Grampian 26 Used Boat Review

A Plain Jane cruiser from one of Canada's oldest builders sports 6-foot headroom at a bargain price.

By
Darrell Nicholson
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3
With 6-ft. headspace in the cabin, this family cruiser is well-suited for lakes and coastal adventures. (Photo courtesy of PopSells.com)
With 6-ft. headspace in the cabin, this family cruiser is well-suited for lakes and coastal adventures. (Photo courtesy of PopSells.com)
The first fiberglass auxiliary sailboats were built in the late 1950s. The burgeoning industry reached full bloom in the early 1970s, but the 1960s saw a rapid increase in the number of builders hoping to cash in on the new miracle material of fiberglass. No seams, no rot, no water absorption...or so we thought. Still, the claims were largely accurate, and even though the ad agencies were quick with hyperbole, the public bought it. By 1961, a handful of European builders were also working with woven glass fibers and polyester resin, laying up hulls in female molds. In Canada, one of the first was Grampian Marine Limited of Oakville, Ontario.
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Grampian 26 Used Boat Review
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Darrell Nicholson
Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Been looking at Sailboats for almost a year planning to buy one this winter(winter time is cheap time😁)
    Just when I think I’ve narrowed down my options and seen almost ever make and model out sails the Grampian. She will be a blue water cruiser once and or if I become the owner of one. Thanks for all your publishing’s, they are much appreciated.

  2. I dispute your statement that Grampian built the Grampian 26 until 1987 as the boatyard ceased operation in 1977. There were boats sold after that date built by other companies who purchased the molds or hulls left when the yard closed. The Discovery was also built before closure but again the molds were sold and used by other builders into the 80’s
    This information is based on research I undertook when I ran the Grampian Owners Marina website. http://Www.grampianowners.com
    If you have any data contrary to this information I would appreciate knowing about it
    Thanks
    Ken

  3. I have a G23 and it too is very roomy in the cabin. As for the swing keel, it is stuck in the up position due to the original owner never putting it down. The ballast of the keel is 1000 lbs, this might help with it mounted below the water line in the portion of the keel that is 2 feet 4 inches below the water line. Sails nicely, and motors nicely too. It is more a trailer sailor, and is very comfortable to sleep on.