Express 20 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Alerion Express 20 means looking at a low-production Carl Schumacher design from the mid nineties, built by Tillotson Pearson, Inc., with fewer than 100 afloat. She is a 20-foot fiberglass fractional-rig daysailer with a bulb fin keel, and the brokerage pool is small enough that each example should be judged on its own condition rather than against a deep class inventory.
Layouts on the Used Market
No interior plan, berth count, or cabin layout is supplied for the Alerion Express 20, so used buyers should treat accommodation as a per-boat question rather than a fixed class standard. What is consistent is the 20-foot hull with a 41 percent ballast ratio and a light-racer displacement-length ratio of 170, meaning every example afloat shares the same narrow, easily driven hull form and shallow 3.5-to-3.8-foot draft that lets the boat use marinas larger keelboats cannot.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A self-tacking jib is commonly fitted on these boats, a sensible buyer-friendly feature for short-handed sailing that reduces sheet handling at the helm. A short-handed setup appears as an occasional owner upgrade rather than standard equipment, so a buyer should confirm what control-led simplification — such as led-back mainsheet or reduced winch needs — is actually present on a given yacht.
What to Inspect
The one quantified reference point is the immersion rate of about 406 pounds per inch anchor, useful when assessing how a particular boat sits relative to her design load and whether added ballast or gear has pushed her past intended trim.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for the Alerion Express 20 is the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm whether the self-tacking jib is fitted or an owner addition
- Verify any short-handed setup claims on the specific boat
- Inspect fiberglass condition
- Expect shallow-draft, light-racer handling from the 3.5–3.8 ft bulb keel
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Express 20. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $47,900 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $39,500 | -17.5% |
| Jun 26 | 3 | $19,900 | -49.6% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $29,500 | +48.2% |
Where they're listed
Express 20 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 6.
Country view
6 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $29,500 | 6 | 4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reid Marine 20 | 20' | $ 13,873 | 20 | 4 |
| Alerion 20You are here | — | $ 29,500 | 6 | 4 |