If you want headroom, go out on deck". Good Luck!  

Check out the Catalina 350... 35' boat with 6' 6" of headroom down below. We chartered one a couple of times on the Bay and I can attest to the headroom down below. It's insane for a 35' boat. I'm 6'4" and had no problems standing down below. The problem is they generally go for at least $100k, so it's outside of your budget by a good bit. Awesome boat, BTW. Insanely spacious for 35'. Kevin  

Great topic. I am another 6'6" guy who's looking to get back into sailing. We own an old Airstream trailer and it is just not tall enough for me to stand up in straight. It didn't bother me at first, but now it drives me nuts. It's only an inch at the very most, but I still have to kink my head. We'll be looking to buy at the end of next season, kids will be old enough the year after, and everything I've seen so far window shopping has been too low for my linking. We'll also be looking to use the boat as a cottage on the water during the summer, so we will need to be able to use the galley and the head in comfort. I was on a Catalina a couple of weeks ago and the headroom was astonishing. I might have to rethink my budget a bit, but up here in Ontario, a waterside property is now ridiculously expensive, so a boat, even a more expensive one, is still a great deal.  

Hi there, just throwing in my 2cents. I'm 6'6", my wife is 5'8", 2 kids are - well kids. So we go cruising the med in our 26' Tri for 4-5 weeks with max headroom 5'6" - the forward bunk is 6'9" though. (It's still sooooo confusing, when will you guys convert to metric as the rest of the world? You're only in team with Liberia and Myanmar!) Back to the point: It largely depends on what you want to do: For us it's OK as long as the berths are long enough. Here is Europe it's still more convenient for us to hop on a boat that has 5'6" headroom and 6'9" berth than the charter boats that have 6'6" headroom and 6'4" berths. It's always a compromise, a modern (flat bottom) boat with 6'7" headroom on 30' boat will look like a floating caravan - and also sail like such. We have been through these discussions for a long time and came to the conclusion that a boat simply has limitations and as we want to live outside as much as possible it's a good compromise for us. So family sailing is mostly outside on deck/net/amas, while I can go singlehanded (even overnight) until end of November (with 40 F in the morning) because the boat is easy to handle and the cabin is quite cozy. When I'd own a 35-40'boat I simply couldn't afford it, or better, I would not want to pay for it since the price goes up but the fun is the same. In winter sitting on my property vs. paid mooring, cheap outboard vs. inboard diesel, self-repair in winter vs. marina work. For us, minimalist boat equals maximized outcome. If you can afford 40-45' - not in purchase but in yearly maintenance - good for you, but I'd check if it's really worth the trouble.  

I'm only 6'4", with many taller family, but I think a couple of points should be noted: Headroom almost always varies, depending on where you are on the boat. A nominal 6'6" of headroom tells you nothing. As with cars, ergonomics are really important. Stand in the head and sit on the pot and see if it works for you. It does no good if you can stand in the cabin, but can't poop or shower. There is always headroom in the cockpit, but see how high the boom is. If you have a dodger or bimini, pay attention to your standing position, I had to redo the bimini position in our boat because it was designed for someone of average height. Check out the bunks -- it will make a difference if you sleep on your side or use the full length, and whether you can hang your feet off the end. Think about how many people will sleep aboard -- we nominally sleep 5, but never have used more than 3. As others have suggested, full standing headroom is usually far from the deciding factor. And I would not consider a 40' plus boat for a first boat unless you charter a few times and decide it is right for you. YMMV, but in my case I often sail solo or with just my wife, and a boat we can easily handle dramatically increases our sailing time and fun.  

I am 6"8" and have trained myself to function fine on boats with as little as 6"2" of "headroom". Trust me the" Head room " Too will be more important to you! If your not opposed to Cat boats try to look at a Nonsuch 30....  

USC Polaris 36 (aka Union 36) has enough headroom under the main hatch. Also very tall (6 ft 6 in), it is the only area of the ship where I can stand fully erect. You do get used to it.  

Great thread! I'm 6'5" and change and found all this very interesting and informative. I've raced J24's and done most of my sailing on boats under 30 feet and have never really thought about headroom, figured I just would never have it. If i'm in a cabin i'm usually sitting or crouching in an ergonomic position (as is possible.) Oh well i figure....tall people problems.  

If someone wants a small inexpensive boat, a Catalina 25 has a pop top that would probably have sufficient headroom when you're at anchor. If you're sailing you'll be out in the cockpit anyway. Just watch out for the boom!  

Trying to pull headroom and smaller size together in one boat can be a challenge but there are some smaller pilothouse boats that like mine at 31' and 6'6" of headroom in the pilothouse as well as 6'6" berths that might work. The pilothouse would also stretch your sailing season a bit into cold weather... I am in more southern waters but still find it comfortable to sail from inside helm in the 30s in January and February. Just another opinion...  

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Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom

‍ Key Takeaways

• There are plenty of small sailboats that offer adequate standing headroom
• Boats that are trailerable are a good start since they are a compact package
• Many of these boats have a swing keel or other options to make it easier to transport
• Bigger boats typically have more headroom but will cost more and be difficult to move
• You many need to compromise space below deck when standing if you find a great boat

‍ Some might think that a smaller boat means there is not full standing headroom. So what small sailboat with standing headroom is out there?

Some examples of small sailboats with standing headroom include the Catalina 25, Grampian 26, and the Beneteau First 27. Keep in mind that some of these might be older boats and are considered trailerable sailboats. Not all small trailerable sailboat brands will have great headroom.

Based on previous experience, there are plenty of family cruiser small boat options out there that have standing headroom to accommodate a lot of sailors out there. Depending on how tall you might be to stand fully upright will also play a role in how much head room you might have.

Table of contents

‍ Top Eight Small Boat Options with Standing Headroom

You might have heard the phrase trailer sailors when it comes to small boats. Indeed, a trailer sailer will use a trailer to haul smaller boats. Trailering your boat offers budget-friendly freedom to explore new sailing destinations without mooring costs and allowing you to sail essentially anywhere you want.

Having good headroom is a widely used term without proper measurement. Assuming you are not over six feet tall, a lot of small sailboats will have decent headroom. Thankfully, there are some small cruising sailboats that you can pull with a trailer with good headroom.

Catalina 25

{{boat-info="/boats/catalina-25"}}

The Catalina 25 is arguably one of the most popular cruising sailboats of all time. There were around 5,866 built from 1978 up until 1994 and featured various offerings for keels.

One of the more appealing features on the boat was the pop top section to allow standing headroom. These were common after 1987 so make sure to check the year of the boat if you find one, as it should have the pop top.

Grampian 26

{{boat-info="/boats/grampian-26"}}

From 1967 to 1977, the Grampian had roughly 980 models produced. These Canadian boats featured an enclosed head, had six feet of headroom, and was roomy enough with a full galley.

Depending on which option you might have available, some were built with motors inboard or outboard and others had a centerboard or keel. This made transporting it easier, especially with its low four foot draft.

Beneteau First 27

{{boat-info="/boats/beneteau-first-27"}}

The First 27 by Beneteau makes the list as a boat that is nearing 30 feet but has headroom adequate for someone 5 '10". These were first built in 1978 and you can likely find many being sailed today.

These boats have plenty of speed and are excellent on the water for accommodating a small family up to six. It also features a galley and fridge to live aboard if you wanted that option.

Westerly Pageant

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Westerly Marine built 551 of the Pageant in the 1970’s. This 23 foot cruiser idolized comfort over the total speed, giving you a relaxing ride. They also made some with a fin keel, but these were marketed as the Kendal 23.It was a heavy boat, especially with its bilge keel. This made transferring on a trailer interesting if you could accommodate. It had a solid amount of headroom but you had to keep in mind where you were walking down below.

{{boat-info="/boats/performance-cruising-telstar-28"}}

There are a few multihull boats out there under 30 feet that offer quality standing headroom and the Telstar 28 is one of them. It showcases good speed up to 15 knots and is narrow for easy transport on a trailer.

It does not have the same living space as a monohull would, but this trimaran offers one of the more headroom than some of the other trailerable boats. A person standing around six feet could easily stand tall in one of these.

{{boat-info="/boats/nash-26"}}

The Nash 26 was designed in 1976 and had plenty of boats to choose from. If kept in good condition, there is a good chance that you can still find one today. These were solid boats that had a decent amount of headroom below deck.

Corsair 760

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The Corsair 760 is a newer trimaran (2018) and is currently still being built. This is the smallest offering from Corsair, which is a 24 foot multihull that is trailerable.

It has a pop top across the companionway to allow more space for headroom. These are easy to set up (the amas) and you can typically be ready to sail within the hour if you need to put it together after trailering.

MacGregor 26

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The MacGregor 26 had various model transformations over the years that they were built, from 1990 to 1995. These boats used water for ballast and were ultimately lightweight all around. These were great for weekend use or day sailing.

The founder retired in 2013 and his daughter took over under a new name, Tattoo Yachts. These are still in production and utilize similar builds comparable to the MacGregor 26, but have upgraded features throughout.

How to Narrow Your Search for a Small Sailboat with Standing Headroom

Finding a smaller boat, which is typically easier on the East coast of the United States, with an adequate amount of headroom may be a challenge. A big boat should be easier to stand below deck but that is not always the case either. Your sailing goals may also come into play on what boat works best for you.

Consider the terms “standing headroom” and trailberable”, as both of these do not mean the same thing, nor do you have to have a small trailerable boat to have enough headroom. For enough headroom, you need to be able to stand upright and this could vary since your height will likely be different based on another customer looking for headroom as well. Many boats were not designed with standing room in mind below deck, so do not be surprised if older ones are not as compatible.

Any boat that is trailerable needs to have the capability to move or hauled on a trailer. However, just because it can fit on a trailer does not make it legal to take on roads. Consider any permits you might need or what you can do to make the boat travel efficiently.

Where to Look for Cruising Sailboats with Good Standing Room

Finding a sailboat should not be hard if you live near a body of water that provides good sailing conditions. However, finding the perfect boat or a similar boat for your sailing goals might be a little more difficult depending on a variety of factors.

Consider your options and make sure you do not rush into purchasing a boat that does not meet most of your requirements. Adjusting your sailing goals might be something you need to do in order to have good standing room below deck.

Your Height

Before you attempt to find the small sailboat of your dreams with the perfect amount of standing room, you need to think about your own height. A lot of boats were made for the average height of a human , which is 69 inches for males in the United States (5 ‘9”).

You will either have to compromise with bending your head a little when walking through the galley or consider a big boat that can accommodate your height. If you are over six feet, then these will likely not fit your requirements for standing room, unless you really overlook this feature altogether. Of course if you are well over six feet, there is not a small sailboat that will accommodate your height below deck.

Online Searches

Searching online is going to be the best resource you have at narrowing down your options. Your sailing goals might only need a boat under 30 feet, but that does not guarantee that this boat will have enough headroom to stand in.

Searching online will allow you to find boats all over the world or within a specific region. You can narrow down your results by certain aspects and potentially even find exact specifications for head room below deck.

This will save you the most time and money, as you will not be jumping around from place to place nor will you be spending money on gas trying to see unnecessary boats in person. This will also give you an opportunity to see boats before someone else and make the buying process simpler.

Local Sources

If you live near coastal waters or by small lakes, you have a great opportunity to check out more boat options. This could be narrowed down further to local newspaper ads, a boatyard, or even a marina.

A newspaper or something similar to reach a larger audience could have ads posted about smaller sailboats with good standing room. These will typically have a number featured to call or an address to take a look at the boat in person.

Boatyards typically have a little bit of everything, but be sure you are ready for the challenge of fixing one up if you go this route. These are sometimes boats that are beyond repair or have been abandoned.

As for marinas or boat clubs, there is a good chance you will see someone with a boat that you like and they may even potentially have one for sale. If not, you might have a chat with the owner to see where they got theirs from and if they know of anyone selling one just like it.

Budget is usually a deciding factor to own a boat, no matter what other features come with it. Simply put, if you do not have enough money to buy it then you will not be sailing it.

Thankfully, a lot of smaller and older boats will be at an affordable price range. This makes it easier to narrow down your searches and find one that fits your budget. Also, a “cheap” price does not always mean a low quality boat, so be sure to do your research on the brand and the condition of the boat.

Keep in mind that a lot of the older ones might need some work done and that will eat into your budget a bit. Preventative maintenance is key to preserving your boat and your bankroll will thank you later.

Are Small Sailboats with Good Standing Room Right for You?

Every person that attempts to buy a boat will have different reasons for purchasing that boat. If standing room is the main one, there are likely many boats that will not fit that criteria. You will either need to change your perspective on the boat buying process or continue to wait until the perfect opportunity comes along.

Other boats typically prioritize the sail experience in light air versus if you can stand up in the galley all the way. But, some have made that a big selling point so that you can remain comfortable at all times. Comfort is attractive to have on long voyages, but if you are using it for the weekend only, you may opt to skip on the convenience factor.

Your budget and specific height will linger in your search results and be quite specific to your own sailing needs. Finding a boat with quality standing room is not difficult but you might need to compromise in a few areas. Do not be afraid to do some dirty work in repairs or other aspects if your budget allows you to make due with the boat that you find.

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Daniel Wade

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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