Achilles 840 Buyer's Guide
The Achilles 840 is the closing chapter of the Achilles line, a 27-foot 9-inch Butler Achilles Ltd sloop launched in 1979 and aimed from the factory at serious offshore passage-making. For a buyer scanning the used market, she represents a small, well-ballasted monohull with a single-handed-friendly rig and a genuine ocean-racing pedigree rather than a lightly built coastal cruiser.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every 840 shares the same fundamental plan: five berths, a separate heads compartment amidships, and a generously sized chart table that earlier Achilles models did not match. The beam of 9 feet and the added headroom give the boat more living space than her sisters, and the better galley makes her a practical weekender as well as a racer. Because Butler Achilles Ltd delivered each hull fitted out as standard for offshore sailing with a long inventory and good quality equipment, most survivors will still show that original intent in the cabin arrangement.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The 840 left the builder already equipped for bluewater use, so the meaningful buyer questions concern energy and sail handling rather than creature comforts. The original single, centrally-mounted genoa winch made the boat easier for a solo sailor and defines the short-handed setup; any later rig changes away from that central winch are a deviation from the design brief worth noting. Beyond the sail plan, the 26-gallon diesel tank and 18-gallon water capacity frame the boat's modest autonomy, and a buyer should confirm a Volvo Penta 2001 diesel of 10 horsepower remains the lone propulsion plant.
What to Inspect
The 840 is built on a solid fiberglass hull with a balsa-cored deck. A purchaser should verify the integrity of the balsa core where deck hardware and winches penetrate, since the central winch mount is a load point unique to this model's solo-sailing scheme. The build by Butler Achilles Ltd and the standard offshore fitout are the baseline the survey should confirm.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability is not characterized for this model, so shoppers should treat the 840 as a scarce but identifiable late-1970s offshore design wherever brokerage listings appear. For the buyer, the short checklist is straightforward:
- Confirm the five-berth layout with amidships heads and generous chart table
- Verify the central genoa winch and single-handed rig scheme is intact
- Check balsa deck core around the winch and hardware penetrations
- Confirm the Volvo Penta 2001 diesel and original offshore inventory
- Accept modest tankage (26 gal fuel, 18 gal water) as design-limited
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Achilles 840. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $7,292 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxi 84 | 28.02' | $ 15,422 | 20 | 7 |
| Dufour 3800 | 30.67' | $ 32,526 | 15 | 5 |
| Achilles 24 | 23.75' | $ 1,989 | 9 | 3 |
| Pegasus Yachts 800 | 25.75' | $ 8,419 | 8 | 4 |