Chrysler Pirateer 13 Buyer's Guide
The Chrysler Pirateer 13 is a small daggerboard sailboat that Chrysler Marine produced from 1974, designed by J.R. (Rod) Macalpine-Downie and cataloged as model 373. On the used market it presents as a compact, trailable fractional-sloop dinghy of solid fiberglass, best understood as a single-day sailor rather than a pocket cruiser. Shoppers will find a boat whose original documentation is a genuine asset and whose condition hinges on typical small-fiberglass-dinghy wear.
Layouts on the Used Market
There is no cruising interior to compare across used Chrysler Pirateer 13s: the Pirateer 13 is a daggerboard dinghy with a reported length overall of 3.96 meters and a waterline length of 3.71 meters. Its open layout centers on the centerboard trunk and a simple fractional sloop rig carrying 8.36 square meters of sail. The maximum draft of 1.24 meters drops to a shallow minimum with the board retracted, so used examples vary mainly in trailer, dolly, and whether the original rudder and daggerboard are present rather than in any cabin or berth configuration.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The original boat came with equipment documented in the owner's manual, which remains the baseline for judging a used example. The most consequential items for a buyer are the original rigging and tuning references, since the manual provides rigging instructions with photos and the builder's intended setup. Beyond that, the useful clusters are sail-handling and trailering gear appropriate to a 227-kilogram dinghy: a serviceable fractional sloop sail set, a daggerboard and rudder in sound condition, and a matched trailer. Navigation and comfort additions on a boat this size are minimal and should be weighed only as convenience, not as value drivers.
What to Inspect
Inspection starts with the solid fiberglass hull and the daggerboard trunk, given the boat's age and daggerboard configuration. The owner's manual documents the original equipment, so verify that supplied components match the builder's list and that the rig reflects the intended tuning. Check the fiberglass for the usual stress points around the trunk, rudder pintles, and mast step, and confirm the sail area and rig type are consistent with the fractional sloop originally specified.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
No regional market summary is published for this model, so shoppers should treat the Pirateer 13 as a general used-dinghy search rather than a region-specific one. For a buyer, the short checklist is: sound solid fiberglass hull, complete daggerboard and rudder, original-spec fractional rig with sail area near 8.36 square meters, and the owner's manual present. A Pirateer 13 that meets those points is a self-contained, well-documented little daysailer.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Chrysler Pirateer 13. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $900 | — |