Little Harbor 51 Buyer's Guide
Shopping used Little Harbor 51s means considering a Ted Hood–designed heavy aft-cockpit cruiser built from 1990 with a centerboard and telescoping spade rudder at the core of its offshore brief. Most boats show the long-low cabintrunk and sprung sheer with varnished teak toerail; the reverse transom makes a true 51-footer and the raked transom a 52 on paper, visible per boat rather than as a market split.
Layouts on the Used Market
The four-cabin charter layout is the more common version afloat, though both charter and owner layouts turn up. Ex-charter examples are common, so expect boats logged in rotation rather than single-owner care. Either way the boat is aft-cockpit with a 15'3" beam and 45,750 lb displacement, and the centerboard trunk runs through the solid hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
These boats commonly carry a short-handed setup with autopilot, chartplotter, AIS, and electric winches to handle the 1,219 sq ft rig as a couple. Lithium batteries, inverter, wind generator, and air conditioning are commonly fitted; a bow thruster is often seen. Freezer, hot water, heating, and cockpit shower are common comforts, while solar, radar, furling main, and teak decks are often seen, and an asymmetric spinnaker is a less common owner upgrade.
What to Inspect
The centerboard and telescoping rudder define yard time: the trunk is solid glass and the rudder retracts, so confirm board-up support and rudder wear. The conventional rig means checking aft and centerline lowers augmented by both babystay and midstay for fatigue. Verify the Westerbeke 100 hp service history; tankage is 170 gal fuel and 300 gal water.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States. Checklist: confirm layout (four-cabin charter common, ex-charter frequent), verify centerboard and rudder mechanism, check rig terminals, assess energy suite (lithium common). A raked-transom sister is nine inches longer but same hull — judge on condition and equipment.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Little Harbor 51. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 2 | $475,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 6 | $399,000 | -16.0% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $475,000 | +19.0% |
| Apr 26 | 6 | $324,999 | -31.6% |
| May 26 | 2 | $399,000 | +22.8% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $399,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Little Harbor 51 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 16.
Country view
16 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $399,000 | 16 | 1 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinckley Yachts Sou'wester 51 | 51.16' | $ 515,000 | 27 | 11 |
| Formosa 51 | 50.83' | $ 114,556 | 20 | 4 |
| Little Harbor 51You are here | — | $ 399,000 | 16 | 1 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51 | 50.83' | $ 139,825 | 13 | 6 |
| Endeavour 51 | 51' | $ 119,000 | 11 | 3 |
| Mao Ta 51 Ketch | 50.78' | $ 99,900 | 10 | 2 |
| Little Harbor 53 | 52.67' | $ 375,000 | 9 | 8 |
| Hylas 51 | 51' | $ 167,000 | 8 | 3 |
| Spencer Yachts 51/53 | 51' | $ 129,000 | 6 | 2 |