Irwin 65/68 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for an Irwin 65 — listed interchangeably as the Irwin 68 — means looking at a Ted Irwin-designed ketch from the early 1980s, built by Irwin Yacht & Marine Corp. with a solid fiberglass hull and a stub-and-centerboard keel. These are big boats: 65 feet on deck, with a shallow draft near 5.75 feet that makes them approachable in cruising grounds where deeper keels fear to tread. For the buyer, the appeal is passage-making scale with manageable draft, but the age demands a careful survey.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used fleet splits between charter-oriented four-cabin interiors and other configurations, with ex-charter examples a common sight and both layout types available to the shopper. The centerboard hull preserves main-cabin volume that a full keel would steal, and the 950-gallon water and 620-gallon fuel capacities mark these as boats spec'd for extended independent cruising rather than coastal hopping.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, a watermaker and air conditioning are commonly fitted, reflecting the liveaboard and charter heritage, while radar and Starlink are also commonly found and speak to navigational and connectivity expectations on a boat this size. A life raft is another commonly fitted item. For the buyer, the presence of a watermaker and ample tankage means self-sufficient range; air conditioning and radar are comfort and safety assets but also systems to survey for condition and power draw.
What to Inspect
The solid fiberglass hull and estimated sheet dimensions — mainsheet over 162 feet of 5/8-inch line, genoa and jib sheets at 65 feet, spinnaker sheet near 143 feet — mean aged rigging and deck hardware should be checked for wear under those loads. The centerboard trunk and shallow-keel joint are areas to examine for water intrusion given the variable draft and the 936-square-foot wetted surface.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found on the market in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm whether the example is ex-charter and assess fit-out wear accordingly
- Verify centerboard operation and trunk integrity
- Check watermaker, air conditioning, and radar as commonly fitted systems
- Inspect rigging sized to the boat's 5/8-inch sheet spec for age and load fatigue
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Irwin 65/68. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $82,000 | — |
| Apr 25 | 2 | $197,500 | +140.9% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagoon Sixty 5 | 67.42' | $ 3,575,000 | 39 | 7 |
| Irwin 52 | 52' | $ 130,000 | 21 | 10 |
| Irwin 54 | 54' | $ 145,000 | 10 | 3 |
| Swan 65-S&S Ketch | 64.57' | $ 492,355 | 8 | 3 |