Southerly 135 Mk II Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Southerly 135 Mk II means chasing a scarce 44-foot Rob Humphreys swing-keeler: only eight were built from a production start in 1988, so any purchase is a conversation with a small, well-documented fleet rather than a commodity category. The boat's variable-draft hull and raised-deck saloon define its used-market identity, and the practical questions are about keel mechanics, deck wear, and the systems that previous owners fitted.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The raised-deck saloon and high center cockpit are standard to the design, with the foldable dodger and narrow teak-capped side decks present as built. Interior tank architecture is consistent across the class: two stainless water and two stainless fuel tanks amidships, plus two polypropylene waste tanks totaling 48 gallons.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, heating, bow thruster, electric winches, freezer, bimini, dodger, radar, AIS, autopilot, chartplotter, and life raft are commonly fitted. Often-seen additions include watermaker, solar, lithium batteries, inverter, wind generator, gennaker, asymmetric spinnaker, swim platform, cockpit shower, EPIRB, and short-handed setup. The built specification already included a Seldén rig, Furlex roller furling, Lewmar 48 primary winches, and the electric/hydraulic swing-keel system with manual backup; the optional turbocharged 75-horsepower Yanmar and optional tall rig or twin-rudder version may appear on individual boats.
What to Inspect
The keel structure is the heart of the design and the first inspection priority. The unique keel box is molded as an integral part of the hull, and the 6,260-pound cast-iron grounding plate is held by twenty-eight 12-millimeter bolts spaced around its perimeter ballast package fastened by twenty-eight bolts. The swing keel is an articulating, airfoil-shaped cast-iron blade weighing 3,610 pounds, hinged on a 2-inch-diameter stainless-steel pin riding on bronze bushings inserted into heavy-duty bosses in the grounding plate; verify pin wear and bushing condition. The hull is conventional hand-laid FRP with balsa core above the waterline and plywood infills at compression points, and the vessel came with a five-year blister warranty, so check for osmotic blistering in the laminate. Confirm the electric/hydraulic keel raiser and its manual backup function, and inspect the Whitlock Mamba steering and long-skeg rudder for play.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Southerly 135 Mk II are the United Kingdom. Given the small build count, a buyer should prioritize keel-hinge integrity, blister history, and confirmation of the documented systems over cosmetic trim.
- Verify the twenty-eight bolt fastenings and 2-inch pin/bushing at the grounding plate
- Confirm electric/hydraulic keel operation plus manual backup
- Check FRP laminate for blistering despite warranty coverage
- Confirm amidships stainless tanks and 48-gallon waste capacity intact
- Expect commonly fitted heating, bow thruster, and electronics as standard brokerage spec
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Southerly 135 Mk II. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $ 270,883 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $ 291,272 | +7.5% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $ 270,239 | -7.2% |
| May 26 | 1 | $ 291,272 | +7.8% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 291,272 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Southerly 135 Mk II listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 7.
Country view
7 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $ 291,272 | 7 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 400 Mk II | 41.5' | $ 140,000 | 45 | 11 |
| Southerly 115 | 36.83' | $ 84,672 | 44 | 15 |
| Southerly 420 | 42.19' | $ 500,815 | 16 | 3 |
| Southerly 35 RS | 35.5' | $ 142,249 | 11 | 5 |
| Hinckley Sou'wester 42/43 | 42.75' | $ 210,000 | 8 | 1 |
| Southerly 105 | 35.43' | $ 45,607 | 8 | 3 |
| Southerly 135 Mk IIYou are here | — | $ 291,272 | 7 | 2 |
| Southerly 480 | 49.15' | $ 1,151,540 | 3 | 0 |