Vineyard Vixen 29 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a used Vineyard Vixen 29 means chasing a small, well-defined cohort: roughly thirty canoe-stern double-enders built by Tom Hale and his sons at Martha's Vineyard Shipyard, most as sloops with two or three yawls among them. These are boats with a devoted following rather than a deep supply, so the buyer's task is less about selection and more about condition within a known type.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Vixen shares the same essential interior: standing headroom in the main saloon with bench settees and a folding table, a ducking-headroom head-and-sink area forward of the main bulkhead, a V-berth in the bow, and a deep lazarette aft. The galley sits under the companionway with a centerline sink above the engine, and all machinery, tankage, and batteries are housed under the cockpit. Early boats used plywood-cored decks; later ones switched to foam core. A solid fiberglass liner forms the saloon, and a two-inch gap between liner and hull is inaccessible — so the keel sump aft of the companionway is your only window on bilge water.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Brokers' listings commonly describe short-handed setups, self-tacking jibs, and gennakers as fitted gear, with furling mains and asymmetric spinnakers often seen. For a buyer, the consequential clusters are sail handling and rig: a self-tacking jib and furling main reduce crew workload and suit single or couple sailing, while a gennaker or asymmetric adds light-air range the modest 365-square-foot working plan lacks. Beyond those, the original wooden hatches at companionway, foredeck, and lazarette are a frequent owner upgrade to Lewmar units, which demands rebuilding the seal boss. Engine variety matters more than stereo toys — early Westerbekes, later Volvos, and refit Yanmars all deliver around 15 horsepower.
What to Inspect
The chainplates on these boats are prone to leaking and must be rebedded periodically to avoid damage to the bulkhead or hanging knees that support the chainplate anchor; this is the first place a survey should look. Watch for water intrusion through the wooden or replaced hatches, though the solid hull and deck laminates have shown zero damage from such intrusion where core was absent anchor. Single-line lifelines do not meet current safety recommendations and should be budgeted for replacement. Confirm the keel sump is dry or only lightly wet, since it is the sole indicator of aboard water.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States market. For a buyer, the short checklist is: verify chainplate bedding and bulkhead integrity, inspect hatches and cored deck for moisture, plan a lifeline upgrade, and confirm engine type and sump condition. A well-kept Vixen rewards with a sheltered rudder, roomy cockpit, and a hull that shrugs off the leaks that worry cored competitors.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Vineyard Vixen 29. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 3 | $18,900 | — |
| May 26 | 2 | $27,450 | +45.2% |
Where they're listed
Vineyard Vixen 29 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 5.
Country view
5 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $18,900 | 5 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 29 | 28.42' | $ 17,604 | 69 | 13 |
| Vineyard Vixen 29You are here | — | $ 18,900 | 5 | 0 |