West Wight Scow Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used West Wight Scow on the brokerage market means chasing a wooden British one-design with roots in the 1914 Lymington Scow and a refined 1923–24 genesis under Herbert Reynolds, Dr Drummond, and builder Theo Smith. These are small single-handed centerboard dinghies—about 11 ft 4 in long, 4 ft 9 in beam, roughly 90 sq ft of balanced lug sail, no spinnaker, no trapeze—so the used buyer is looking at a trailable classic rather than a cruiser.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Scow is a one-person dinghy of fixed character: a broad shallow hull with centerboard, a single balanced lug rig, and no provision for spinnaker or trapeze. There is no variation in accommodation because there is no accommodation—the boat is a dayboat pure and simple, and any example you view will follow the same 1920s scow plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
In France, where these boats most often appear, an asymmetric spinnaker is commonly fitted despite the original class specification showing no spinnaker and zero spinnaker area anchor. For a buyer this means checking that any added kite is class-compatible and that its gear does not compromise the uncluttered single-handed cockpit the design was built around.
What to Inspect
Because the Scow is a wooden centerboard dinghy of 1920s construction, the central check is the timber itself: look for softening in the centerboard trunk and the garboard where the board pivots and drains, since shallow-draft wooden boats concentrate wear at the board pivot. Probe the sheer strake and any repaired sections for soundness rather than assuming uniformity across a century-old boat. Verify the balanced lug rig hardware—gooseneck, halyard attachments, and the lug yard—for fatigue, as a one-person dinghy with no trapeze still loads those fittings hard when sailed solo in a breeze.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up most reliably in France. Before you commit, run through this short list:
- Check the centerboard trunk and pivot for rot or play
- Probe hull and deck timber for softness with a sounding tool
- Inspect lug rig fittings for cracking or elongation
- Confirm any asymmetric spinnaker is class-suitable and neatly stowed
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the West Wight Scow. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25 | 1 | $11,004 | — |
Where they're listed
West Wight Scow listings appear across 1 country. France has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $11,004 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |