Marshall Sanderling vs Wayfarer Dinghy

A Round 1 Mini-Cruiser Madness Match-up

Both are highly-regarded boats with loyal followings, and both would serve slightly different purposes admirably—but it’s your job to decide which is the better overall boat based on these criteria:

• Performance

• Seaworthiness

• Accommodations (suitability for camp-cruising)

• Trailerability (and rigging, launching ease)

• Appearance

• Quality/Value

As for the Marshall Sanderling, we were mighty impressed with her performance: The slightest push kept the Sanderling moving along, and it’s no wonder—she shows 253 square-feet of Dacron above a 2200-pound displacement. (For comparison, use the 2000-pound Cape Dory Typhoon which carries 160 sq. ft.). Remember that catboats were originally designed to function without the use of auxiliary power. Owners claim Sanderling is a light-air champ. You’ll get no argument from us. With the breeze—and the pull from the tiller—building, we ran the Sanderling through some tacks and jibes at speed. She was responsive and stable throughout. Other than the minor inconvenience of reeling in the lengthy catboat-mainsheet (75 feet total) on jibes, she was easy to handle.

Marshall Sanderling photo by Don Person