Herreshoff Fish Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Herreshoff Fish on the brokerage market means chasing a small, elderly class of day sailers that Nathanael Herreshoff drew as an enlarged 12½. About 40 were built, most in 1916, 1917, and 1925, and many of these boats are gone or in ruinous condition, so any boat offered today is a survivor by definition. The ones that remain are split between gaff-rigged Seawanhaka-origin hulls and the 1925 Warwick Country Club boats that came with Marconi rigs.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Fish is a full-keeled, relatively heavy boat of just over 20 feet overall with a small cuddy at the forward end of the cockpit and a deep, open cockpit aft. The cuddy gives shelter forward while the after deck allows seated lounging with legs under the tiller. Because the class was built in three main batches, a buyer will encounter either the early gaff sloops or the later Marconi-rigged Warwick versions, and the difference matters for both appearance and rig complexity.
What to Inspect
Because so many Fish have been lost to neglect or decay, the first question on any viewing is simply whether the hull is sound or has crossed into structural loss anchor. Look hard at the wood everywhere water gathers: garboards, keel-hull joint along the full keel, and the cockpit sole where the cuddy meets the forward cockpit. Softness underfoot, dark staining, or a musty smell at the bilge are signs a survivor is sliding backward. Because the class is old, a buyer who misreads rot buys a restoration project rather than a sailer.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States. For a shopper, the practical steps are few but firm:
- Confirm the hull is structurally sound, not merely cosmetically tired
- Identify the rig as gaff or Marconi and judge spar condition
- Check the cuddy and cockpit for water intrusion and rot
- Verify any restoration history and who performed it
- Sail her upwind to feel tiller pressure and light-air balance
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Herreshoff Fish. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $39,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Herreshoff Fish listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $39,000 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 | 24' | $ 27,650 | 20 | 6 |
| Herreshoff 15 | 24.5' | $ 59,900 | 5 | 2 |
| Herreshoff FishYou are here | — | $ 39,000 | 1 | 0 |