Hello Thistle sailors! I have enjoyed racing #2543 but for the past few years I’ve not been active with the fleet, and I’d rather see the boat go to a new owner than spend another season under a tarp in my yard. I paid what was likely too much for it when I bought it, but at the time I was excited to get into Thistle sailing and I’ve had a good time doing so, so I’m not looking to recoup the majority of my costs or anything, but I’m hoping to at least get something reasonable for it. I’m an hour drive from the the Eugene Yacht Club (EYC) where 2026 nationals will be held, if that’s of any interest.

The boat is certainly not in mint condition, but I did race it right up until it was brought back to my house. Since then I’ve done my best to keep the cover on and the weather out. The gelcoat is starting to bubble a bit in places. There are also some interior hull cracks near where the side shrouds connect to the hull. To my recollection those have always been there since I bought the boat, and it never fell apart even in some very heavy air where a sane skipper probably wouldn’t have flown a spinnaker. All the hardware should be there. I’ve made some upgrades such as replacing the main blocks with new Harken blocks, and replacing some other fairly minor (yet still expensive) hardware throughout.

The title says 1974, but have been told it has an earlier year of manufacture. I’m not sure about this.

In the photos the rails look a bit dark, but that’s because they were wet, but the wood is still in decent shape. (They have never been varnished; instead I would just apply a coat of teak oil each season.)

My answers to both the “recent measurement certificate” and “trailer included” fields above are iffy: The boat was indeed measured and certified for 2016 nationals at EYC, but that probably doesn’t count as “recent” so I answered no to that one. As mentioned above, as I recall the centerboard was out of compliance but a waiver was granted that year. You’ll likely want a different centerboard anyway; other Thistle sailors tend to make fun of my lead-tipped board.

The trailer is in bad shape given that there is significant rusting. I was able to shore up the rear beams with 2x4s and trailer it back to my home in Corvallis from EYC, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to trailer it much further than that (and even that was kind of iffy).

Anyway, it’s hard to provide all the details here, so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at mburand@gmail.com. This could be a good project boat that is mostly race ready (other than the trailer; no racing that!). Or, if you just want to use it for hardware/parts/spars that could work too. -Michael

• Listing ID: 3040537
• Year: 1974
• Boat Number: 2543
• Boat Builder: Clark
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Mast: Black Aluminium
• Boom Color: Black
• Rudder: Included
• Rudder Builder/Info: Not sure of builder, it is a laminated wood rudder
• Centerboard: Included
• Centerboard Builder/Info: Centerboard works but it is older lead-tipped; should probably be replaced for competition (had a waiver for nationals last time)
• Sails Included: Two mains, two jib, and two spinnakers: One set is fairly well used and one set is *very* well used, but suitable for practice.
• Recent Measurement Certificate: No
• Trailer Included: Yes

1. Check all listings by this user
2. Add to favourites
3. Report abuse