Colvic Watson 23 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Colvic Watson 23.5 means looking at a 1976-origin pocket motor-sailer designed by G. L. Watson & Co. and built on the general hull lines of a North Sea fishing boat, with hulls and decks from Colvic Craft and fitout left to varied hands. Many were finished as yachts with the optional wheelhouse, while others became open or semi-enclosed fishing boats without a rig, so the used fleet spans very different configurations.
Layouts on the Used Market
This 23.5-foot design stretches 23 feet 6 inches on deck over a 21-foot loaded waterline, with an 8-foot 9-inch beam, carrying 7,600 pounds of displacement on a 3,000-pound-ballasted long keel drawing 3 feet 6 inches. Below, expect a forecabin and saloon with four berths and a saloon table that extends to seat four. The wheelhouse deck moulding from Colvic appears on yacht-finished examples and shapes the sheltered profile; fishing-boat completions without rig are also out there and suit a buyer wanting a minimalist coastal hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, solar, a furling main, bow thruster, autopilot, chartplotter, and AIS are commonly fitted, reflecting how owners have modernized these boats for short-handed coastal cruising. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar paired with the diesel supports anchoring off-grid — and navigation and steering, where chartplotter, AIS, autopilot, and bow thruster take the strain of the long-keel hull in tight harbours. A furling main simplifies sail handling on the surprising tall rig.
What to Inspect
The class shows varied fitout, so inspect the quality of the specific completion rather than assuming a standard interior. The long keel and 3-foot 6-inch draught should be checked for grounding damage, and the tabernacle mast mounting examined for wear from repeated lowering. With many boats finished as open or semi-enclosed fishing versions without a rig, confirm the sloop rig and 332 sq ft sail plan are intact if sailing performance matters, and verify the diesel installation — typically 20 to 40 bhp — against the hull's windward needs.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. For a buyer, the checklist is: confirm whether the example carries the Colvic wheelhouse or was a rig-less fishing completion; verify the tabernacle mast and tall rig are serviceable; check the diesel and solar-autopilot-chartplotter suite for coastal autonomy; and assess the individual fitout quality given the various completions.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Colvic Watson 23. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $6,454 | — |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $13,248 | +105.3% |
Where they're listed
Colvic Watson 23 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $13,248 | 3 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colvic Sailor 26 | 26.92' | $ 5,435 | 11 | 3 |
| Com-Pac 23 | 22.75' | $ 8,000 | 11 | 5 |
| Leisure 23 | 22.64' | $ 5,503 | 10 | 4 |
| Colvic Watson 23You are here | — | $ 13,248 | 3 | 0 |