Force 5 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Force 5 on the used market means looking at a 13-foot cat-rigged dinghy with a long one-design history and an active class association. These boats were built originally by AMF Alcort from 1972 and later supported by Weeks Yacht Yard, so a buyer is choosing between early production hulls and later, structurally refined examples.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Force 5 is a single open cockpit daysailer and racer with a daggerboard and cat rig — there is no enclosed accommodation to compare between boats. What varies is era of construction: pre-1994 AMF or Pearson-linked hulls versus Weeks Yacht Yard boats from 1994 onward that were built stiffer, stronger, and lighter. The Short-Rig option also appears on some boats and can be identified by its mast-cap conversion on the standard mid-section rather than a wholly different spar.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A buyer should verify what is present on each individual hull. The most consequential items to confirm are the rig configuration — Full-Rig mast and boom versus the Short-Rig sail with full foot, generous roach, and full upper batten — and the daggerboard and rudder gear, since controls are meant to be handled from the seated position.
What to Inspect
The defining hull trait is a curved bottom rather than a shallow V, and that shape is the root of the boat's known behavior. Expect any example to feel unstable and continually rocking when seated — that is inherent, not a defect to flag. The real inspection point is capsize recovery: owners report the dinghy is fickle and keeps rolling to the opposite side when righted, so check the hull for prior capsize stress at the gunwales and centerboard trunk, and confirm the daggerboard and rigging are intact enough to attempt a clean recovery.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Force 5 boats are typically found in the United States. Before committing:
- Confirm whether the hull is an early AMF/Pearson build or a later Weeks Yacht Yard boat.
- Check the bottom shape is the original curved form, not a repaired shallow-V modification.
- Verify the Short-Rig conversion uses the factory mast cap if present.
- Test or observe capsize behavior; look for stress at the trunk and rails.
- Ensure all sail controls operate from the seated position.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Force 5. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26 | 2 | $1,050 | — |
Where they're listed
Force 5 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,050 | 2 | 2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 14 | 14.11' | $ 12,111 | 4 | 1 |
| Force 5You are here | — | $ 1,050 | 2 | 2 |