Whitby sailboats for sale

Buying a used Whitby: a small yard's design that outgrew its own name

A used Whitby search starts with a wrinkle most single-builder brands don't have: the yard's signature design, the Whitby 42, was also built - for a time under license and later independently - by a second Florida company that ultimately sold its own version under a different name. Whitby Boat Works of Ajax, Ontario built the boat itself; Fort Myers Yacht and Shipbuilding in Florida built a related but distinct version, marketed as the Brewer 12.8 and Brewer 44. Knowing which company actually built a given hull, not just which design it descends from, matters here as much as the model number does.

Which era to target

The earliest Whitbys carry Carl Alberg's design - the 30 and 37 - covered in more depth on Alberg's own page. Whitby's own signature era begins with the Ted Brewer-designed 42: Brewer's firm took the commission around the turn of 1972, and the first hull left Ajax in 1973, continuing in production there until 1988. A scarce George Cuthbertson-designed 45, of which fewer than 20 were built, is the smallest and earliest model in the lineup, and the Whitby 55, introduced last, anchors the large end. For the 42 specifically, which company built a given hull matters more than the exact model year: Fort Myers, Florida took over part of the run around 1980, and after a 1983 split, later Fort Myers-built boats carry the Brewer name rather than Whitby's.

What to inspect across the range

Because the 42 accounts for most of what a Whitby buyer will actually encounter, its documented issues are worth treating as range-wide. SpinSheet's review flagged pop-riveted fastenings, used liberally throughout including on most deck-to-hull joints, as prone to working loose over time; some hulls got a deck joint that's fully through-bolted instead, a factory option worth confirming on any hull under consideration. The same review found compression failures under the mizzen mast step tied to the balsa-cored deck and inadequate structural support beneath it, a forward water tank lid prone to persistent leaks, and berths the reviewer considered inadequate for offshore passages, recommending extra handholds be added before any serious offshore use.

Navigating the lineup

Start by confirming which company built the hull. Fort Myers-built boats, sold under the Brewer name once the two companies parted ways in 1983, carry a heavier ballast package Brewer specified for that version. Reports from the era suggest the Fort Myers hulls were, if anything, built to a higher standard than the sometimes-inconsistent techniques at the original Ajax yard - worth weighing alongside brand loyalty rather than against it. The full model directory on this page breaks out the 42, 45, 55, and the earlier Alberg-designed boats individually.