Mouette 19 Buyer's Guide
Pacehip Yachts built the 19.5-foot Mouette 19 from 1964 to 1975 to G. William McVay's unballasted ultralight centerboard dinghy design. On the brokerage market she presents as a trailerable racer with no cruising interior, and a shopper's task is less about systems surveys than about confirming the simple hull, rig, and board are sound.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example carries the same bare dayboat plan: zero cabins, zero berths, zero heads, and zero headroom. There is no enclosed accommodation and no water tank, so the entire usable volume is cockpit and foredeck. A shopper should expect a racing shell rather than a weekender and judge condition by hull fairness, rig integrity, and centerboard operation alone.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The record shows a single engine with zero horsepower and zero fuel capacity, so most survivors are sailed unpowered or carry a small owner-added outboard not reflected in the original spec. Beyond that, the boat's buyer-consequence equipment is limited to the fractional rig and the 154-square-foot sail plan; any canvas, trailer, or rigging improvements are owner-level additions rather than factory packages.
What to Inspect
The one documented hazard is the low righting capability if capsized, a direct result of the unballasted ultralight hull. On a viewing, confirm the masthead and any floatation are intact, check that the centerboard pivots freely and the trunk is not cracked, and ask the seller how the boat has been righted in past capsizes. A hull that has been left turtled or improperly recovered may show gelcoat crazing near the mast base or deck joint.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Before committing, walk through this short list:
- Confirm the centerboard drops and lifts without binding
- Inspect the masthead for damage from any past capsize
- Check the fiberglass deck-to-hull joint for cracks
- Verify the fractional rigging is complete and tensioned
- Test the trailer bearings if offered with a trailer