A Pilothouse on a 20 ft Sailboat?
Check out the 1981 Skipper 20 Sailboat Pilothouse Conversion
People will tell you, you can’t put a pilothouse on a small sailboat.
People also used to think the world was flat.
Using my proven small sailboat pilothouse conversion technique, I will show how you can do it too.
The Skipper 20 restoration is now complete after an eighteen-month rebuild that transformed an older trailerable sailboat into a fully restored and upgraded pocket sailboat. The project went far beyond cosmetic repairs, with work covering the fiberglass hull and deck, paint and nonskid, teak restoration, electrical systems, cockpit storage, deck hardware, standing and running rigging, new sails, and setting the boat up for practical singlehanded sailing.
The final stage was re-stepping the mast, installing and adjusting the CDI Flexible Furler, fitting the new sails, and routing the furling and control lines aft so the boat could be operated primarily from the cockpit. Just as importantly, the rig was repeatedly assembled and tested on land to identify clearance, hardware, tensioning and line-routing problems before launching the boat.
With the major restoration work and final rigging completed, the Skipper 20 was ready for its sea trial and return to the water. The complete project is documented step-by-step in the Motor City Boat Werks Skipper 20 restoration video series. UPDATE: The Skipper 20 has been competed and is awaiting seat trials 2026.The pilothouse addition has been delayed until after sea trials. Stay tuned for updates.
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