New and Used Sloop Sailboats for Sale

Sloop-rigged sailboats are the most popular type of sailboat and are easily identified by their single mast and large mainsail. They are renowned for their speed and ease of handling, and are available in all sizes, from dinghies to superyachts. Search for new and used sloop sailboats for sale and refine by size, price, and brand. 

Main Characteristics of Sloop Boats

Sloop sailing boats are a type of sailboat characterized by a single mast, with a mainsail and a headsail. They are the most common type of sailboats cruising the seas all over the world, popular thanks to their simplicity, ease of handling, upwind speed, and often lower cost.

Sloops can be found in all sizes, from small dinghies all the way up to the 254.6-foot (77.6-meter) superyacht M5 (ex-Mirabella V). When it comes to their sail configuration, sloops can have a genoa or jib as their all-around headsail, but racing and cruising spinnakers as well as staysails are common too. The rig is known as a Bermuda or Marconi rig, easily identified by the tall, thin triangular mainsail. 

Comparing the sloop to other types of sailboats, it has many advantages. It is generally accepted to be a faster style as it sails closer to the wind, and it’s simpler to sail and maintain with fewer sails to manage. Because of the fewer masts and sails, they may be cheaper to buy, whether new or used. And because of their huge popularity and prevalence there are many to be found on the used market. On the downside, sloop sails are often heavier because they’re large, and therefore require more strength to handle and hoist. In addition, there are fewer sail configurations that can be made on a sloop, which can make them harder to handle in strong winds. 

The cutter is a close cousin to the sloop, also with a single mast, mainsail, and headsail but carrying an inner forestay to set an extra jib. The sloop may be closer-winded while the cutter makes it easier to reduce sail in heavy winds while still carrying a headsail.

Types of Sloop Boats

Dinghies

Small sloop dinghies are a perfect first sailboat and are widely used for learning to sail in. They offer a single mast, simple sail configuration, and tiller—ideal for learning the ropes, as well as offering good speed depending on the model. Dinghies allow families to get out on the water at low cost and explore lakes and coastal areas together. Dinghies for adults start at around 8 feet in length and can be easily trailered. 

Blue Water Sailboats

To cross oceans a sailboat needs to be several things. First and foremost it needs to be safe. It also needs to be easy to handle, able to withstand strong sea conditions, and offer a comfortable interior space for long-term living. Sloops are often a favored choice of blue water sailors as they tick all of those boxes, and there are a huge number of excellent brands, both past and present, that build them so the choice is simply enormous. 

Racing Sailboats

Many racing sailboats are sloops thanks to the speeds they can reach especially when sailing upwind at narrow angles to the wind. The single large mainsail is the driving force here, with the unparalleled speeds needed in competitive circuits. Racing sloop sailboats vary in size, from dinghy sailing to boats well over 100 feet long. 

Wooden Sailboats

The wooden sailboat is a classic style that honors the shipbuilding traditions of the past, and there are some beautiful wooden sloops gracing our waters, most of which have owners willing to restore and maintain them carefully. While most sailboats are built from fiberglass these days, there are still classic wooden boats to be found on the used market. 

Best Sloop Boat Brands

The sloop style of sailboat is seen across all sailing boat sectors, and there are many brands, both past and present, building them. The used market for sailboats is simply enormous, with boats for sale from many highly regarded brands which are no longer in operation but which have excellent reputations for build quality and longevity. 

When it comes to new sloop sailboat brands there are many to choose from, and choosing the best will depend on the function of the boat and the budget. Blue water cruisers form a huge market share of sloop sailboats, including brands such as Hallberg-Rassy’s traditionally-styled sailboats, Allure with aluminum hulls, fiberglass decks and superstructures, Ovni and its clever interior layouts designed for living onboard, and Dutch brand Contest with its center cockpits and high spec finish. Increasingly popular catamaran brands such as Lagoon and Fountaine-Pajot utilize sloop rigs on all models. Other top brands include Beneteau, Jeanneau, Discovery, Pacific Seacraft, Moody, and Amel Yachts. 

FAQs

Why are sloop boats popular?

Sloop sailboats are the most popular type of sailboat thanks to their single-mast and simple sail configuration (which consists of a mainsail and headsail) allowing them to be easily handled and offer impressive speeds. The sloop style of sailboat can be seen in everything from small dinghies all the way up to some of the largest ocean cruisers.