Merit 22

BoatsMerit 22

See her sail

The Merit 22, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.44 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 907 kg of hull, so roughly 1,500 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 907 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.61 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 10 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 10

CoastalBluewater

At 2.54 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.54

LightHeavy

153 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 153

EasygoingPowered-up

22.8 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 22.8

TenderStiff

30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 30%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

Draws less than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 613 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Merit 22, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Merit 22 is a 6.7-meter masthead sloop with a lifting keel, designed by Paul Yates and built by Merit Marine Inc. from 1981 to the present. It has a beam of 2.4 meters, a draft of 1.2 meters, and displaces 907 kg. Lady K Sailing, when reviewing budget sailboat purchases, advises beginners to consider trailerable boats like the Catalina 22 or a 17-foot day sailor for their lower maintenance and storage costs.3:59

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale

1channel looked into buying

$2,000Median asking

Listed for $2000, described as an excellent trailer sailor
from Lady K Sailingseen March 20241:38

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

30.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

22.8

Displacement / length

153.1

Comfort ratio

10.1

Capsize screening

2.54

Hull speed

5.7 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

515

Hull

Hull type

Lifting Keel

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

First built 1981

Units built

600

Designer

Paul Yates

Builder

Merit Marine Inc

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.

Phobos 196.30 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited daysailing

Until What Age Can You Live on a Sailboat? | #SAL #33123:54 from Hashtag Sal

O'day 226.61 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing

Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24 from Lady K Sailing

Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air

Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56 from NAUTICPIOLI

Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA swing-keel masthead sloop with 15,000 units sold, offering a highly versatile and trailerable coastal cruiser

New Sailor CRASHES and Needs Advice!0:49 from Practical Sailor

RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.3 m shorter

Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37 from City Sailing

Tofinou 77.01 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA classic fractional sloop modeled after a 1939 prototype, designed for elegant daysailing with a retractable keel

A taste of testing in Kiel for EYOTY 251:33 from SEILmagasinet

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.

Merit 25A fractional-rigged 25-footer with a light displacement and high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive sailing Merit 28A rare Nelson Marek masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio, of which only two were ever built Mercury 18A pioneering one-design plywood sloop from 1939 that remains a lively, high-performance racer today Meridian 9.5Originally launched as the Hurley 9.5, this long-keeled cruiser offers a stable 1.14-metre draft for shallow waters

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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