Anderson 22 Buyer's Guide
The Anderson 22 is a 1974-origin lifting-keel sloop of about 21 feet 9 inches, designed by Oliver Lee, that still turns up as a plausible first boat for families who want to race and cruise the same hull. On the used market it is the retractable keel and the heavily built, near-indestructible hull that matter most — those traits survive decades of amateur ownership better than any interior trim. Shopping one means weighing the shallow-water freedom of the lifting keel against the fact that the boat will not sit level on a hard unless it is soft mud.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most examples carry the four-berth arrangement with a rudimentary galley and chart table wrapped around the keel-lifting mechanism, and the cockpit is a good size for day-sailing. Some boats will show the simpler two-berth split, with 3 to 4 berths possible across the range, and a few owners have squeezed three or four adults aboard for short stretches. Headroom below is not vast, so the interior reads as efficient and multi-functional through foldaway items rather than roomy, and the finish is generally to a high standard inside and out where original.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
With no published equipment inventory to rely on, the safe line for a buyer is to inspect what each individual boat actually carries rather than expect a standard fit. The keel-lifting gear itself is the one system you should understand before purchase, since the galley and chart table are built around it and any awkward modification weakens the layout. Beyond that, treat sail condition, trailer fitness for a 2,500-pound hull, and the state of the modest rig as the deciding equipment questions on a boat this size.
What to Inspect
The single documented behaviour to check is that the boat does not dry out level except in soft mud, a direct result of the keel sitting partly outside the hull when raised. Verify the lifting mechanism operates cleanly and that the surrounding structure — galley and chart table — is sound, since that is where the keel hardware meets the accommodation. A clean lifting keel and intact interior around it covers the known risk.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Seek the boat through general used-sailing channels rather than any single coast. For the buyer, the short checklist is: confirm the lifting keel raises and lowers without strain, look for level hull structure around the keel trunk where the galley and chart table sit, and accept that a drying mooring will need soft mud to keep her upright. As a reasonably priced small sailing boat and ideal family starter, a sound example rewards the shopper who checks the keel first.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Anderson 22. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 1 | $536 | — |
Where they're listed
Anderson 22 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $536 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship 22 | 23.95' | $ 9,200 | 15 | 4 |
| Fox Terrier 22 | 22.08' | $ 23,232 | 11 | 0 |
| Anderson 22You are here | — | $ 536 | 1 | 0 |