Trapper 500/501 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Trapper 500 or 501 means looking at a 27-foot British cruiser with a Canadian C&C 27 lineage, built from the mid-1970s into the late 1980s. The 500 and its 1981-evolved sibling the 501 share a hull but differ in coachroof, interior moldings, and keel options, so the specific mark matters when you inspect. These are sailing boats first, with modest fuel capacity, so view any example as a cruiser to be sailed rather than motored.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 500 carried a dinette layout with a gangway to one side and was built to sleep six via a settee berth opposite the dinette and a quarter-berth under the cockpit. The original galley had no worktop beyond the sink lid; the 501 extended the galley and updated the interior moldings, making later hulls the more practical for extended stays. Both the fin-keel (5-foot draft) and bilge-keel (3-foot 6-inch draft) versions appeared, with the bilge option more suited to shallow estuaries.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Autopilots, chartplotters, and cabin heating are commonly fitted to boats on the market, meaning most buyers can expect a navigable and warmed boat from the start. Less universal but seen are furling mains, bimini, dodger, teak decks, and short-handed sail-handling setups as owner upgrades. A buyer should treat the engine with caution: one documented 500 still had its original 8 hp Yanmar, while the standard record shows a 12 hp gasoline unit, so confirm what is installed and its condition rather than assuming a standard fit.
What to Inspect
The one documented handling concern is the original 500’s rudder, which can be heavy to handle especially under power anchor — at a viewing, run the engine in gear and feel whether the wheel or tiller loads up disproportionately, and check the rudder stock and bearing for wear that would compound the heaviness. The class has no history of osmosis anchor, but survey the thick solid hull for impact damage or poor repairs regardless, since a clean class record does not exempt an individual hull. Verify the galley configuration: on a 500, confirm whether the sink-lid worktop is intact and usable, as the original offered no other prep surface.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These Trappers typically appear on the market in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Before committing, run through this short list:
- Confirm whether the hull is a 500 or 501 and note the keel type.
- Feel the rudder load under power and inspect the steering gear.
- Check the engine make, model, and hour history against the modest tankage.
- Inspect the galley for worktop provision and moulding condition.
- Survey the solid hull for repairs despite the clean osmosis record.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Trapper 500/501. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $8,158 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $7,478 | -8.3% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $4,103 | -45.1% |
| May 26 | 1 | $7,478 | +82.3% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $2,719 | -63.6% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $9,450 | +247.6% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $10,464 | +10.7% |
Where they're listed
Trapper 500/501 listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 9 (81.8%), followed by Spain and Ireland.
Country view
11 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $7,478 | 9 | 4 | 81.8% |
| Spain | $11,071 | 1 | 1 | 9.1% |
| Ireland | $5,827 | 1 | 0 | 9.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dehler Optima 101 | 33.14' | $ 22,812 | 24 | 4 |
| Trapper 500/501You are here | — | $ 7,478 | 11 | 5 |
| Trapper 300 | 26.25' | $ 8,158 | 11 | 3 |