Buying a used Shipman: know which company built it
A used Shipman listing could mean one of two completely different boats. The name covers two unrelated builders: Shipman Sweden AB, which built the Olle Enderlein-designed Shipman 28 starting in 1968, and the Slovenian firm Seaway, which built an unrelated carbon-fiber range decades later after buying the rights to the name in 2003 for its own new boat brand. Confirming which era, and which builder, produced a given hull matters more with Shipman than with most makes — the two ranges share no design lineage, no construction technique, and no corporate history.
Which era to target
The classic Shipman 28, built from 1969 to 1979, pairs an iron keel and fibreglass hull with a distinguishing helm-balance trim tab at the keel's aft end — a design quirk unique among production boats of the period — under a teak interior. The engine changed partway through the run: boats built before 1974 carried a Faryman 12hp diesel with hydraulic power transfer, while those built after 1974 were equipped with a Yanmar YSE 8, worth confirming against a given hull's build year.
The modern carbon range began in 2002, when Seaway's application of carbon/epoxy technology to production boatbuilding gave rise to the line, which grew through the 50, 59, 63, and flagship 80. Seaway itself went bankrupt in March 2015; boat production had already resumed at the former Seaway facility under new management by late October 2016, so it's worth confirming exactly when and under which ownership a given later hull was built.
Navigating the lineup
Confirming which of the two eras a listing belongs to is the first filter; after that, size does most of the rest of the sorting. The classic side is a single model, the 28. The modern side ranges from the 50 up through the 80-foot flagship, plus later, smaller-production designs commissioned along the way — a wide enough spread that hull size alone says a great deal about intended use. The full model directory on this page breaks the range out in more detail.
Where they're listed
Shipman listings appear across 12 countries. Germany has the most listings with 7 (15.9%), followed by Denmark and Spain.
Country view
44 listings · 12 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | $7,768 | 7 | 2 | 15.9% |
| Denmark | $7,008 | 6 | 2 | 13.6% |
| Spain | $1,462,318 | 5 | 1 | 11.4% |
| United Kingdom | $609,281 | 5 | 1 | 11.4% |
| Netherlands | $6,700 | 4 | 2 | 9.1% |
| Portugal | $33,793 | 4 | 0 | 9.1% |
| Greece | $192,271 | 3 | 0 | 6.8% |
| United States | $2,495,000 | 3 | 3 | 6.8% |
| Ireland | $9,817 | 2 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Italy | $295,922 | 2 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Sweden | $4,983 | 2 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Norway | $2,067 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
All Shipman models
3 models grouped by length overall. Open any model to see recent asking prices and active listings.