Snapdragon 890 Buyer's Guide
Shopping used Snapdragon 890s — also badged the Snapdragon 29 — means considering a British coastal cruiser from the early seventies with twin keels and solid fiberglass construction by Thames Marine. Her shallow 3.25-to-3.55-foot draft suits drying moorings, and the 40 percent ballast ratio gives steady motion for a first cruiser or downsizer. The 7,500-pound displacement and 9.5-foot beam make her noticeably roomy for a 29-foot boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
The beamy 9.5-foot width and bilge-keel footprint let a boat sit upright ashore. Inspect how plywood or balsa deck coring used by Thames Marine in the 1960s and 1970s may have shaped interior fixes around chainplates and winches.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
An autopilot is commonly fitted; a dodger and chartplotter often seen; furling main, electric winches, or life raft are occasional upgrades. A chartplotter with autopilot eases single-handed work on a masthead sloop whose mainsheet runs 72.5 feet. A dodger aids temperate use; furling main or electric winch shows prior handling upgrades. The 32-horsepower BMC diesel where fitted gives about 7.5 knots under power.
What to Inspect
Thames Marine decks of this period typically used plywood or balsa coring, and on an older hull that sandwich admits water at fasteners deck coring vulnerability. Press the deck around stanchion bases, winches, and chainplates for softness; look for discoloured gelcoat or crazing. A firm dry core needs no work; softness means localized rebuild. Also check the bilge keels for honest grounding wear and the standing rigging terminals for corrosion.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. Walk the deck for core softness, confirm the BMC diesel starts cleanly, check bilge keels for grounding wear, verify rig terminals, and sail her to feel the 22.5 comfort ratio in a chop.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Snapdragon 890. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $12,228 | — |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $10,868 | -11.1% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $10,868 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $16,992 | +56.3% |
| Jul 26 | 3 | $10,196 | -40.0% |
Where they're listed
Snapdragon 890 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 8.
Country view
8 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $10,868 | 8 | 3 | 100.0% |