Nimble 25 Arctic Buyer's Guide
The Nimble 25 Arctic, built by Nimble Boats from 1988 to 1993 with roughly 38 to 46 hulls completed, is a trailerable Ted Brewer cruiser that rewards the used-boat shopper who values a pilothouse and shallow draft over outright speed. Its sharpie-derived hull and removable tabernacle mast make it uniquely practical among small cruisers on the brokerage market.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two principal variants appear: the standard open-cockpit sloop or yawl, and the pilothouse model with wheel steering below and greater headroom. The pilothouse layout places the inside helm to starboard with a removable pedestal chair that frees the starboard settee as a berth, and a two-leaf dinette table on the centerboard trunk. Both versions sleep four with a forward V-berth and settees, a port-side galley with sink, and a head aft of the bow cabin. A tropical version carried opening bronze ports and a solar vent. The standard keel plan is a 16-inch stub with a centerboard to four feet two inches; some boats have the two-foot-six-inch fixed shallow keel instead.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power comes from an outboard in a cockpit well, non-retractable but shielded by the stub keel; a portable fuel tank lives in a port locker, and an optional engine-well cover doubles as a cockpit table while cutting noise. The standard rig is a fractional or masthead sloop with a 135 percent genoa; the yawl mizzen furls around its freestanding mast. An anchor rides on the bowsprit at a chrome samson post. For buyers, the load-bearing upgrades to verify are the tabernacle mast lowering gear, the hydraulic link between inside wheel and cockpit tiller, and any oversized mizzen built by a prior owner. Canvas and sail-handling changes matter less than sound rigging and the centerboard pendant service history.
What to Inspect
The flat bottom and hard bilges produce moderate pounding in a chop, so examine the hull-to-deck joint and foam core for any stress evidence anchor. Owners recommend the centerboard pendant be changed every three years, and many boats carry a reduced barn-door profile with part of the blade relocated ahead of the pivot to refine steering feedback anchor. Confirm the rudder extension retracts and that the centerboard trunk port and tool storage are intact. The outboard well and bronze through-hulls should be checked for corrosion given the boat's age.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
When you inspect a used Nimble 25 Arctic, check these points:
- Centerboard pendant age — replace if over three years
- Rudder modification status and pivot feel
- Tabernacle mast and hydraulic inside steering function
- Hull/deck joint and core condition given pounding history
- Outboard well, bronze ports, and samson post corrosion
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nimble 25 Arctic. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $25,500 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $15,500 | -39.2% |
Where they're listed
Nimble 25 Arctic listings appear across 2 countries. Canada has the most listings with 1 (50.0%), followed by United States.
Country view
2 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $25,500 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| United States | $15,500 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish Crabbers 26 | 26.21' | $ 98,479 | 12 | 3 |
| Schock Harbor 25 | 25.75' | $ 35,120 | 10 | 3 |
| Roberts 25 | 25' | $ 8,619 | 9 | 4 |
| Seaward 25 | 26.75' | $ 21,750 | 6 | 4 |
| Nimble 25 ArcticYou are here | — | $ 20,500 | 2 | 0 |