Rhodes 18 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Rhodes 18 on the used market means looking at a Philip L. Rhodes design that Cape Cod Shipbuilding has built in fiberglass since 1948, with around 700 centerboard and keel versions launched. The class races both together and remains active in the United States, so buyers are entering an established one-design community rather than a scattered orphan type.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Rhodes 18 comes as either a centerboard or a keelboat in fiberglass, and the class adds weight to centerboard examples to equalize them with keelboats for racing. Both share a cockpit with longitudinal benches seating three a side, a flush cockpit coaming, and a foredeck and afterdeck with storage beneath. The centerboard layout draws as little as about 0.58 feet with the board up, making it easy to manage on a trailer, while the keel version is a fixed-keel daysailer and racer.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The fractional sloop rig supports mainsail, jib, genoa, and spinnaker, and the original specification called for Sitka-spruce spars, stainless-steel rigging, and bronze fittings, with canvas-covered plywood decks and varnished mahogany trim. Buyers should inspect these items for age and replacement. No generator, watermaker, or navigation electronics are typical of the class; the consequential buyer questions are the condition of spars, rigging, centerboard gear, and any boom tent or trailer.
What to Inspect
The fiberglass centerboard boat has a known flotation behavior: the builder did not redesign buoyancy from the keel version, so it can sit stable inverted when capsized and the bow may dive on righting anchor. Verify that two cubic feet of positive flotation are installed as far forward under the bow as the class requires. On any example, check the centerboard pivot and trunk, the pintle-and-gudgeon rudder hang, and the fairness of the hull, which should run stem to stern like a beach stone. Original wooden boats are rare; if encountered, inspect the cedar planking fastenings and white oak frames closely.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Rhodes 18s are found in the United States, where racing fleets and class resources support ownership. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm centerboard or keel configuration and matching class weight; verify forward positive flotation on centerboard boats; assess rig, spars, and bronze fittings for original-spec condition; and check hull fairness and rudder hardware. It is a forgiving, well-supported 18-foot class with a clear inspection path.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Rhodes 18. 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 | $7,000 | — |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $8,500 | +21.4% |
Where they're listed
Rhodes 18 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $7,750 | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |