Hallberg-Rassy 29 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Hallberg-Rassy 29 market means considering one of 571 examples built between 1982 and 1994, a compact ocean-cruising design from the Swedish yard that remains under Rassy family ownership. These are boats conceived by Olle Enderlein and Christoph Rassy as no less an ocean cruiser than larger stablemates, and the used fleet spans early MD7B-powered hulls through later Volvo Penta 2002 and MD2020 examples. A buyer's focus should be less on cosmetics and more on the documented structural and mechanical weak points that separate a sound example from a money pit.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 29 was offered with or without a quarter berth, and a lot of boats were built with the starboard quarterberth suited to long passages; the version without it gains an additional cockpit locker instead. The most common interior distributes four berths over forecabin and saloon with a chart locker to starboard, though some have an additional dog berth to starboard. Below, the saloon has an L-shaped settee to port around a two-leaf table, headroom is just under 1.8 m, and the heads sits ahead of the saloon to port with a sink and large hanging locker opposite. The galley is a compact L-shaped unit with a two-burner cooker with oven as standard, and no shower was standard. Cockpit layouts vary by berth choice: narrow and safe with high coamings, and the no-quarterberth hulls gain two full-depth cockpit lockers plus a deep full-width lazarette.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, teak decks, heating, autopilot, and chartplotter are commonly fitted, while AIS is often seen and a life raft appears as a sometimes-or-owner upgrade. The majority of owners originally opted for teak decks, which emphasize the classic looks. Early boats had non-self-tailing original winches, while later examples carry self-tailing Lewmar 40 primary winches and plain Lewmar 8 coachroof winches. Stern rail gate, fold-down boarding ladder, and bifurcated backstay ease cockpit access. The gas bottle originally stowed in the anchor locker has been moved aft to a container by many owners, a frequent owner-driven modification rather than a factory change.
What to Inspect
A typical weak point on the Hallberg-Rassy 29 is play in the lower rudder bearing on the skeg, which should be checked for free movement at survey. The single-circuit cooled versions of the MD7B, installed up until 1984, have often reached the end of their service life, so confirm cooling type and engine hours on early hulls; the dual-circuit system was optional then standard. The deep, self-draining chain locker also serves as a gas bottle locker, a vulnerable arrangement that many owners have relocated — verify any aft container installation is properly vented. Otherwise the injection-moulded hull with mat reinforcements and foam-core deck is a robust structure, but rudder play and engine cooling remain the load-bearing inspection points.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Hallberg-Rassy 29 are Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Italy, and Finland. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm rudder bearing condition, identify engine and cooling circuit, verify gas locker relocation if modified, and choose quarterberth versus cockpit locker layout by cruising intent. A sound example rewards with a sea-kindly, Lloyds-certified pocket ocean cruiser built in meaningful numbers across a twelve-year run.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Hallberg-Rassy 29. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 45,666 | — |
| Sep 25 | 10 | $ 46,996 | +2.9% |
| Oct 25 | 5 | $ 43,492 | -7.5% |
| Dec 25 | 3 | $ 39,944 | -8.2% |
| Jan 26 | 5 | $ 48,496 | +21.4% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $ 47,497 | -2.1% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $ 52,648 | +10.8% |
| Apr 26 | 14 | $ 37,197 | -29.3% |
| May 26 | 9 | $ 45,165 | +21.4% |
| Jun 26 | 6 | $ 43,341 | -4.0% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $ 22,890 | -47.2% |
Where they're listed
Hallberg-Rassy 29 listings appear across 9 countries. Germany has the most listings with 16 (28.1%), followed by Netherlands and Denmark.
Country view
57 listings · 9 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | $ 50,702 | 16 | 4 | 28.1% |
| Netherlands | $ 44,220 | 12 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Denmark | $ 31,464 | 11 | 3 | 19.3% |
| United Kingdom | $ 39,759 | 10 | 3 | 17.5% |
| Italy | $ 50,359 | 3 | 0 | 5.3% |
| Finland | $ 45,494 | 2 | 1 | 3.5% |
| Switzerland | $ 59,369 | 1 | 0 | 1.8% |
| Portugal | $ 44,636 | 1 | 0 | 1.8% |
| Sweden | $ 52,648 | 1 | 0 | 1.8% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 29 | 28.42' | $ 17,456 | 63 | 11 |
| Hallbery Rassy 29You are here | — | $ 43,483 | 59 | 16 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 31 | 31.56' | $ 93,832 | 45 | 11 |
| Moody 29 | 29.53' | $ 17,456 | 39 | 9 |
| Hanse 291 | 29.2' | $ 22,772 | 14 | 5 |
| Westerly GK 29 | 29' | $ 15,319 | 6 | 2 |