This is a quiet, purposeful design intended for practical coastal cruising rather than regatta spectacle. Its proportions and construction were conservative even for its era, but that conservatism remains central to the boat’s appeal for a certain kind of owner.
Design and Construction
The Bandholm 26 was built by the Danish yard Orø bådværft, with at least one other builder also involved in production. The hull is solid fiberglass rather than a cored laminate, while the long fin keel is filled with lead.
The boat measures 26.64 feet overall, with a 21.65-foot waterline and a beam of 7.71 feet. Its length-to-beam ratio of 3.36 is narrow by modern standards. Displacement is 6,173 pounds, giving a displacement-length ratio of 291 and placing it firmly among what one design summary calls “heavy cruisers.”
The keel carries 2,646 pounds of lead ballast, or 40 percent of the boat’s displacement. That figure helps explain the capsize screening value of 1.69 and motion comfort ratio of 27.7. Together, these numbers suggest a steady, forgiving platform in a seaway rather than a lively racer.
Wetted surface is about 204 square feet, and the immersion rate is 599 pounds per inch. These figures complete the picture of a boat that sits deep for its size and responds slowly to changes in load.
Rig and Handling
The Bandholm 26 carries a masthead sloop rig, a straightforward and durable arrangement for a boat of this length. Its standing and running gear follow period norms. Jib and genoa sheets are specified at 26.7 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter; the mainsheet is 66.8 feet in the same diameter; and the spinnaker sheets are 58.8 feet long. Those lengths are generous for a 26-footer and point to a rig laid out for controlled, manual handling.
The theoretical hull speed is about 6.2 knots. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.22, paired with a relative speed performance index of 10, marks the Bandholm 26 as undercanvased by race-conscious standards but entirely adequate for relaxed cruising. Its heavy displacement and modest sail area will limit performance in light air.
Draft ranges from roughly 4.43 to 4.73 feet, depending on load. That is shallow enough for the boat to fit into modest marinas without drama.
Accommodation
Below decks, the Bandholm 26 has four berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. It’s a compact but complete cruising layout for a boat of this length. The berth count reinforces the design’s purpose as a coastal cruiser for a couple or small family, rather than a daysailer with little more than a place to sleep below.
The surviving record provides no elaborate description of the interior detailing, but the specified appointments cover the essentials for overnight use.
Engines, Refits, and Ownership
The Bandholm 26 may be fitted with an inboard engine, although not every example left the yard with one. Because production was spread between Orø bådværft and at least one other builder, owners should expect individual boats to vary in their mechanical fit-out.
The solid fiberglass hull and lead long keel are intrinsically low-maintenance structures. Even so, the small fleet and varied production mean that each boat’s refit history is best confirmed hull by hull rather than inferred from a class norm.
The Verdict
The Bandholm 26 is a small, heavily built Danish cruiser that trades sparkle for steadiness. Its narrow beam, lead-ballasted long keel, and conservative masthead rig make it predictable and reassuring on coastal passages. The four-berth interior also gives it genuine overnight capability.
Fewer than 200 were built, so surviving examples are scarce and their individual histories vary. Class knowledge and spare-parts support are also thin. Even so, the fundamental design remains coherent and honest.
Pros
- Lead long keel and 40 percent ballast ratio provide stable, seakindly motion
- Solid fiberglass hull has no core to degrade
- Complete cruising accommodation for four in a 26-foot hull
- Draft is shallow enough for modest marinas
Cons
- Heavy displacement and low sail-area ratio limit light-air performance
- Fewer than 200 were built, so spare parts and class knowledge are thin
- Inboard engine fitment wasn’t standard across all hulls
