Maxi 68 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Maxi 68 means looking at a Pelle Petterson-designed, Swedish-built pocket cruiser produced through 1981, with 1,200 built. She is a 22-foot fractional-sloop with an iron fin keel and solid fiberglass construction — a simple, robust little boat whose used-boat risks are few but worth knowing before you commit.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Maxi 68 was built to a single essential plan: four berths below in a solid-fiberglass hull and deck, with a fin keel drawing 4.2 to 4.5 feet by load. Buyers should expect the standard coastal-cruiser footprint rather than owner-driven layout options. The modest beam and moderate displacement give a settled motion, but the cabin is a 1970s pragmatic space, not a modern open-plan saloon.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the German used market where these boats typically appear, cabin heating and a chartplotter are commonly fitted, reflecting how owners have modernized the cockpit and navigation without rebuilding the boat. Beyond those, the boat's original specification centers on an outboard of 3 to 4 horsepower for docking, or an electric motor of 72 to 86 pounds thrust — a buyer should confirm which propulsion form is present and whether the transom mount remains sound. Furlers, solar, or additional sail inventory appear as individual owner choices rather than market standards.
What to Inspect
The known construction facts are reassuring: hull and deck are solid fiberglass and the keel is iron. The immersion rate of 535 pounds per inch and wetted surface near 172 square feet are normal for the class, but a buyer should still check the iron keel for corrosion at the hull joint and confirm the outboard mounting structure is uncracked. The capsize screening value of 2.06 and the slightly underrigged sail plan which indicates that the boat is slightly underrigged are design traits rather than defects, yet they argue for inspecting rigging fatigue and sail condition closely on any candidate.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in Germany. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm iron keel bond and absence of rust creep at hull joint
- Verify outboard or electric motor mount integrity and rated thrust
- Check fractional rig and genoa (135% SA/D 17.2) for age and fatigue
- Expect heating and chartplotter as common, not universal, fittings
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Maxi 68. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $6,644 | — |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $1,470 | -77.9% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $8,153 | +454.6% |
Where they're listed
Maxi 68 listings appear across 3 countries. Germany has the most listings with 1 (33.3%), followed by Poland and Sweden.