BoatsSandpiper 15

Sandpiper 15

Gaff head Cat · Centerboard (Trunk) · First built 1972

A Breck Marshall-designed gaff-rigged catboat with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited light-air sailing

Designed by Breck Marshall, built by Marshall Marine Corporation.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Centerboard (Trunk)

See her sail

The Sandpiper 15, on the water

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

Footage from Atom Voyager

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.16 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 476 kg of hull, so roughly 1,100 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 476 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.41 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 8 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 8
CoastalBluewater

At 2.79 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 146
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 25.8
TenderStiff

19% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 19%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Sandpiper 15, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sandpiper 15 is a 4.7-meter gaff-headed cat-rigged sailboat with a centerboard trunk, designed by Breck Marshall and built by Marshall Marine Corporation since 1972. It has a 2.2-meter beam, a 1.1-meter draft, and displaces 476 kg. Aboard *Atom Voyager*, a Sandpiper 32 schooner underwent a comprehensive refit, addressing structural rot, ballast failure, and system modernization. The refit included removing 1,100 pounds of corroded steel ballast plates and replacing them with lead bricks, rebuilding the cabin sole, and modifying the interior for a new 48-volt electric propulsion system.7:18 Structural repairs involved replacing water-damaged bulkheads and a rotted plywood pop-top core with Divinycell foam.13:00 The original integral waste tank was replaced with a bucket toilet system, and a new 37-gallon integral water tank was constructed.10:59 The schooner’s pop-top was shortened, and the electrical system was overhauled, including a 1000-watt inverter and a portable gas generator.19:22

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
19.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaff head Cat
Ratios
SA / displacement
25.8
Displacement / length
146.1
Comfort ratio
8.0
Capsize screening
2.79
Hull speed
5.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
373
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard (Trunk)
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1972
Designer
Breck Marshall
Builder
Marshall Marine Corporation

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.

Farr 50005.08 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop featuring a swing keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively performance
Microtonner 195.50 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Nestor Volker to the International Micro Class rule for competitive racing
Com Pac Sun Cat 17-25.28 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA gaff-rigged catboat featuring a keel-centerboard hull and a cuddy cabin, also available as an open-cockpit daysailer
Hunter Marine 185.61 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel designed for quick, responsive daysailing
RS Quest4.29 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 140kg fractional sloop with a centerboard trunk designed for stable, versatile training and family sailing
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Sandpiper 15, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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