Parker Dawson 26 Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Monohull · centerboard

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

25.58' · 7.8 m

Disp.

5,700 lbs · 2,585 kg

First year

1973

In the history of fiberglass boatbuilding, few pocket cruisers have challenged conventional design constraints as boldly as the Parker Dawson 26. Emerging in the early 1970s, this highly recognizable vessel defied the era’s standard trailersailer template by packing a centercockpit, doublecabin layout into a hull under twentysix feet. Originally designed by Robert Finch—the prolific naval architect who also codesigned the legendary Catalina 27—the vessel was initially launched as the Midship 25 by the Midship Yacht Company. As production rights and molds transitioned to the Dawson Yacht Corporation in Florida and later Parker Dawson Yachts in Massachusetts, the design was structurally reinforced, culminating in a robust pocket cruiser that earned a reputation for surprising bluewater capability. Its defining moment came in the mid1970s when singlehanded sailor Bob Lengyel completed two transatlantic crossings aboard his Dawson 26, Prodigal, including a finish in the notoriously brutal 1976 SingleHanded TransAtlantic Race (OSTAR). Today, the model remains a cult favorite among cruising purists who value selfsufficiency, shallowdraft versatility, and maximum accommodation in a compact footprint.