Dart 18 Buyer's Guide
The Dart 18 is a longstanding one-design beach catamaran with more than 8,350 boats built by 2016 and a fleet active across over 16 nations. For a shopper on the brokerage market, the appeal is a mature class with predictable geometry and a straightforward rig, though the boat's simplicity means owner-supplied upgrades tend to cluster around sail-handling convenience rather than structural change.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Dart 18 shares the same core plan: a pair of solid fiberglass hulls on an 18-foot length with a 7.5-foot beam, joined by main and rear beams and a laced trampoline, rated for one or two sailors. There are no centerboards; the hulls carry beach-cat skegs and are filled with flotation inserts, with a rear hatch giving access to each interior. The rotating mast is stayed by forestay and two shroud wires with no spreaders, and a single trapeze serves the crew. Because strict class rules have governed the design since its Falmouth origins, used Dart 18s differ mainly in age, sail condition, and trailer-side wear rather than in hull configuration.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Buyers will find the standard rudder pair removes without tools, retracts on beach impact, and locks up for shallow work — a feature that matters more than any stereo when assessing a beach boat. The class permits a gennaker with jib furling, though that rig is not legal for racing, so a used boat wearing one is a recreational rather than a strictly one-design racer. Otherwise, the boomless nine-batten main on a 7:1 sheet and the two-batten jib on a 2:1 sheet define the sail plan; the meaningful owner changes are typically trampoline replacement and block servicing rather than added systems.
What to Inspect
The assembly depends on spring-loaded retaining clips at the beams and a laced trampoline, so check those clips and lacing for fatigue that could let a hull work loose spring-loaded retaining clips. Confirm each hull's rear hatch seals and that the internal flotation inserts are intact, since they preserve buoyancy if the shell is damaged flotation inserts to preserve buoyancy. Verify the rudders still retract on impact and lock up, and that shroud-chainplate bolts move cleanly for tension adjustment.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Dart 18 appears in the United States and New Zealand as typical markets. For a checklist: confirm beam clips and trampoline lacing sound; verify hull flotation and hatch seals; test rudder retract and lock; inspect mast, shrouds, and battened sails for wear; confirm one-design status versus any non-legal gennaker fit.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Dart 18. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $2,200 | — |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $3,420 | +55.5% |
Where they're listed
Dart 18 listings appear across 1 country. New Zealand has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $3,420 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 18 | 18.04' | $ 19,678 | 6 | 3 |
| International 18You are here | — | $ 3,418 | 1 | 1 |