Kenner Privateer 26 Ketch

Description

The Kenner Privateer 26 Ketch is a variant of the Privateer 26 (also known as the Kenner Privateer 26), an American fiberglass pocket cruiser designed by Thomas C. Gillmer (a naval architect known for traditional, seaworthy designs with classic lines, including larger schooners and bugeye-inspired hulls) and built by Kenner Boat Company in Kenner, Louisiana, USA, from the late 1960s into the early 1970s. The standard Privateer 26 was offered primarily as a cutter rig, but a ketch-rigged version was available as an option (or custom build) for easier sail handling in heavy weather and better balance under reduced canvas—emphasizing the boat's "serious cruising" focus with reassuring stability, a generous sail plan for light-air performance, and a long keel for excellent directional tracking and sea-kindliness. Construction uses solid fiberglass for durability and low maintenance, with a full/clipper bow and long keel hull that gives it a traditional, characterful appearance (some owners added decorative elements like carvings or brass fittings). The interior is compact but practical for coastal or short offshore use (good headroom, basic galley/berths, and storage), and it's praised as a well-made, durable classic with tons of character despite modest size—though some note it's slower and narrower than contemporaries. Production was limited (dozens of hulls total across rigs, with ketch variants rarer), making surviving examples scarce but cherished (often restored or sailed as "good old boats" in the US, especially East Coast, Midwest, or Great Lakes regions).