Design of the Buccaneer 18’ began in (1968). Because the Buccaneer was to be a production boat; read a wider range of built weights was to be expected, the design displacement was established at 785 lb. The boat weight was to be 500 lb. with a crew allowance of 285 lb.

She was designed with long waterlines and with adequate beam and a modest aspect ratio sail plan to reduce the heeling moment. The waterlines were retrimmed to produce as nearly a symmetrical heeled waterline as possible, minimizing weather helm due to heeling. She has a long easy entry to reduce bow wave and easily greases onto a plane. The Buccaneer is a boat that suffers little if sailed with three persons, e.g., 165 lb. over the design displacement.

A renowned builder of patternmaker prototypes constructed the original cold-molded wooden Buccaneer 18 prototype in England. This overweight, 3/8’ thick, glass covered tooling plug, was first sailed/raced on Lake Michigan near Chicago. The event was Yachting Magazine’s One of a Kind Regatta which took place in late summer of (1968). The Buccaneer 18 placed second to the Thistle in a fleet of twenty plus boats.

Mainsheet System
The 6:1 mainsheet features six lightweight Carbo blocks in series for smooth, low-friction trimming. The system is simple, fast to rig, and utilizes a swivel cam base for easy cleating at any angle.

Rig Tension System
To tension the shrouds and jib forestay/halyard, a track on the mast is adjusted with an underdeck double-triple block purchase. The control line exits the purchase to the cockpit for convenient midrace access upwind or downwind. It provides up to 400 lb of forestay tension for high-performance sailing in strong winds or minimal tension in light air.

Small Boat Furling
The low-friction Harken Small Boat Furler lets the crew set and furl the jib from the cockpit. Multiple stacked races of ball bearings let it rotate easily under load.