Allures 45.9 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Allures 45.9 was offered in two broad interior configurations. The three-cabin Owner layout is the more commonly encountered on the used market, though the two-cabin arrangement — which trades the aft third cabin for a proper technical room to port — is the configuration most serious voyagers sought when ordering new. That technical room is one of the genuinely differentiating features of the boat: it provides a dedicated space for tools, generators, oily gear, and spares that keeps the rest of the saloon clean and livable on long passages. Ex-charter examples appear on the market with some regularity and more commonly carry the three-cabin family layout, which replaces the technical room with additional sleeping accommodation. Both are legitimate choices depending on your use, but buyers intending extended offshore work tend to gravitate toward the owner configuration specifically because of that technical space.

The forward owner's cabin is consistent across all versions and is notably generous for the overall beam. The saloon's unusual combination of a straight-line port galley and an amidships centerboard trunk — which doubles as a bracing point for the cook at sea — is a practical arrangement that divides opinion but works well underway. A raised chart table to starboard is a feature increasingly absent from modern production boats; on used examples it is usually present and is worth verifying for condition of the electronics recess and any added instrumentation.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used examples of the 45.9 are almost universally outfitted for extended offshore passages, and the equipment inventory on any given boat tends to reflect serious cruising use rather than coastal day-sailing. A watermaker is fitted on virtually all boats that have done meaningful bluewater miles, and you should treat its absence as a point requiring explanation. Heating systems — whether diesel-fired or otherwise — are similarly widespread, as the boat's European and high-latitude market means owners arrive prepared for cold-weather sailing. Solar panels, an inverter, and cockpit-centralized autopilot and chartplotter setups are standard fare, and radar and AIS transponders are essentially universal.

Electric winches are a common fitment, consistent with the boat's strong short-handed pedigree: the cockpit layout is designed for centralized control, and owners frequently specified or retrofitted electric primaries to reduce fatigue on long ocean passages. A dodger and bimini — often an integrated unit covering the forward cockpit — are a frequent owner upgrade, and the boat's arch aft commonly carries a wind generator alongside solar panels, an arrangement the manufacturer actively supports. Dinghy davits integrated into or hung from that arch are a common owner addition.

Owner upgrades that appear with some frequency include air conditioning, a bow thruster, a washing machine plumbed into the technical room (the manufacturer noted this as a factory option), and gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker setups for downwind performance. The boat's Solent rig with twin headsails on furlers is the standard configuration, and owners sometimes add a Code Zero or gennaker on a separate furler for light-air reaching. Bow thrusters appear on boats whose owners regularly handled marinas singlehanded.

What to Inspect

The aluminum hull is the centerpiece of any survey. Allures welds its hulls from marine-grade aluminum alloy and the construction is genuinely robust, but aluminum cruisers have specific failure modes that demand expert attention. Galvanic corrosion at the waterline, around through-hulls, and in areas where dissimilar metals contact the aluminum is the primary structural concern — pay close attention to any bronze or stainless fittings in contact with the hull, and verify that sacrificial zinc or aluminum anodes are correct, properly seated, and recently replaced. Boats that have spent time in poorly maintained marina berths with stray electrical current are most at risk.

The composite deck and coachroof junction with the aluminum hull is a critical interface. The deck is fiberglass with a foam core, joined to the welded aluminum hull below — this junction must be carefully inspected for any signs of moisture ingress, delamination at the bond, or movement that could indicate a failing seal. The foam-core composite deck also warrants a tap test for delamination, particularly around deck hardware and high-load points like the mast base, chainplates, and winch foundations.

The centerboard system is a point that demands specific focus. The lifting board lives in a trunk that passes through the hull, and the pivot mechanism and hydraulic or mechanical lifting system must be checked for wear, seal integrity, and ease of operation across the full range of travel. Inspect the trunk itself for any aluminum corrosion or galvanic interaction with the board pivot hardware. On boats with significant mileage, the board itself should be examined for deformation or damage from grounding, which is a realistic scenario given that shallow-draft access is a primary reason owners chose this boat. Similarly, the twin rudder bearings and pintles warrant close attention — twin rudder systems distribute load well, but the lower gudgeon area on each rudder is a wear point on any well-used example.

The Volvo Penta D2-60 diesel is a widely supported engine, but on any bluewater boat the engine hours should be contextualized against the type of use: an ocean passage boat may accumulate relatively few hours under power, while a Mediterranean liveaboard may have logged substantial motoring time. Verify service history, check the raw-water impeller, heat exchanger, and injectors, and inspect the engine mounts. Boats manufactured from around the late 2010s onward may also have already transitioned to alternative engine partnerships, so verify exactly what engine is fitted and confirm parts availability through your local service network. The electrical system on a passage-equipped 45.9 is typically elaborate — solar charging, shore power, potentially a generator, inverter, and multiple battery banks — and deserves a thorough review by a marine electrician.

Finally, the rigging: the double-spreader aluminum mast and Solent rig are conventional in design, but inspect the furling systems on both headsails carefully, including the foil sections and bearing condition at the drum. Check the boom vang and any boom brake fitted — these components see constant use on an offshore boat and wear accordingly.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Allures 45.9 circulates primarily through European brokerage networks, with the strongest concentration of listings found in France, the Mediterranean — particularly Greece and Turkey — and Scandinavia. North American examples appear with less frequency but are present, particularly on the U.S. East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest, which was the original U.S. distribution hub. Germany also produces a consistent share of seller-side listings.

Because the 45.9 is not a high-volume production boat, the used market is not deep by comparison with French mainstream builders. That scarcity is broadly a positive signal: owners who bought one tended to be serious about the mission, and care levels are generally high. Boats that have completed circumnavigations or major offshore passages are not uncommon and deserve neither a premium nor a discount automatically — what matters is documentation, service records, and survey findings.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Commission a surveyor with specific aluminum boat experience — not all marine surveyors have it
• Inspect the hull-to-deck joint along its full perimeter for seal integrity and corrosion
• Confirm all anode placements and metallurgical compatibility at through-hull fittings
• Operate the centerboard through its full range; inspect the pivot hardware and trunk seals
• Check both rudder bearings and lower gudgeons for wear and play
• Review engine hours in context of use type; obtain full service records
• Have the electrical system reviewed by a marine electrician given typical passage-equipment complexity
• Verify operation of both furling headsails and all running rigging clutches and winches
• Test the watermaker, heating system, and all pumps under power
• If a generator is fitted, run it under load and confirm exhaust and cooling are sound