Colvic Liberator 35 Buyer's Guide
The Colvic Liberator 35 is a 35-foot masthead sloop designed by Edward George Dubois in the late seventies and built by Colvic Craft PLC from 1978, with some hulls also completed at other yards. On the brokerage market it presents as a moderate-weight cruiser-racer rather than a heavy traditional yacht, and because Colvic sold hulls in varying stages of completion, the equipment you find on any given example is less uniform than a single-yard production boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Liberator 35 has a solid fiberglass hull with a lead fin keel and a recorded beam of 11.25 feet against 35.25 feet overall, a length-to-beam ratio of 3.13 that makes it more spacious than 58% of similar designs. The fresh water capacity is 303 liters (80 US gallons) and the fuel tank holds 189 liters (49 US gallons) of diesel, so even if interior joinery differs between hulls, the baseline service volumes are consistent with a proper cruising sloop. The sources do not describe a specific interior plan, so layout must be read from each boat in person rather than assumed from the model name.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta 2003 T diesel at 43 hp, but that is listed as possible rather than standard, so engine fit is a per-hull question. The documented rigging spec is exact: jib and genoa sheets are both 35.2 feet at 14 mm diameter, the mainsheet is 88.1 feet at 14 mm, and the spinnaker sheet is 77.5 feet at 14 mm. Those lengths indicate a full-size cruising cockpit winch and lead setup; whether a given boat still carries original or upgraded sheets and winches is an inspection point, not a guaranteed feature. The market brief records no items as commonly fitted, often seen, or as frequent owner upgrades, so nothing should be promoted above a generic "check what is fitted" stance.
What to Inspect
The documented comfort figure is the main quantitative caveat: the Motion Comfort Ratio is 20.9, and comparisons show it is more comfortable than only 21% of similar sailboat designs, a value described as significantly below average. The capsize screening value is 2.08, which the source states means the boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races. Neither is a construction defect, but both are inherent to the moderate-racer brief and worth weighing against intended use. Build completion varied because Colvic supplied hulls in stages and the boat was also built elsewhere, so verify tank installation, engine mounting, and rigging hardware individually rather than trusting a uniform factory spec.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for these boats is the Netherlands. For a shopper there, the practical checklist is short and sourced: confirm the hull is solid fiberglass with a lead fin keel, verify the actual engine is a Volvo Penta 2003 T or note the alternative, check the 303-liter water and 189-liter fuel tanks are intact, measure the 14 mm sheet diameters against the 35.2 / 88.1 / 77.5 foot lengths, and accept the below-average comfort ratio and 2.08 capsize screen as design traits rather than faults. Inspect each example as an individually completed hull, not a uniform production line unit.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Colvic Liberator 35. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 28,498 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 28,498 | 0.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 28,498 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Colvic Liberator 35 listings appear across 1 country. Netherlands has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $ 28,498 | 3 | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-Boats J/35 | 35.5' | $ 22,250 | 22 | 4 |
| Ericson 35-3 | 35.5' | $ 19,900 | 21 | 11 |
| Colvic Liberator 35You are here | — | $ 28,498 | 3 | 1 |
| Baltic 35 | 34.83' | $ 66,715 | 3 | 1 |