Island Packet 35 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used Island Packet 35 means looking at a 1989–1994 Bob Johnson cutter, 38 feet overall with high freeboard and full shoal keel. The question for any buyer is whether the bonded assemblies and owner-installed gear have been maintained over the boat's service life rather than whether the basic hull is sound.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common on the used market, but both owner and other layouts appear, and ex-charter examples are common. Either way the interior follows the original plan: a V-berth up forward, a port-side head, settees opposing one another in the main saloon, an aft-facing navigation station, a large starboard galley, and a berth in the port quarter cabin. The high freeboard and cabin trunk give the accommodation a roomy feel for the length.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats now carry the systems a long-term cruiser expects. Dinghy davits, chartplotter, autopilot, solar, bimini, air conditioning, inverter, and AIS are commonly fitted, meaning a buyer can expect the core liveaboard suite already aboard. Radar, dodger, wind generator, and life raft are often seen as well. Among owner upgrades, a watermaker, lithium batteries, and a bow thruster show up as less common but consequential additions — the thruster aids close-quarters maneuvering and lithium signals a rebuilt energy system worth inspecting for balance.
What to Inspect
The rudder is the weak point on these boats. At a viewing press the rudder skin for soft spots, look for weeping at the stainless steel strap where it meets the keel, and smell for trapped moisture check the rudder for delamination. A bad one means removal and rebuild, and the cost of being wrong is a lost rudder offshore.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States, Panama, Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Portugal, and Israel. For a viewing, keep a short list:
- Inspect rudder skin and keel strap for delamination or weepage
- Confirm centerboard function if the shoal-draft version
- Verify inverter and solar wiring against lithium upgrades
- Check davit mounting for deck-core compression
- Test autopilot and chartplotter at power-up
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Island Packet 35. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 16 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 3 | $78,000 | — |
| May 25 | 2 | $74,900 | -4.0% |
| Jun 25 | 3 | $89,000 | +18.8% |
| Jul 25 | 5 | $95,000 | +6.7% |
| Aug 25 | 3 | $98,000 | +3.2% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $90,901 | -7.2% |
| Oct 25 | 3 | $114,900 | +26.4% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $65,000 | -43.4% |
| Dec 25 | 4 | $64,475 | -0.8% |
| Jan 26 | 10 | $77,000 | +19.4% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $79,400 | +3.1% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $70,000 | -11.8% |
| May 26 | 12 | $74,900 | +7.0% |
| Jun 26 | 5 | $75,000 | +0.1% |
| Jul 26 | 7 | $89,000 | +18.7% |
| Aug 26 | 12 | $35,000 | -60.7% |
Where they're listed
Island Packet 35 listings appear across 7 countries. United States has the most listings with 49 (84.5%), followed by Canada and Dominican Republic.
Country view
58 listings · 7 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $74,900 | 49 | 15 | 84.5% |
| Canada | $90,320 | 2 | 2 | 3.4% |
| Dominican Republic | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 3.4% |
| Panama | $79,400 | 2 | 0 | 3.4% |
| Australia | $158,011 | 1 | 1 | 1.7% |
| Israel | $104,886 | 1 | 0 | 1.7% |
| Portugal | $90,901 | 1 | 0 | 1.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 35You are here | — | $ 74,900 | 62 | 24 |
| Island Packet 38 | 38' | $ 99,000 | 56 | 22 |
| Island Packet 370/379 | 37.83' | $ 199,500 | 55 | 8 |
| Island Packet 37 | 38.58' | $ 119,900 | 43 | 9 |
| Island Packet 32 | 35' | $ 64,900 | 40 | 3 |
| Island Packet 350 | 34.67' | $ 117,000 | 38 | 5 |
| Dufour 35 | 35.25' | $ 30,000 | 26 | 1 |
| Tradewind 35 | 35.01' | $ 61,142 | 21 | 3 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35 | 35.25' | $ 39,418 | 10 | 2 |