Grampian 23 Sailboats for Sale

Alex McGruer·1971 – 1976·~450 hulls·Grampian Marine
Grampian 23 drawingBuilder drawing
Hull Type
Monohull · wing
Rig
Masthead Sloop
LOA
23.25' · 7.09 m
Disp.
3,200 lbs · 1,451 kg
First year
1971

The Grampian 23 is a 23foot quarterinch LOA pocket cruiser that Alex McGruer drew for Grampian Marine, with production running in Canada from 1971 through 1976 and 450 hulls completed 450 Grampian 23 boats were built. As the inhouse designer's 1971 entry in the builder's line, it sits among his Grampian 26 and 30 as part of a family of fiberglass boats from that shop. What distinguishes the 23 is how it trades cockpit real estate for interior volume in a trailerable swingkeel package.

Market snapshot

Median asking · 12 mo
Asking price
Recent listings · 90 d
Listed for sale
3-month price trend
Not enough data yet
Countries with listings
Global market

Recent Listings

1 for sale · showing 10 newest

Grampian 23 Buyer's Guide

Shopping the used brokerage market for a Grampian 23 means looking at a 1971–1976 Canadian-built pocket cruiser from Grampian Marine, with 450 produced and Alex McGruer's name on the design. These are solid fiberglass swing-keel sloops whose appeal is interior space in a trailerable footprint, and the used fleet reflects that original character rather than heavily modified racers.

Layouts on the Used Market

The dominant layout is the swing-keel masthead sloop with a pop-top cabin, five berths, a port-side galley with two-burner stove and sink, and a starboard head aft of the bow. A fixed fin keel was a factory option, so some boats will sit on a permanent keel rather than the retractable centerboard-style foil — worth confirming, as it changes trailering and grounding behavior. Cabin headroom is 64 inches, and the aft berth lies under the cockpit to port.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The Grampian 23 was outboard-powered from new, so a buyer is evaluating stern-mounted auxiliary condition rather than an inboard. A symmetrical spinnaker was a permissible downwind addition, and some owners will have added one. Beyond that, any electronics, canvas, or rigging additions should be read as individual owner choices rather than fleet standards.

What to Inspect

The one design-level item to check is the cockpit, which is relatively small for the boat's size because the interior was made so spacious the spacious interior makes the cockpit relatively small for the boat's size. On a swing-keel example, the keel trunk and pivot hardware deserve close attention for wear or water intrusion, since the retracting foil is the boat's defining system. The solid fiberglass hull and deck remove core-rot concerns, but a normal osmosis and gelcoat survey still applies.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The typical market for these boats is the United States. For a shopper, the practical checklist is: confirm keel type (swing vs. fixed fin), assess outboard and swing-keel mechanism, check the small cockpit against your crew plans, and survey the solid glass hull as you would any 1970s fiberglass cruiser. The Grampian 23 rewards the buyer who values cabin room and simple systems over a large outdoor cockpit.

Comparable models

Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.

Similar boats to compare

2 similar designs
ModelLOAMedian askListings · 12 moActive · 90 d
Com-Pac 2322.75'$ 8,000115
Leisure 2322.64'$ 5,505104

Frequently asked questions

01What should I look at instead of a Grampian 23?+
Comparable models include Com-Pac 23, Leisure 23. Use the comparison table above to check pricing and availability.