← All boats

X boat

Johnson Boat Works · designed by John O. Johnson · 1932

centerboardBermuda rigUnited States

The X boat is a 16-foot bermuda rig sailboat designed by John O. Johnson and built by Johnson Boat Works, first launched in 1932.

X boat sailboat
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

General

Builder Johnson Boat Works
Designer John O. Johnson
Years built 1932
Hull type centerboard
Rig type Bermuda rig
Construction fiberglass
Origin United States

Dimensions

LOA16.00 ft4.88 m
LWL14.50 ft4.42 m
Beam6.08 ft1.85 m
Draft (max)2.58 ft0.79 m
Displacement470 lb213 kg
Ballast
Sail Area110 ft²10.2 m²

Design ratios

Computed from the specs above using the standard formulas. Try the sailboat calculators with your own numbers.

SA / Displacement 29.11 Performance / racer — powered up
Displacement / Length 69 Ultralight
Comfort Ratio 4.4 Racing / light coastal
Capsize Screening 3.13 Better suited to coastal use (> 2.0)
Hull Speed 5.1 kn Theoretical max displacement speed
How these numbers are calculated
SA / Displacement
SA ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(2/3) — Power-to-weight. < 16 under-canvassed, 16–20 cruiser, > 20 racer.
Ballast / Displacement
Ballast ÷ Disp × 100 — Stability/stiffness. Higher carries sail better.
Displacement / Length
Disp(lt) ÷ (0.01 · LWL)³ — < 100 ultralight, 100–200 light, 200–300 moderate, > 300 heavy.
Comfort Ratio (Brewer)
Disp ÷ (0.65 · (0.7·LWL + 0.3·LOA) · Beam^1.33) — Motion in a seaway. Higher = more comfortable offshore.
Capsize Screening
Beam ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(1/3) — ≤ 2.0 favored for offshore; > 2.0 better for coastal use.
Hull Speed
1.34 · √LWL — Theoretical max displacement speed in knots.

Estimated price

$6,000 typical range $5,000 – $7,000

⚠ Rough estimate only — not market data. Derived from a simple model based on length and hull age; actual asking prices vary widely with condition, equipment, engine hours and location.

Data sources: Wikidata (CC0) · Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)