Buying a used Outbound: what the design pedigree does and doesn't guarantee
A used Outbound comes with an unusual split: American naval-architecture pedigree layered onto a hull built somewhere else entirely. The smaller models trace to the late Carl Schumacher; the larger models to Tim Kernan and German Frers, brought aboard once the brand's early success justified bigger boats. But a designer's name on the drawings says nothing about how a specific hull was actually built. Outbound's boats are built in China; more than one yard name turns up in the historical record for different eras of the brand, so fit, finish, and systems installation on any individual boat are worth confirming as their own question, separate from whichever architect is credited with the design.
Which era to target
The 44 and 46 badges mark the same design at two points in its life, not two different boats. Outbound extended the stern two feet in 2002 to fit a sugar-scoop swim platform that early owners had been requesting, and because the extension stayed technically optional even after most buyers chose it, a listing badged "44" may still be the shorter original hull rather than a mislabeled 46 — worth confirming against the boat itself rather than assuming from the model name alone. It's also the only aft-cockpit boat Outbound has built; the 52 and 56 that came after are center-cockpit, a different layout to shop for entirely. Blue Water Sailing reported in 2024 that Outbound had reintroduced the 44 on a semi-custom basis, so a buyer focused on that length may find both the original-era hull and a newer build wearing the same model name.
Navigating the lineup
Size is the simplest way to sort an Outbound search: the 44/46 pair anchors the aft-cockpit end of the range, the Kernan-designed 52 and Frers-designed 56 move into center-cockpit territory as the boats scale up, and the 521 and 5360 extend the range further, the 5360 distinguished by a salon raised for a wraparound view rather than the traditional layout of the smaller boats. The full model directory on this page breaks each of those out for closer comparison.
Where they're listed
Outbound listings appear across 5 countries. United States has the most listings with 38 (88.4%), followed by French Polynesia and Canada.
Country view
43 listings · 5 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $469,000 | 38 | 1 | 88.4% |
| French Polynesia | $359,900 | 2 | 0 | 4.7% |
| Canada | $799,000 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
| Fiji | $397,000 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
| New Zealand | $410,000 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
All Outbound models
1 model grouped by length overall. Open any model to see recent asking prices and active listings.