used lightning sailboats

•  Print This Page
•  Text Size
•  Scroll To Top

Interested in a Lightning?

(First-Time Buyers Guide)

What Do I Need to Know to Get Started?

Also note that most organized sailing venues are clubs. These clubs vary in facilities, activities, and cost.  Know the local club situation before you buy a boat.

If you are interested in restoring an older boat we have a very active group, to communicate with this group on the front page of the web site, top navigation links, find Resources, then the bottom link will be Wooden Boats.  Follow this link to a wealth of information and resources.

What Do I Need to Know About the Boat?

The Lightning was designed in 1938 as a wooden planing sloop.  The boat saw very rapid growth until 1942, again in the early 1950’s and then in the 1960’s as sailors turned to fiberglass hulls.

What is perhaps unusual in the boat is that the designers, Sparkman and Stevens, gave the Class association not only rights, but ownership of the design and the name.  All royalties for many of the boat’s components, including the hull, mast, and sails go to the International Lightning Class Association, who also regulates the design and the Class activities.  This fact is probably the biggest single reason for the continued success of the Class.  It is also the reason the boat gets but limited “press” in the various journals or shows. Class ownership means limited manufacturer control and fewer paid advertisements. Over time the boat has evolved into a superb match of the needs of the rig and crew to the capabilities of fiberglass shapes. About the only thing which could benefit greatly benefit from the tremendous shaping advantages that glass offers over wood is the bottom, especially the flat forward entry.  However the hull shape is what defines the boat. That shape is the hallmark characteristic.

The rig itself is very capable and in many ways was front runner as a modern, backstayed, flexible mast design.  While rig changes, including sails, reefing etc, are infinitely possible, the rig is a great performer as it is.  Simply put, the rig is under powered below 8 knots, perfect from 8 to 15 knows, overpowered but controllable to 25 knots and requires considerable skill above 25 knots.. As will all sailboats, one should look at the prevailing wind velocities where they plan to sail before deciding the Lightning is the right boat for them.

Other details the first time buyer should know about include saltwater.  Saltwater is hard on boats…period.  With lots of freshwater boats out there, take a harder look at any boat based in saltwater.  In northern climates, also look for damage and delaminations. Generally speaking, because of the flat bottom and lack of reefing, Lightnings are more common on inland lakes and many coastal bays where light to moderate winds prevail during the sailing season. Water where the sailing season is defined by howling wind and chop, such as the US west coast from San Francisco north, do not see many Lightnings.  Many larger bodies of “calmer” saltwater, such as the Chesapeake Bay and Biscayne Bay do see fleets of Lightnings.

At present there are few competitive wooden hulls.  Buy them as daysailors, project boats, or show pieces.  Most of the early fiberglass boats are also non-competitive.  Some of the 1970’s boats could be competitive but were built with foams that absorbed water.  By 1980, most of the bugs were worked out of the fiberglass hull designs.  Evolution since then has been to make the boat more comfortable, more sensitive, and easier to recover in a capsize.  Some changes to the rigging, including the location of the upper shrouds in 1986, means that tuning guides and sails focus on boats newer that this.

Buy the newest boat one can afford.  Unless you have seen or know the boat, don’t shop for a boat older than 1990. Sails last for a year or two for the top sailors and stay competitive for 5 years in fleet races.  THE source for used boats and sails is ILCA web site http://www.lightningclass.org/ Classified Ads. THE thing to know is that the classified go on the internet first.  Really hot stuff, like newer used boats are often sold the night the ad shows up on the web and long before Flashes is printed.  This means that buying a good used boat from a private individual requires regular checking of the web page.  This will also help you understand the pricing of the used boats.

Another solution is to buy from a broker.  One of the best is Joe Dissette, in Michigan.  Joe has a barn full of reconditioned Lightnings.  He gets a good buck for his boats, but you can be much more certain that “good condition” is exactly that.

For nearly all used boat transactions, legal trailering home, if bought on a weekend (when the seller’s DMV is closed), can be difficult. Forethought and creative approaches in getting the boat back are needed.

How Do I Read the Ads in the Class Newsletter or Web Page?

• Hull/deck color – If you are serious about racing, get a white hulled boat.  Remember that colored gelcoats finishes are hard to match and fade out over 10 years. Try not to get a white deck as the glare is brutal.  Other items include the color of the bootstripe, deck stripes, etc., which varies from boat to boat.
• Oval mast and boom by Allen, Bryant, or Nickels.
• Harken or Ronstan fittings (almost guaranteed on boats 14200 and up).
• Stainless steel centerboard (SS board- also std on 14200 newer boats).
• Full, modern side controls (std on 14300 and up).
• Spinnaker twings.
• Drums – These are winches to take up the board and vang.  Avoid them unless they are in good shape.
• Trailer – Look for a galvanized OEM trailer. There are lots of rusty homebuilts out there.
• Sails – Look for the sailmaker's name common to your area.  Used sails vary a lot.  If they are more than 6 years old, probably get newer ones.
• Accessories – Covers, spare rudders, etc. can add value, but vary widely in condition.  Full covers for a Lightning can cost over $1000 new, but typically add a few hundred used. Look for a mooring/deck cover and a compass.
• Weight – The class minimum is 700 pounds (with certain things out of the boat).  The more competitive you are and the more you pay for the boat, the more you should insist on 700 pounds. Being a few pounds overweight is not as critical as other things, like good sailing. Most boats are built light and ballasted.  Changing the ballast can mean revising the measurement certificate. Occasionally the ballast is removed or modified when it should not be.  The current weight on a used hull is often not available.
• Price – Price is subjective and is greatly affected by age, condition, the race record and the seller's expectations. 
• Contact – Finally the ad tells where to call or e-mail and what state the boat is from.

Set your expectations about competitiveness.  Balance that with your boat handling experience and your budget, and start shopping!

Good Luck, Steve Little—Fleet 484

Sponsor Number	URL address
Sponsor 1	https://www.marksetbot.com/
Sponsor 2	http://www.onedesign.com/Default.aspx
Sponsor 3	https://www.thesailinginc.com/lightning
Sponsor 4	http://nickelsboats.com/
Sponsor 5	http://awardandsports.securesites.net/
Sponsor 6	http://www.capitallogoinc.com/shop/pc/home.asp
Sponsor 7	http://www.rookesails.com/
Sponsor 8	http://www.sailorstailor.com
Sponsor 9	https://www.harken.com/
Sponsor 10	http://www.sailorstailor.com

Lightning Class Supporters

44Year:2007Asking:$375,000

Featured Sailboat: 53Year:1975Asking:$125,000 Featured Sailboat: 47Year:2005Asking:$349,900 ... 17Year:2016Asking:$8,000 Standard Sailboat Ads:

36 Year: 2013 Asking: $135,000
Year: Asking: $900
44 Year: 2018 Asking: $550,000
33 Year: 1980 Asking: $1
26 Year: 1982 Asking: $20,000
50 Year: 2007 Asking: $230,000

Standard Sailboat Ads:

42 Year: 2016 Asking: $475,000
This is a very long, comprehensive video of our Westsail 42, "Sea Rat". GENERAL INFO: Our sailboat "Sea Rat" is a 1978 Westsail 42 cutter. It has the tall rig, 2-spreader mast, great sails, new standing rigging, new chainplates, barrier coated hull, CPT Autopilot, Monitor Windvane, Tigres windlass, and a Yanmar 4JH4-TE diesel engine with 700 hours. You could launch this boat next week and begin a circumnavigation. A UNIQUE FACT: Our Westsail is hull #100. While it is undeniably a boat built in 1978, which makes it 46 years old, the boat has seen drastically less use than its age would suggest. For 30 years the boat was stored, unfinished, in California. The sails and original rigging was stored indoors during this period. This is why the sails, while original, are in such great shape. Essentially, the boat has really only been used for about 15 years of its overall life. It's a bit like when someone finds an old classic car that's been stored in a barn for 30 years. In this way, our boat shows far less wear and tear than you'd expect for a boat of this age. LOCATION: She's currently on the hard in St Mary's, GA in one of the only DIY marinas left on the East coast. It's a great place to keep a boat, especially if you prefer to do your own work, like we do. It is OK if you spend the night on the boat in this work yard. It's already set up with an air conditioner so things stay cool and dehumidified while at the boat. SAILING CHARACTERISTICS: Contrary to mis-guided belief, the Westsail 42 is quite fast, regularly sailing at speeds over 8 knots sustained. She tends to sail at about half the windspeed and does surprisingly well even in lighter winds. She will point at angles closer than 45 degrees to the wind, but does begin to slip rapidly if pressed to sail much closer than that. She's a HEAVY displacement, full-keel sailboat that's fast, capable, safe, stable, and very comfortable in the ocean. She's a wonderful boat. Solid, trustworthy, capable and comfortable.  42 Year: 1978 Asking: $80,000
34 Year: 2008 Asking: $69,000
43 Year: 1990 Asking: $89,995
34 Year: 1986 Asking: $22,500
24 Year: 1976 Asking: $5,000
30 Year: 1983 Asking: $28,500
19 Year: 2013 Asking: $16,500
23 Year: 2012 Asking: $25,000
24.5 Year: 1970 Asking: $