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 Marieholm Boats between 1976 and 1978. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, a 2.2-meter beam, a 0.9-meter draft, and displaces 1250 kg. The S-20 has a longer and taller coach roof and a smaller cockpit compared to its predecessor, the MS-20, and was built without an inboard engine. A modern iteration, the Bay Cruiser 21, features a carbon mast, a retractable keel, and a kick-up rudder for shallow tidal waters, allowing it to sit level on the seabed.watch It includes a specialized outboard motor mount for shallow navigation and can be equipped with an electric or internal combustion engine.0:35 The Bay Cruiser 21 uses a lightweight keel and a water ballast system for stability and has small solar panels for power.1:00

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once 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.

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
Galion 226.71 mSame hull family0.7 m longerDesigned by Ian Hannay, this fractional sloop proved her mettle by winning both the Round the Island and JOG races in 1968
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family1.3 m longerThe world's most popular one-design keelboat, featuring a light 1406kg displacement for responsive, agile handling
Catalina Yachts 22 MKII7.26 mSame hull family1.3 m longerAn upgraded 1995 iteration of the classic trailerable cruiser, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder
Sirius 7277.27 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA development of the Sirius 24, this fractional sloop features a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder for balanced handling
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA lightweight 6.5-meter fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing

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.

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