Leisure 20 Buyer's Guide
The Leisure 20 makes an appealing entry into trailerable cruising for anyone browsing the used market, because its 20-foot length was set deliberately to slip under European inland-waterway limits while still sleeping four in a teak-finished cabin. With hulls by Horst E. Glacer and decks by Brian Meerloo, the boat spans fin, twin, and centreboard keel variants, and its shallow-draft twins especially suit mixed canal-and-coast ownership.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most examples you meet will be the twin-keel or centreboard hulls rather than the deeper fin, since the 2-foot-7-inch twin draft and lifting plate open shallow harbours and canals the 3-foot-9-inch fin cannot reach. Below, the deep wide cockpit holds an outboard well whose cover adds a seat or table, and the cabin carries four berths, a starboard galley with cooker and sink, and 5-foot-4-inch headroom under two coach-roof windows per side. The centreboard layout trades a little cabin simplicity for a plate that ranges from 1-foot-10-inch to 4-foot draft.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A chartplotter is commonly fitted to used Leisure 20s, reflecting how owners have modernised navigation without altering the original masthead sloop. An autopilot appears as a less frequent owner upgrade, more often on boats sailed single-handed or on long inland passages. Beyond those, the factory standard teak rubbing strake and moulded non-slip decks remain the baseline safety equipment a buyer should confirm are intact.
What to Inspect
The fin and twin keels are cast iron and the centreboard version uses a galvanised mild steel plate in a cast iron stub tube, so any survey must check those underwater metals for corrosion or bonding failure anchor. The rudder and skeg are moulded GRP with steel framework and stainless fittings, and the standing rigging is stainless with internal halyards on aluminium spars — verify the spar anodising and rigging screws for pitting. Cast iron keels and galvanised steel plates are the load-bearing items most likely to drive a refit bill.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Leisure 20 turns up most readily in the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Ireland, the three regions where the marque's inland-and-coast brief kept fleets active. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm keel and centreboard metal condition, match draft to intended waters, and expect to add a chartplotter if the boat lacks one.
- Inspect cast iron keels and galvanised centreboard for corrosion
- Verify rudder steel framework and stainless rigging screws
- Choose twin or centreboard draft for shallow access
- Expect chartplotter common; autopilot a rarer upgrade
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Leisure 20. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 3 | $4,350 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $4,418 | +1.6% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $2,719 | -38.5% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $3,568 | +31.2% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $4,318 | +21.0% |
Where they're listed
Leisure 20 listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 9 (81.8%), followed by Hungary and Ireland.
Country view
11 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $4,350 | 9 | 1 | 81.8% |
| Hungary | $3,379 | 1 | 0 | 9.1% |
| Ireland | $5,244 | 1 | 1 | 9.1% |