Parker Dawson 26 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Parker Dawson 26 means considering a 1972-designed, Robert Finch pocket cruiser built by Midship and Parker Dawson Yachts through 1982, with about 300 produced across all name variants by the mid-1980s. The center-cockpit, two-cabin layout is rare in this length, and the lifting keel makes a trailerable boat that can also sit on a beach.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used examples split between lifting-keel and fixed-fin versions. The lifting board draws 5.18 feet extended and 1.16 retracted; the fixed keel draws 5 feet. Both share the unusual cabin-forward and cabin-aft plan around a center cockpit, with no internal bulkheads separating the forward and main spaces. The aft cabin holds two bunks and a sink, while the head tucks under the starboard settee. A galley to port and removable dinette fill the middle. Some boats were ketches rather than the standard masthead sloop, and the mast hinges on the forward roof for easy lowering.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power is typically a Yanmar 7.5-horsepower inboard diesel, though some carry an outboard or other small inboard for maneuvering; the 15-gallon fuel and 25-gallon water tanks are modest. Steering may be wheel or geared tiller, and later hulls benefit from push-pull cable gear over the early pull-pull type. Winches are minimal — two jib sheets and one halyard — with a forward anchor locker. The hinged mast and lifting rudder in an aluminum frame are standard; later rudder scabbards are fiberglass.
What to Inspect
The swing keel bangs in its trunk unless pinned, and owners sometimes forget to secure it anchor. On early boats, check for vague helm feel and drag linked to the original pull-pull steering, which later push-pull conversions addressed anchor. Confirm the rudder raises and lowers cleanly in its aluminum frame and that the worm gear for the lifting keel operates.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
When viewing, prioritize a later hull with cable steering and pinned keel, verify rudder and keel mechanisms, and confirm tankage and engine type suit your use.
- Prefer later push-pull steering boats
- Pin the swing keel before and after every sail
- Check rudder frame and scabbard condition
- Match keel type to trailering or fixed-berth plans
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Parker Dawson 26. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $9,900 | — |