J-Boats J/22 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used J/22 means looking at a 1983-launched, light and trailerable daysailing keelboat from J Boats, Inc. of Newport, Rhode Island, built in meaningful numbers from the start and rated to race both MORC and PHRF. The design pairs a 22 foot 6 inch hull with an unusually wide eight-foot beam and a 1,750-pound displacement on 700 pounds of ballast, and the used fleet reflects a boat conceived for the perhaps novice sailor who wanted a planing keelboat with a long expanse of cockpit and an abbreviated cabin trunk.
Layouts on the Used Market
The basic interior presents a double V-berth atop the forward buoyancy compartment and two fore-and-aft benches either side of the keel, with a clean and bright cabin trunk carrying two low windows and a cream-colored gelcoat finish. One or two optional quarter berths can replace the benches and extend aft, and there is general stowage aft under the cockpit seats and decks. Buyers should note the V-berth would not comfortably sleep two adults of above-average size, and the boat has no plumbing, no galley, and no wiring regardless of layout. The roomy, seven-foot-long cockpit dominates the deck plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted across the used fleet, consistent with the two winches at the aft end of the cabin house that handle halyards, jib sheets, and spinnaker sheets. Less universally, teak decks and a chartplotter appear as sometimes-seen or owner upgrades rather than standard equipment. The deck-stepped Hall Spars mast with internal halyards and cabin-top clam cleats is standard, as is the lifting eye for crane launching and the self-bailing cockpit.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues should anchor any survey. Testers observed evidence of a little leaking around the chainplate fastenings, which are through-bolted into transverse bulkheads. The traveler can choke up on its control lines at each end where it is recessed into the cockpit seats, and there is occasional trouble releasing the cleat on the main sheet at high angles of heel. Most critically, the J/22 takes on goodly amounts of water when well-heeled, and the manufacturer warns that the boat may sink if filled with water; confirm the self-bailing cockpit and drainage paths are intact.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical markets for the J/22 are the United States and Switzerland. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm chainplate dryness, exercise the traveler and main cleat at heel, verify self-bailing drainage, and decide whether the standard V-berth or optional quarter berths suit your plans. A commonly fitted spinnaker and the standard quick-rigging trait make her an accessible entry to trailerable keelboat racing.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the J-Boats J/22. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $ 9,000 | — |
| Feb 25 | 1 | $ 24,575 | +173.1% |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $ 6,000 | -75.6% |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $ 7,000 | +16.7% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 1,799 | -74.3% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $ 15,500 | +761.6% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $ 10,000 | -35.5% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 10,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
J-Boats J/22 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 8.
Country view
8 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 10,000 | 8 | 2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 22 | 23.83' | $ 6,678 | 85 | 26 |
| J-Boats J/24 | 24' | $ 5,020 | 21 | 7 |
| J-Boats J/22You are here | — | $ 10,000 | 8 | 2 |