Elizabethan 29 Buyer's Guide
The Elizabethan 29 on the used market is a 1960 Holman design that ran in series from the early 1960s through Webster’s 1976 closure. She is a 29-foot solid-GRP cruiser-racer with a long-keeled, narrow hull and a generally strong build, but her age means every surviving example carries decades of owner history. Shopping one is less about finding a spec sheet and more about reading the boat in front of you.
Layouts on the Used Market
Below decks the 29 is compact: four berths, a separate heads compartment, and basic cooking and navigating areas under a doghouse with 5 feet 10 inches of headroom. The space is functional and a little cramped by modern standards, so a viewer should judge whether the saloon and forepeak suit their crew rather than expect a volume-driven modern interior.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-kept examples in the British market commonly carry heating, autopilot, chartplotter, and a spinnaker, while solar and a dodger are often seen. For a buyer, heating and a dodger speak to year-round comfort; autopilot and chartplotter reduce short-handed stress; solar supports anchor life; and a spinnaker extends light-air performance. The original petrol tank was very small and supplied a gasoline engine, so verify the present installation is tidy and secure rather than a decades-old patch.
What to Inspect
The structural points that matter are the mast step, hull-deck joint and chainplates. At the mast step, look for softness or staining in the surrounding sole and any rust tide from a steel step; press the area and smell for damp. Along the hull-deck joint, run a hand along the interior liner and exterior seam for crazing, separation, or weeping after rain. Chainplates should be pulled or at minimum have their bedding inspected for cracks and the bulkheads behind them checked for compression or rot. To confirm the fuel side, check what engine and tank now sit in the boat and whether the installation is tidy and secure.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for these boats is the United Kingdom. Before committing, walk through this short list:
- Check the mast step for softness or rust staining
- Inspect hull-deck joint inside and out for separation
- Examine chainplate bedding and bulkhead integrity
- Confirm current engine and tank installation differs from original
- Verify heating and electrical upgrades are safely wired
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Elizabethan 29. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 4 | $7,073 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $8,122 | +14.8% |
| Apr 26 | 5 | $8,122 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Elizabethan 29 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 10.
Country view
10 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $8,122 | 10 | 0 | 100.0% |