Chrysler 20 Buyer's Guide
The Chrysler 20 is an American trailerable sailboat built by Chrysler Marine and now out of production, making her a common sight for sailors in the United States wanting a light-displacement pocket cruiser with a lifting keel. She sleeps four and can be towed behind a vehicle, which keeps ownership flexible for buyers without a marina slip.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Chrysler 20 carries the same core arrangement: a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two settee-style quarter berths in the main cabin, sleeping four. The head is an optional portable unit tucked under the bow berth, so some boats will have it and others will not. The boat is a recreational keelboat on a stub keel with a swing keel and an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by tiller, with a raked stem and nearly-plum transom.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Available prevalence data lists no commonly fitted or often-seen factory gear and no frequent owner upgrades, so buyers should expect equipment to vary widely by individual boat. The only universal items are the masthead sloop rig and the original sheet sizes — 20-foot jib and genoa sheets and a 50-foot mainsheet, all 5/16 inch — which matter when judging whether a boat's running rigging has been replaced correctly. Beyond that, treat any electronics, canvas, or sail-handling additions as owner-supplied rather than standard.
What to Inspect
The most important used-boat caveat is the rudder. Steve Henkel's 2010 review flagged the inboard pivoting rudder as the boat's worst feature anchor, noting it is complicated and hard to repair and tends to collect weed and plastic bags on its leading edge. On any candidate, inspect the rudder pivot and internal mount carefully for binding or prior repair, and check the swing keel pivot for free operation since both are load-bearing and unusual in design.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Chrysler 20s are found in the United States. For a shopper, the practical checklist is short:
- Confirm the swing keel pivots freely and the stub keel shows no damage
- Examine the inboard pivoting rudder for repair history and debris damage
- Verify the four-berth layout and whether the portable head is present
- Check that rigging matches the original 5/16-inch sheet diameters
- Expect to add your own electronics and upgrades, as none are standard market fare
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Chrysler 20. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $2,300 | — |