Dyer Dhow Buyer's Guide
The Dyer Dhow on the used market is a 9-foot fiberglass dinghy built continuously since the 1940s by The Anchorage, Inc. in Bristol, Rhode Island. As a tender, trainer, and camp-cruiser it has a 650-pound capacity in a 106-pound hull, and its hard-chine stability still defines the class. Shopping one means weighing the rowing, sailing, and convertible variants against how you’ll use a small boat behind a cruiser or at a summer camp.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Dhows come as the rowing version, the sail version with complete rig, or the convertible centerboard hull to which a sailing rig can be added later. All share three mahogany seats — bow, midship, stern — and a solid fiberglass hull with white gelcoat and Dyer Blue interior, though custom colors appear. The sail version carries a two-piece spruce mast, a large centerboard operated by a lever, and a tiller rudder; the rowing layout omits those but keeps bronze oarlocks and a 15-foot painter. In sailing trim the boat suits one adult; as a tender it meets the original brief of four adults and sea bags.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Buyers should focus on function, not trim. The sailing rig itself — mast, spars, 45-square-foot white sail, centerboard, and tiller rudder — is the core upgrade over a rowing hull, and a small two- or three-horsepower outboard is the other consequential addition, letting the boat motor straight upwind across an anchorage. A dolly for shore handling is practical given the 106-pound weight. Beyond those, most other gear is owner-determined and not a market standard.
What to Inspect
The one documented handling caveat is the hull’s mass: at 106 pounds the Dhow is a little heavy to lift on deck, so check for deck-winches, davits, or towing gear on the mothership and for any hull scarring from improper lifts a little heavy to lift on deck. Confirm the two-piece mast and stays are complete and the centerboard slides freely in its truck. Verify the mahogany seats for rot and the gelcoat for stress cracks at the hard chines.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Dyer Dhows are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Choose sail, row, or convertible based on intended use
- Verify centerboard and mast condition
- Budget for a dolly or lifting method given 106-pound weight
- Confirm outboard bracket if powered use is planned
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Dyer Dhow. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 3 | $3,500 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $2,100 | -40.0% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $2,000 | -4.8% |
Where they're listed
Dyer Dhow listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $2,000 | 3 | 0 | 100.0% |