Beneteau 473 Buyer's Guide
The Beneteau 473 is a Groupe Finot-designed cruiser built by Beneteau, offered in multiple cabin layouts and known for a vast cockpit and high-volume hull. On the brokerage market she appears both as former charter boats and privately owned examples, and a buyer's focus should be on layout, fitted equipment, and the handful of documented design quirks that deserve inspection before purchase.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The three-cabin arrangement shows mirror-image double quarter berths that look huge and was judged close to ideal for family cruising with two kids, though the starboard quarter cabin's intrusion into the galley forces the range up against the bulkhead and leaves virtually no lazarette with limited counter space three-cabin galley compromise. In both galley layouts the reefer space looks minimal. The boat also appeared in two-cabin and four-cabin versions with a large saloon, ample galley, forward-facing chart table, and hugely spacious double cabins aft. Across layouts the forward stateroom is quite spacious with its own access to the forward head, which has a shower stall, and the boat has two heads in total. Ventilation comes from 10 opening hatches including the companionway and eight opening hull ports.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Autopilot, chartplotter, solar, electric winches, bimini, inverter, bow thruster, radar, furling main, and hot water are commonly fitted. Often-seen items include cockpit shower, AIS, dodger, dinghy davits, air conditioning, freezer, spinnaker, swim platform, and teak decks. Heating, life raft, watermaker, and asymmetric spinnaker are less commonly seen and typically reflect owner upgrades. The tested Oceanis 473 carried an optional bow thruster and, on the test boat, a generator fitted in one of the cockpit lockers; a stainless steel bracing bar in the cockpit mounts the drop-leaf table that stows in a locker, and chunky teak grab rails with deck lights are standard equipment touches.
What to Inspect
The documented handling quirks are worth checking at sea. The twin wheel arrangement adds friction to the steering system, producing a heavy helm which at times lacks the kind of feel expected on a boat of this size, and the mainsheet is positioned out of reach of the helmsman. In the three-cabin layout, confirm the galley compromise where the starboard quarter cabin intrudes into the galley area, forcing the range up against the bulkhead and leaving virtually no lazarette and limited counter space, and verify reefer space looks minimal in both galleys. The modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.22 led one tester to find the rig underpowered in light air, a condition to weigh if local sailing is predominantly calm.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States, Greece, Spain, France, Canada, and New Zealand. For a buyer, the priorities are simple: choose the layout that fits your plans, confirm the commonly fitted systems are operational, and inspect the steering feel, mainsheet reach, and three-cabin galley trade-offs closely.
- Decide between common three-cabin owner layout and other available layouts
- Check twin-wheel steering for heavy helm or lost feel
- Verify mainsheet accessibility from helm
- Assess galley compromise and minimal reefer in three-cabin examples
- Confirm commonly fitted gear: autopilot, bow thruster, furling main, solar, etc.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Beneteau 473. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 18 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 2 | $ 165,231 | — |
| Feb 25 | 1 | $ 189,000 | +14.4% |
| Mar 25 | 7 | $ 189,900 | +0.5% |
| Apr 25 | 5 | $ 150,000 | -21.0% |
| May 25 | 2 | $ 127,400 | -15.1% |
| Jul 25 | 6 | $ 172,681 | +35.5% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $ 123,282 | -28.6% |
| Sep 25 | 17 | $ 164,742 | +33.6% |
| Oct 25 | 7 | $ 143,005 | -13.2% |
| Nov 25 | 13 | $ 132,000 | -7.7% |
| Dec 25 | 4 | $ 159,807 | +21.1% |
| Jan 26 | 23 | $ 165,981 | +3.9% |
| Feb 26 | 5 | $ 160,000 | -3.6% |
| Mar 26 | 8 | $ 143,070 | -10.6% |
| Apr 26 | 29 | $ 142,706 | -0.3% |
| May 26 | 12 | $ 144,500 | +1.3% |
| Jun 26 | 12 | $ 127,320 | -11.9% |
| Jul 26 | 5 | $ 160,000 | +25.7% |
Where they're listed
Beneteau 473 listings appear across 19 countries. United States has the most listings with 52 (38.2%), followed by Greece and Spain.
Country view
136 listings · 19 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 160,000 | 52 | 20 | 38.2% |
| Greece | $ 137,171 | 20 | 2 | 14.7% |
| Spain | $ 156,544 | 9 | 3 | 6.6% |
| France | $ 143,005 | 9 | 1 | 6.6% |
| Canada | $ 181,103 | 8 | 2 | 5.9% |
| New Zealand | $ 156,497 | 7 | 2 | 5.1% |
| Italy | $ 135,569 | 6 | 4 | 4.4% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $ 115,000 | 5 | 0 | 3.7% |
| Mexico | $ 169,500 | 4 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Turkey | $ 131,394 | 4 | 2 | 2.9% |
| Australia | $ 165,244 | 2 | 1 | 1.5% |
| Croatia | $ 108,055 | 2 | 0 | 1.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau 473You are here | — | $ 146,177 | 142 | 45 |
| Jeanneau Oceanis 473 | 46.92' | $ 139,900 | 119 | 29 |
| Catalina 470 | 47.67' | $ 210,000 | 55 | 16 |
| Gib Sea Classic 43 | 43' | $ 76,651 | 35 | 9 |
| North Wind 47 | 46.75' | $ 188,767 | 21 | 9 |
| Robertson 47 | 46.83' | $ 290,000 | 19 | 6 |
| Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 47 | 47.08' | $ 395,000 | 18 | 1 |
| Delphia 47 | 47.51' | $ 257,409 | 13 | 2 |
| Cheoy Lee Offshore 47 | 46.75' | $ 124,950 | 11 | 1 |
| Poncin 47 | 47.21' | $ 108,684 | 8 | 3 |