Marshall 22 Cat Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Marshall 22's interior has evolved in meaningful ways across its production run, and understanding those changes helps buyers target the right vintage. The earliest boats featured an open-plan cabin with a pull-out double berth to starboard and a galley counter to port, with a toilet tucked between two small forward berths. From the late 1960s onward, the head was repositioned to starboard behind a partial bulkhead and curtain, offering a degree of privacy that has become the standard configuration most buyers encounter today.

Regardless of vintage, the layout centers on the centerboard trunk, which runs down the middle of the cabin and carries a hinged table — functional but space-defining. Seated headroom accommodates crew up to about six feet, though the low topsides that reduce windage mean standing headroom is not on the menu. Bins, shelves, and drawers are distributed throughout, making the cabin surprisingly practical for two adults on a weekend cruise.

A smaller proportion of the used fleet carries the sloop rig, where the mast moves aft onto the cabin trunk and a bowsprit supports a forestay for a clubfoot jib. The sloop tends to point less well than the cat rig but delivers more balanced off-wind handling. The mast relocation does compromise the cabin, and sloop variants are considerably less common on the brokerage market than the standard cat-rigged configuration.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The single most consequential upgrade found across the used fleet is the dodger. Owners consider it close to essential: it extends livable cockpit space, keeps crew dry once seas build, and provides a surface to which a cockpit awning can be zipped. Boats without a dodger are candidates for one as a first-order addition.

A bowsprit is another option seen on many cruising-oriented examples. It serves primarily as an anchor-roller platform rather than a sail-carrying spar on the cat-rigged boat, but owners who anchor regularly consider it worth having. Many boats also carry teak trim around the cabin coaming and centerboard trunk, and cedar staving in the cabin and cockpit is a factory option found on well-specified examples.

Running rigging and sail inventory deserve scrutiny. Competitive owners emphasize keeping the mast raked forward and peaking the sail high for upwind performance, so halyards and gaff hardware condition matter more than on a simple bermudian rig. Boats that have seen active sailing often carry multiple sets of reef nettles — at minimum two rows — and buyers should verify this before settling on a candidate. Electronics are typically modest and owner-installed, reflecting the boat's character as a daysailer and weekender rather than a passage-maker.

What to Inspect

The Marshall 22's reputation for structural durability is well-earned, but specific areas warrant careful attention on any used example.

The cockpit construction is the most important vintage marker. Marshall Marine replaced the original glassed-plywood cockpit sole and plywood seats with a fully molded fiberglass cockpit in 1983, which improved durability and ease of cleaning significantly. Boats built before that change are more likely to show deterioration in the plywood components, and the original icebox on these earlier examples is almost certain to need replacement, as most develop rot, leak air, and offer insufficient insulation. The molded cockpit introduced in 1983 brought three lazarettes and a port-side icebox in a more durable package.

The transom and rudder cores used plywood in older boats, and some have suffered water intrusion caused by damage or improperly bedded fittings installed by a previous owner. In 2009, Marshall switched to closed-cell foam in these areas as well as the main cabin bulkhead and floor frames, so later production boats have eliminated this vulnerability. For any boat with a plywood transom, a moisture meter reading across the full surface is a minimum; professional guidance is warranted if intrusion is found.

The mast deserves examination. Older aluminum masts should be checked for corrosion caused by stainless-steel screws attaching the stainless gooseneck — in some cases a new mast is the safest resolution. The gaff saddle and associated hardware require prompt replacement if anything has become bent. The gaff rig itself distributes loads differently from a bermudian rig, so halyards should be checked for chafe, particularly at the point where the main halyard runs most persistently.

The sail is a significant investment. A kink at the inboard end of the batten pockets usually signals stretched fabric that will benefit little from re-cutting, and a tired or reduced-size mainsail is a meaningful budget item. Buyers should obtain detailed quotes from sailmakers experienced with gaff rigs before finalizing negotiations.

On the engine side, the Yanmar 3GM20 diesel became standard in 1980, succeeded by the raw-water-cooled 2GM20 in 1985, and then the freshwater-cooled 3YM20 around 2005 when the 2GM was discontinued. Boats built before 1980 may carry a Palmer, Atomic 4, or Gray Marine gasoline engine, which changes the maintenance profile considerably. Any boat with a replacement diesel should be carefully surveyed to ensure professional installation and unimpeded routing of all fuel lines. The 12-gallon aluminum fuel tank should be checked for leakage, and the cutless bearing condition should be confirmed, as replacement requires removal of the rudder and prop shaft.

Hull blisters have seldom been a problem, and the hull/deck joint — bonded with successively wider fiberglass strips rather than mechanical fasteners — is notably leak-resistant. However, the joint between the molded cockpit seats and the cabin is a potential entry point for rainwater, which can collect beneath the companionway steps; a fresh bead of caulk is a routine maintenance item here. Port lights on older boats may have developed leaks, but rebedding is straightforward.

The centerboard pennant should be checked for chafe. The bronze pivot pin is embedded in the hull laminate and should require no attention absent severe damage, but a worn pennant is an easy fix caught early and a nuisance deferred too long.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Marshall 22 is primarily a New England boat, with the greatest concentration of used examples along the Massachusetts coast and broader northeastern United States — the same shoal-water, tidal environment the design was built for. The Catboat Association, with members from Maine to the Chesapeake and Florida, maintains a community bulletin that circulates used boats within an engaged ownership group. A smaller number of examples have traveled to the West Coast and beyond, but buyers shopping outside New England should expect fewer candidates and potentially longer logistics.

The builder's continued operation in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts is a genuine asset: Marshall Marine can supply parts, offer brokerage listings, and provide guidance on specific hull questions in a way that most production boatbuilders from the 1960s and 1970s cannot.

Pre-purchase checklist for serious buyers:

• Confirm cockpit construction type (molded fiberglass post-1983 vs. glassed-plywood earlier)
• Inspect transom and rudder cores with a moisture meter; identify original plywood or post-2009 foam
• Verify engine type, service history, and installation quality; confirm fuel tank integrity
• Examine mast for corrosion at gooseneck screws; check gaff saddle and hardware for bending or wear
• Evaluate mainsail condition at batten pockets; confirm two rows of reef nettles minimum
• Check halyards for chafe, particularly the main halyard
• Inspect centerboard pennant for wear
• Test port lights for leaks; inspect companionway step area for rainwater intrusion
• Confirm the boat carries a dodger, or budget for one as a first upgrade
• Contact the Catboat Association and Marshall Marine for community context and parts availability