Snapdragon 21 Buyer's Guide
The Snapdragon 21 is a 21-foot bilge-keel sloop that Thames Marine built from 1970, designed by the firm's own in-house team at Thames Structural Plastics. On the used market she is a small, light-displacement coastal boat whose twin keels and modest rig make her a straightforward entry-level purchase or compact club sailor, though buyers should approach any decades-old GRP example with normal survey discipline.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used examples are compact 21-foot coastal camp-cruisers with a 7.25-foot beam and a small cabin suited to short stays rather than extended cruising; confirm the actual arrangement on any specific hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment tiers are listed for this model, so treat electronics, canvas, or sail inventory as individual to the boat. Verify the masthead rig's running rigging — jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker sheets all specified at 3/8-inch diameter in period data.
What to Inspect
Builder background notes that 1960s and 1970s Snapdragon decks typically employed plywood or balsa coring, so on a 1970-start example probe the deck for soft spots, delamination, or moisture at fittings and along the cabin trunk. The solid fibreglass hull is less worrying, but confirm sound gelcoat and no unrepaired impact damage. The boat can enter even shallow marinas only with sound bilge keels, so confirm they show no ground damage and sit true.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United Kingdom. For a shopper, the practical steps are few but firm:
- Inspect deck coring for softness or moisture at every through-fitting.
- Confirm the bilge keels show no ground damage and sit true.
- Verify masthead rig sheets and hardware are sound, not original fatigued line.
- Survey the solid hull for impact or repair history.
- Check bilge for standing water given the 129 sq ft wetted bottom.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Snapdragon 21. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26 | 1 | $2,435 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $1,352 | -44.5% |
Where they're listed
Snapdragon 21 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $1,894 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triton 21 | 21.25' | $ 81,995 | 5 | 0 |
| Snapdragon 21You are here | — | $ 1,894 | 2 | 0 |