Elliott 5.9 Buyer's Guide
The Elliott 5.9 is a 19-foot trailer yacht drawn up by Greg Elliott at the start of the 1980s to fit a tight New Zealand sub-six-meter trailer-yacht rule while still being towable behind a modest car. On the used market these boats reward a buyer who understands the class's minimalist brief: a three-person fractional-rig racer with a lifting keel, not a pocket cruiser.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. Either way the cabin top shape has not changed since the 1980s, so interior volume is what the original wooden plug dictated.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Commonly fitted gear on brokerage boats centers on sailing range and short-handed ease: an inverter, gennaker, spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker, electric winches, and a short-handed setup are all commonly fitted. For a buyer this means the boat likely already carries downwind sails and powered winches, reducing the cost of making her manageable solo or double-handed.
What to Inspect
The 5.9 has needed only a few minor modifications since the 1980s, and a buyer should confirm two of them are present on any candidate. Check that the mainsheet traveller has been relocated from its original position, as early boats carried it differently. Also verify the outboard well has been sealed off, a modification that later boats adopted; an open well on a supposed later hull suggests either an unmodified early example or amateur work. Because modern fiberglass hulls are taken from the mould of an original wooden boat, inspect the gelcoat and mould seams for consistency with a production fibreglass hull rather than a one-off.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Before you commit, run this short list:
- Confirm the mainsheet traveller position matches the later modification.
- Check the outboard well is sealed, not open.
- Inspect fibreglass hull for mould consistency against the wooden-original plug.
- Verify three-cabin layout if that is your preference.
- Test the electric winches and short-handed setup if fitted.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Elliott 5.9. 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 | 1 | $436,810 | — |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $12,570 | -97.1% |
| May 26 | 1 | $7,428 | -40.9% |
Where they're listed
Elliott 5.9 listings appear across 3 countries. Australia has the most listings with 1 (33.3%), followed by Ireland and New Zealand.
Country view
3 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $12,570 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Ireland | $436,810 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |
| New Zealand | $7,428 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |