Rhodes 22 Continental Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The cabin is arranged around a port-side dinette that converts to a 6-foot 6-inch double berth, with bow V-berths as secondary sleeping, and a starboard-side galley and fully enclosed head accessed from either berth area. The pop-top cabin yields 6-foot 4-inch headroom raised and about 50 inches down, with two forward opening hatches. On deck the defining feature is a 7-foot 4-inch by nearly 8-foot self-bailing cockpit with full-length benches hiding storage bins and a transverse lazarette bench. Some boats will show the optional "Boom Room" boom-supported canopy turning the cockpit into a standing-headroom second cabin, but that is an owner or factory option rather than standard.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market a furling main and a bimini are commonly fitted, while solar, a chartplotter, and autopilot are often seen. Less common owner upgrades include lithium batteries, a spinnaker, a dodger, or short-handed setups. The original rig carries a roller-furling 100-square-foot main in the 26-foot mast and a 200-square-foot 175% genoa on the forestay, with Lewmar winches and stainless cleats standard; a self-tending jib or conventional hank-on sails were factory options. The adjustable transom motor mount and 6:1 purchase raise system are worth confirming present, as is the three-step boarding ladder.

What to Inspect

Documented known issues are few but worth a close look. The boat has no boom vang, which the original review judged unfortunate, so check for owner-fitted substitutes or sail-control workarounds. The roller-furling arrangement does not make the most efficient sail shape, particularly with a partially furled jib in heavier weather, and the mainsail lacks battens when furled—inspect the mast slot and furling gear for wear. The centerboard raises by a braided pennant and cleat and is designed to kick up on obstruction; verify the pivot inside the hull shows no leakage and the 70-pound board moves freely. The rudder also kicks up, so confirm its pivot and transom hardware. With board up the boat draws 20 inches and with board down 48 inches; test the centerboard trunk and encapsulated-shot ballast for hull integrity. Testers also wished for footrests or toe straps in the large open cockpit, so note whether any were added.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Rhodes 22 Continental turns up in the United States, Canada, and Georgia. For a buyer, the checklist is short and source-based: confirm the integral molded keel and unsinkable foam sections are intact, verify the shoal-keel/centerboard pivot does not leak, check the pop-top overhang and deep lip for watertightness without a gasket, and confirm the furling gear and missing vang situation. A well-kept example offers a couple a trailerable cruiser with big-boat amenities and shallow-water reach.