Snapdragon 29 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Snapdragon 29 represents the pinnacle of Thames Marine’s "maximum volume" design philosophy, serving as the flagship cruiser for the Essex-based builder during the peak of the 1970s fiberglass boom. Designed primarily by the company's founders, Ray Walsh and Len Wakefield, the 29 was engineered to provide the living space of a much larger vessel within a manageable, sub-30-foot footprint. As a larger sibling to the ubiquitous Snapdragon 21 and 24, the 29-foot model targeted families who required standing headroom and dedicated separate cabins for coastal cruising. Its heavy-displacement hull and characteristic bilge keels were specifically tailored for the tidal estuaries of the British East Coast, where the ability to dry out in a muddy berth was more prized than outright racing speed.