Bowman 26 Buyer's Guide
The Bowman 26 is the original boat to carry the Bowman name, an Ian Anderson-designed cruiser-racer launched in 1970 and built by Normand Boatyard before the marque became Bowman Yachts. On the used market she appears as a small, simply fitted coastal cruiser with a reputation for sea-keeping that exceeds her 26-foot length, and a buyer should approach her as a period boat whose value lies in hull character rather than modern accommodation.
Layouts on the Used Market
The boat is offered with a four-berth interior, 6-foot-2-inch headroom, and an enclosed head compartment alongside a sizable navigation desk and a functional cooking space. The 8-foot beam makes the cabin cramped by modern standards, so viewings should focus on whether the fixed berths and passageways suit the buyer's frame.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The Bowman 26 left the yard with period-cost deck gear: the mainsheet traveller was the top rail of the pushpit and halyards were tensioned with tackles rather than winches. On the used market these are the items most often changed by owners, so a buyer should check whether winches or a proper traveller have been added, and whether the pushpit rail remains sound if still used for sheeting. Equipment should be judged on the individual hull.
What to Inspect
Because the boat was put together to a budget with plain trim, examine interior joinery and trim for age-related degradation rather than assuming robust build. Confirm the condition of the pushpit rail if it still serves as the mainsheet traveller, and check that any owner-fitted winches or tackles for halyards are securely mounted. The long-keel hull and solid fiberglass layup are straightforward to survey, but the limited build count means fewer reference hulls exist for comparison.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Bowman 26s are typically found in the United Kingdom. A short checklist for viewing:
- Inspect original joinery for degradation from simple fit-out
- Check pushpit rail if used as mainsheet traveller
- Verify halyard tensioning hardware is secure
- Confirm four-berth layout suits your size needs
- Survey long-keel hull for sound solid layup
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Bowman 26. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $4,757 | — |
Where they're listed
Bowman 26 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 | $4,757 | 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
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 26 | 25.75' | $ 12,141 | 28 | 8 |
| Jeremy Rogers 26 | 25.5' | $ 10,130 | 21 | 4 |
| Victoria 26 | 26' | $ 23,311 | 8 | 3 |
| Bowman 26You are here | — | $ 4,759 | 1 | 0 |