Arcona 380/385 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for an Arcona 380 or 385 means looking at a Swedish-built performance cruiser with a class A offshore rating and a racing pedigree. The 380 launched in 2013 and was refined into the 385 in 2020, both carrying the central galvanized steel structure and Divinycell-cored hulls described above. Most used examples are ex-charter, and the more common configuration on the market is the owner three-cabin layout, though both layouts appear.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard Arcona 380 and 385 are three-cabin boats: a V-berth forward and twin aft cabins on the 380, with 6-foot 3-inch maximum headroom, or three cabins as standard on the 385 with the option of two cabins and a separate shower. The 380's two-cabin version encloses the shower in the head area rather than using a curtain and was noted by testers to provide more stowage than you know how to fill, against the standard boat's limited lockers outboard and slender space below the sole and a bit-limited aft cabins. The saloon takes the full 3.8m beam on the 385 and is laid out for entertaining; the 380's chart table folds back to extend the starboard settee to a 6-foot 6-inch berth. Galley arrangements run to an L-shaped 380 layout with basket-style refrigerator and propane stove and oven, or a spacious galley on the 385, with propane on the 380 stowed forward in the anchor locker.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Heating, autopilot, chartplotter, gennaker, spinnaker, hot water, and AIS are commonly fitted on these boats. Often-seen equipment includes inverter, asymmetric spinnaker, teak decks, cockpit shower, life raft, and short handed setup. The 380 originally carried twin wheels on angled pedestals each with a chartplotter display and a dodger folding into a cabintop coaming; the 385 has twin carbon wheels and a larger instrument panel above the companionway, with an open transom as standard. A windlass and bow roller were options on the 380 rather than standard fittings.
What to Inspect
The documented cautions are handling- and stowage-related rather than structural defects. Testers noted the 380 is not a boat for beginners, with power easily controlled by those who know the boat but liable to scare newer sailors, and that the cockpit traveller's mainsheet falls could catch the unwary during a gybe. Stowage in the standard three-cabin 380 is limited to lockers outboard and the slender space below the sole, with forward cabin stowage good but aft cabins a bit limited; the saloon hullports on the 380 add light but are sized to blend with the hull stripe and are not tremendously useful as windows. Confirm the deeper keel option (6 feet 11 inches or 7 feet 10 inches) if not the shoal draft, and verify the galvanized steel beam or cradle and bonded bulkheads are intact, since these carry the dynamic rig and keel loads.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for these yachts are the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany. For a buyer, the checklist is short and sourced from the documented record:
- Expect owner three-cabin layouts as more common, both layouts available, ex-charter examples common
- Confirm whether windlass and bow roller were fitted as options on the 380
- Check mainsheet traveller and gybe clearances for the unwary
- Verify stowage needs against the standard three-cabin limit; consider the two-cabin version for more space
- Inspect the galvanized steel keel beam / cradle and hull-to-deck bonded bulkheads
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Arcona 380/385. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 351,702 | — |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $ 452,741 | +28.7% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $ 344,161 | -24.0% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $ 394,272 | +14.6% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $ 398,708 | +1.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 411,805 | +3.3% |
Where they're listed
Arcona 380/385 listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 4 (50.0%), followed by Germany and Sweden.
Country view
8 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $ 351,702 | 4 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Germany | $ 452,798 | 2 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Sweden | $ 403,038 | 2 | 1 | 25.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre 386 | 38.58' | $ 169,900 | 38 | 14 |
| Catalina 385 | 39.17' | $ 255,750 | 26 | 8 |
| Najad 380 | 37.89' | $ 251,236 | 20 | 1 |
| Freedom 38 | 37.92' | $ 70,001 | 18 | 8 |
| Tartan 3800 | 38' | $ 129,000 | 10 | 5 |
| Arcona 380/385You are here | — | $ 394,272 | 9 | 2 |