BoatsMarieholm Boats S-20

Marieholm Boats S-20

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/transom Hung Rudder · 1976–1978

A short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agility

Designed by Olle Enderlain, built by Marieholms.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/transom Hung Rudder

See her sail

The Marieholm Boats S-20, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.20 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,250 kg of hull, so roughly 1,850 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 0.90 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a beamy beam gives 17 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

2.06 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.06
LightHeavy

241 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 241
EasygoingPowered-up

14.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Marieholm Boats S-20, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Marieholm Boats S-20 is a 6.0-meter fractional sloop designed by Olle Enderlein and built by Marieholms from 1976 to 1978. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, a beam of 2.2 meters, a draft of 0.9 meters, and a displacement of 1250 kg. This model is similar to the earlier MS-20 but has a longer and taller coach roof and a smaller cockpit. Unlike the MS-20, it was not designed with an inboard engine. The Bay Cruiser 21 is a modern design that draws inspiration from the Marieholm 20, incorporating features like a carbon mast, a retractable keel, and a kick-up rudder for shallow-water navigation.watch

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
28.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
240.9
Comfort ratio
17.0
Capsize screening
2.06
Hull speed
5.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
444
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/transom hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1976–1978
Units built
250
Designer
Olle Enderlain
Builder
Marieholms, Marieholm Boats

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. Nomad 226.78 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA twin-keel masthead sloop designed by Denys Rayner as a refined evolution of the Westerly 22 for shoal-water cruising
How to Sail in Bad Weather21:07from The Mariner
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Free Boat Inspection - Deck Corefrom Practical Sailor
Westerly Marine Ltd. Cirrus 226.71 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA John Butler-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance in a compact 22-foot hull
This Tiny Boat Will BLOW YOUR MINDfrom Sailing Nahoa
Gilbert Marine Tequila7.20 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop that claimed the 1971 Quarter Ton Cup with her prototype performance
Lost at Sea Sailing Couple From YouTube Dies in Life Raft - Ep 307 - Lady K Sailing0:45from Lady K Sailing
Beneteau First 2357.11 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a light displacement and high sail area ratio
Sailing is Not Expensive - Full Cost Breakdown - ep 2813:07from Lady K Sailing
Com-Pac Yachts 195.79 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Robert K. Johnson-designed masthead sloop built for shoal-draft gunkholing with a stable 40% ballast ratio
Com-Pac Sailboats - Everything You Need to Know4:40from Practical Sailor

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Marieholm Boats MS-20A 1971 fractional sloop with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, serving as the original platform for the Marieholm 20-foot seriesMarieholm Boats AC-20A center-cockpit, aft-cabin cruiser that adapts the MS-20 hull into a compact, 6-meter weekend layoutMarieholm Boats 26A narrow-beamed 8-meter cruiser with a long keel and nearly 50% ballast ratio for exceptional directional stabilityMarieholm Boats 261A 1982 Tord Sunden design featuring a long keel and transom-hung rudder for predictable handling in a compact 8-meter hull

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