Precision Colgate 26 Buyer's Guide
The Precision Colgate 26 on the brokerage market is the 25-foot-8-inch Jim Taylor–Steve Colgate design that became the Navy 26 and the official training vessel of the U.S. Naval and Coast Guard Academies. As a family sport boat built for day sailing, buoy racing, trailering, and instruction, it carries a 20-foot waterline and an 8-foot-6 beam that keeps it within legal trailering width. Buyers shopping used will find a solid-fiberglass hull with foam-cored deck, a flange-joined hull-to-deck interface, and positive flotation—a platform chosen by academies for its predictability rather than its luxury.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Colgate 26 boats split between the standard-keel version drawing 4 feet 6 inches with 1,050 pounds of lead and the shoal-draft model at 3 feet 6 inches with 1,250 pounds. Both share the same 338-square-foot Tartan standard rig, while an asymmetrical model was available with Evolution upgrade sails reaching 782 square feet for more performance. Below, the 7-foot-3 V-berths and hose-out interior define the weekending layout; on deck the four-adult cockpit, inboard transom with open stern, and self-draining lockers are consistent across the class. The standard package included North Sails main, jib, and spinnaker with full spinnaker gear, so most boats will already carry pole, guys, sheets, downhaul, topping lift, and halyards.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Commonly fitted upgrades on the used fleet center on short-handed operation and downwind range. A soft solar panel left in the cockpit to keep the battery charged is commonly fitted, as is a spinnaker for versatile downwind legs, and a short-handed setup is commonly fitted to simplify sail handling for a couple or single sailor. Beyond those, the boat’s all-Harken hardware and standard roller-furling jib with leech UV cover mean many examples need little beyond routine canvas care; an optional colored UV cover for mainsail and tiller was a buyer-order item rather than a default.
What to Inspect
The hull is beefed up in the bow, under stanchion bases, around the mast support, and in the bottom where the stainless steel keel bolts attach, so check those reinforced zones for stress or corrosion at the bolt interface hull reinforcement zones. The cockpit and lockers are self-draining, but verify the drains are clear and the rubber bumper covering the hull-deck flange remains intact, since that joint is chemically bonded and through-bolted rather than a later additive. Confirm the Harken roller-furling system and self-tailing winches operate smoothly, and inspect the wooden tiller—the only wood on the boat—for varnish loss now that UV covers are optional.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Colgate 26 appears on the used market in the United States. For a shopper, the practical checklist is brief: confirm keel variant and draft against intended mooring, verify self-draining cockpit and locker paths are unobstructed, check keel-bolt and stanchion-base reinforcement for soundness, and confirm the Harken furling and winch gear are complete. A clean example offers academy-proven handling with minimal owner burden.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Precision Colgate 26. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $14,800 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $22,500 | +52.0% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $20,900 | -7.1% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $20,900 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $22,000 | +5.3% |
Where they're listed
Precision Colgate 26 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 5.
Country view
5 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $20,900 | 5 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 26 | 25.75' | $ 12,129 | 28 | 8 |
| Jeremy Rogers 26 | 25.5' | $ 10,117 | 21 | 4 |
| Precision Colgate 26You are here | — | $ 20,900 | 5 | 0 |