Zim Megabyte Buyer's Guide
The Zim Megabyte is a 14-foot, 3-inch cat-rigged dinghy designed by Bruce Farr, built from 2005 onward as a singlehanded platform with a daggerboard and a Mylar sail on a carbon mast. On the used market it is encountered as an open daysailer and trainer rather than a cruiser, and buyers should focus on structure, rig integrity, and the aluminum appendages that define how the boat behaves.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Megabyte shares the same open-dinghy arrangement: a solid fiberglass hull with a cockpit whose sides bond to the bottom so there is no separate sole, and a real cockpit averaging 15 inches deep anchor. The deck is identical to a Tasar’s, with broad chamfered side decks and an additional set of forward hiking straps for a crew. There is no enclosed accommodation; the boat is sized for family daysailing with friends aboard rather than overnight use.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The as-built equipment centers on the sailing rig and cockpit. The standard boat carries a carbon fiber mast and a Mylar sail with a luff bungy for draft control, a traveler, and forward hiking straps for a crew member anchor. Buyers should verify the original sail and mast are present; owner-added electronics or comfort items are not part of the class specification and should be judged on their own merits rather than assumed.
What to Inspect
The daggerboard and dagger rudder are built from aluminum extrusions, so check both for straightness, corrosion at the edges, and any distortion from grounding anchor. The cockpit sides bond to the hull bottom with no sole, meaning the molded well must be sound and free of crazing or impact damage. The deck being identical to a Tasar’s gives a known reference for gelcoat and joint condition. Confirm the carbon mast and Mylar sail are original and undamaged, and that the luff bungy and traveler operate.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm the aluminum daggerboard and rudder are true and uncorroded; inspect the bonded cockpit well for soundness; verify the carbon mast, Mylar sail, traveler, and luff bungy are intact; and recognize the model is a discontinued legacy class with Tasar-pattern deck parts. A clean Megabyte rewards the buyer with a stable, roomy singlehander suited to family daysailing.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Zim Megabyte. 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 | 1 | $7,800 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $4,900 | -37.2% |
Where they're listed
Zim Megabyte listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $6,350 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |