Westerly Griffon 26 Buyer's Guide
The Westerly Griffon 26 on the used market is Ed Dubois's 1979 successor to the Centaur, built through 1989 with around 450 hulls. A British pocket cruiser with bilge, fin, or rare lifting keels, she appeals to couples and small families wanting an economical, easy-to-sail coastal and offshore boat. Shopping one means weighing the variants, the common upgrades, and a known structural recall on early twin-keel hulls.
Layouts on the Used Market
Charter four-cabin layouts appear more commonly among used Griffons, but both standard and ex-charter versions are available and ex-charter boats are common. The Mk I was more basic with less refined interior joinery than the Mk II, so buyers comparing trim levels will notice the later model's smarter teak below. All share the same solid-GRP hull and masthead sloop rig regardless of layout, with berths in the forepeak, a quarter berth under the cockpit, and saloon singles plus an enclosed heads.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, autopilot, chartplotter, solar, a short-handed sail-handling setup, and a dodger are commonly fitted, meaning most boats arrive ready for solo or couple sailing without immediate investment. AIS and a life raft are often seen and worth verifying for offshore intent. Less common owner upgrades include a furling main, bimini, radar, cabin heating, and spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker — useful but not standard, so their presence signals an invested prior owner rather than a baseline boat.
What to Inspect
The one documented structural concern is the keel attachment on early bilge-keeled hulls: some required factory reinforcement under a Westerly recall, so any twin-keel example from the first years should show evidence the remedy was done. Otherwise the hull is well-constructed solid fiberglass, and buyers should still confirm the cockpit drains and sole-mounted manual bilge pump are intact, since those support safe operation. Many boats keep their original 13-horsepower Volvo or Bukh diesel, while some have been re-engined with a 20-horsepower Beta — either is acceptable, but confirm service history.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Griffon 26 are the United Kingdom, Spain, United States, and Ireland. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm early bilge-keel recall work, prefer a Mk II for joinery, verify autopilot and short-handed setup if sailing short-handed, and check engine provenance. She is a practical, secure pocket cruiser whose main compromises are a minimalist galley, no shower, and leeway on the bilge keels close-hauled.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Westerly Griffon 26. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 12 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 10 | $10,534 | — |
| Oct 25 | 5 | $11,218 | +6.5% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $9,511 | -15.2% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $13,529 | +42.2% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $10,810 | -20.1% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $8,495 | -21.4% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $4,752 | -44.1% |
| Apr 26 | 11 | $11,218 | +136.1% |
| May 26 | 2 | $12,821 | +14.3% |
| Jun 26 | 5 | $9,858 | -23.1% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $13,351 | +35.4% |
| Aug 26 | 4 | $12,398 | -7.1% |
Where they're listed
Westerly Griffon 26 listings appear across 4 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 41 (87.2%), followed by Ireland and Spain.
Country view
47 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $10,810 | 41 | 8 | 87.2% |
| Ireland | $13,987 | 3 | 3 | 6.4% |
| Spain | $12,821 | 2 | 0 | 4.3% |
| United States | $14,900 | 1 | 0 | 2.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly Griffon 26You are here | — | $ 10,871 | 47 | 11 |
| Sadler 26 | 25.75' | $ 12,140 | 28 | 8 |
| Grampian 26 | 26' | $ 7,500 | 6 | 0 |
| MacWester 26 | 26' | $ 4,759 | 6 | 1 |
