Flying Scot Buyer's Guide
The Flying Scot is a 19-foot one-design centerboard daysailer and racer that has been built continuously since the mid-1950s, with more than 5,800 hulls launched. On the used market you are buying into a strict one-design class: the boats were hand-laid to class rules, so a 1960 example and a recent one share the same hull and rig dimensions. What separates good used boats is condition of the cored fiberglass and the hull-deck joint, not model-year feature creep.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Flying Scot shares the same open cockpit plan: a 19-foot hull with 6-foot-9 beam, a weighted centerboard giving 4 feet of draft down and under a foot up, and seating broad enough for a family of five or six daysailing or a crew of three racing. There is no cabin; the boat is a daysailer with a mainsail, jib, and spinnaker. Class rules prohibit auxiliary power, but a non-competing owner may fit a small portable motor on the stern bracket, so some boats will show that bracket and others will not.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The only commonly fitted sail beyond the standard main and jib is the spinnaker, which adds roughly 200 square feet and is the boat’s reaching and running power in a breeze. Because the class is one-design, most other gear stays close to original; the consequential buyer items are the outboard bracket for non-racers and the spinnaker. Navigation and comfort gear are minimal by nature of the open boat, and there is no generator, watermaker, or enclosed head to evaluate.
What to Inspect
The cored hull and deck are the first place a used Scot earns or loses its value. The balsa core runs through both skins with woven roving on each side, so any ingress of water through a fitting or crack can saturate the core and delaminate the fiberglass; tap the decks and hull sides for dull, soft notes and look for gelcoat crazing around hardware. The hull-to-deck joint is a shoebox flange bolted on 12-inch centers and glassed inside and that inner bond is where seam weeping begins if the bolts corrode or the resin lets go — inspect the interior shelf for staining or dark lines along the joint. A boat kept dry and stored covered will show neither fault; the builder’s own note that hull #1 from 1957 survives is a fair benchmark for a well-kept example.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Flying Scots are typically found in the United States. When you go to look at a specific boat, run this short check:
- Tap decks and hull for soft or dull core sounds
- Check gelcoat around hardware for crazing or crack lines
- Inspect interior hull-deck joint for stain or weep marks
- Confirm centerboard pivots and lifts without binding
- Verify spinnaker and outboard bracket if racing-rule exempt
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Flying Scot. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 9 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $5,500 | — |
| Apr 25 | 2 | $8,600 | +56.4% |
| Jun 25 | 2 | $3,875 | -54.9% |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $2,000 | -48.4% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $25,100 | +1155.0% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $3,500 | -86.1% |
| May 26 | 2 | $4,000 | +14.3% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $11,500 | +187.5% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $3,500 | -69.6% |
Where they're listed
Flying Scot listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 9.
Country view
9 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $3,500 | 9 | 2 | 100.0% |