Design and Construction
The 261 has a solid-fiberglass hull and deck and an iron long keel. It displaces roughly 5,732 pounds, including 2,646 pounds of ballast. Its 44 percent ballast ratio is higher than that of 69 percent of comparable designs.
A length-to-beam ratio of 3.45 makes the 261 slimmer than 95 percent of similar sailboats. Its displacement-length ratio of 313 places it firmly among heavy cruisers, while an immersion rate of about 530 pounds per inch indicates a stiff, slow-to-react hull under loading. Wetted surface is about 172 square feet, and theoretical hull speed is 6.0 knots.
Draft ranges from 4.1 to 4.4 feet, depending on load, allowing the boat to settle into relatively shallow marinas.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The 261 carries a fractional sloop rig and is slightly underrigged by the numbers. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 13.4 using the ISO reference sail and 15.3 with a 135 percent genoa. In light wind, it is faster than only 18 percent of similar boats.
The capsize screening value is 1.68. Its Motion Comfort Ratio falls between 27.2 and 27.5, making it more comfortable than 90 percent of comparable designs. That figure reflects the narrow, heavy hull form rather than any documented onboard amenity.
Two diesel installations are documented, both driving through a shaft. With a Yanmar 1GM10, the boat is calculated to reach a maximum of 4.2 knots under power. With the Volvo Penta MD5, the figure is about 3.7 knots.
Cockpit and Accommodations
Below, the Marieholm 261 has four berths, a practical number for a 26-footer in its volume class. Compared with the Marieholm 26, the successor-model revisions focused on the self-draining cockpit and reworked deck plan. Together with the increased interior volume, these changes make the 261 a more usable weekender than the earlier boat without altering Sundén’s essential design approach.
Maintenance and Ownership
The Yanmar 1GM10 and Volvo Penta MD5 installations both use shaft drives, a simple arrangement that favors DIY maintenance. Rigging dimensions are also well cataloged, making renewal costs easier to estimate. They range from a 76-foot mainsail halyard at 5/16 inch to a 65-foot mainsheet at 3/8 inch.
With fewer than 100 boats built, each hull belongs to a limited production series.
The Verdict
The Marieholm 261 is a narrow, heavily ballasted small cruiser that trades light-air speed for comfortable motion and access to relatively shallow water. Sundén’s design packages those qualities in a low-production boat that is straightforward to maintain.
Pros
- More comfortable motion than 90 percent of similar designs
- Solid-fiberglass construction and an iron long keel
- Shallow draft for a 26-footer
- Simple shaft-drive diesel options and well-cataloged rigging make upkeep easier
Cons
- Slightly underrigged and faster than only 18 percent of comparable boats in light wind
- Fewer than 100 built, limiting familiarity within the parts network
- Narrow beam restricts the spread of the accommodations compared with beamier contemporaries
