S2 8.5 Buyer's Guide
The S2 8.5 is a 28-foot Arthur Edmunds cruiser built by S2 Yachts in 103 examples from 1980, a single-skin fiberglass hull with an end-grain balsa deck core and a wheel-steered spade rudder. Production ran from 1981 to 1983 with a fixed fin keel or optional shoal draft, and on the used market she presents as a compact coastal or Great Lakes weekender whose details reward a careful look, particularly around deck hardware and below-water systems.
Layouts on the Used Market
The interior is the conventional aft-cockpit plan: double V-berth forward, full-width head with shower aft of it, and a main cabin with two settees and a fold-down table for four. The starboard settee leaves a charting gap with no actual table, while the quarterberth is generously sized. The T-shaped cockpit spans a bench seat over large storage and a port locker holding the battery boxes, which accept two batteries though one was standard. A narrow bridgedeck and tall coamings protect the companionway under a fiberglass storm hood.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Commonly fitted gear on brokerage boats includes autopilot, chartplotter, bimini, and dodger, which together make her a comfortable short-handed coastal cruiser. A spinnaker appears as a less common owner upgrade for those wanting more downwind range. The standard rig already carries Hall spars, North sails, Lewmar winches, and a Harken mainsheet, so most buyers need only assess canvas and electronics rather than rebuild the deck plan.
What to Inspect
Early examples may carry a seven-horsepower BMW diesel instead of the eight-horsepower Yanmar used from 1982, with a 15-horsepower two-cylinder Yanmar offered as option; confirm the engine and its removable quarterberth panel access anchor. The builder advertised bronze seacocks, but these are ball valves on through-hulls rather than tapered plugs, so exercise each for free motion. Deck hardware such as pulpits, cleats, and winches uses only nuts and washers underneath with no backing plates, a point to check for compression or movement. The rubrail is black new and dulls to chalky gray with age. Note the aft bulkhead slope prevents leaving drop boards out in rain, and there is no bilge access from the main cabin—inspect through the cockpit lockers and quarterberth instead.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the checklist is brief: verify engine make and access, cycle every seacock ball valve, look for deck-hardware compression without backing plates, confirm rubrail condition, and accept the no-rain ventilation and bilge-access limits. A clean example with the common electronics and canvas is a sensible small cruiser.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the S2 8.5. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $19,500 | — |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $5,000 | -74.4% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $15,000 | +200.0% |
| May 26 | 2 | $9,450 | -37.0% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $10,900 | +15.3% |
| Jul 26 | 4 | $12,000 | +10.1% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $15,000 | +25.0% |
Where they're listed
S2 8.5 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 13.
Country view
13 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $12,000 | 13 | 7 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobra Yachts 850 | 28.5' | $ 8,122 | 17 | 2 |
| Sabre 28-2 | 28.42' | $ 14,500 | 15 | 7 |
| S2 8.5You are here | — | $ 12,000 | 13 | 7 |
| Aloha 8.5 | 28' | $ 9,400 | 10 | 5 |