Beneteau 49 Buyer's Guide
The Beneteau 49 entered production in 2007 as a Berret-Racoupeau-designed cruiser built by Beneteau in Marion, South Carolina, and it is now out of production as an established presence on the used market. Offered in two- and three-cabin configurations with Nauta-designed interiors, it carries a 49′ 6″ LOA, a 26,500 lb displacement, and a fixed fin keel with weighted bulb, making it a substantial but manageable monohull for prospective cruisers weighing cabin count against liveaboard comfort.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The two-cabin version places a double island berth forward, a U-shaped and straight settee in the main salon, and an aft cabin with a diagonal double island berth to starboard; the three-cabin interior instead divides that aft space into two smaller cabins. Both sleep four to six, with the L-shaped port galley just forward of the companionway ladder and a starboard navigation station opposite, plus two heads—one in the bow cabin port side, one starboard aft.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, electric winches, bimini, dodger, furling main, radar, autopilot, chartplotter, air conditioning, heating, and inverter are commonly fitted. Freezer, dinghy davits, and bow thruster are often seen, while solar, hot water, spinnaker, swim platform, cockpit shower, asymmetric spinnaker, AIS, and short-handed setup appear as sometimes-or-owner upgrades rather than standard equipment. The original deck plan already supports modernization: the transom insert holds a life raft but removes to accept a generator, and the cockpit table carries a swiveling chart-plotter pod at its aft end.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues from period testing center on finishing details rather than structure. The forward head's curved sliding shower door did not close easily on the demo boat, so check that the track and latch operate smoothly on any candidate. Both heads have Corian countertops with no fiddles, meaning items can slide; confirm whether prior owners added rails. The louvered companionway doors ventilate well but would need modification for offshore use, and the galley sinks sit close to the centerline but were noted as possibly shallow. A small sump under the floorboards amidships is a valued feature in shallow-bilged boats, so verify it is clear and functional.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Beneteau 49 typically appears in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Canada, and Italy. For a shopper, the practical checklist is brief: confirm cabin-count preference against ex-charter history, verify the shower door and head fiddles, inspect the companionway doors for offshore intent, and check the transom insert and cockpit table as generator and electronics upgrade paths.
- Decide two- vs three-cabin layout; expect more three-cabin owner boats, ex-charter common
- Test forward head shower door closure and head countertop fiddles
- Review louvered companionway doors for any offshore modification
- Confirm transom life-raft insert and swiveling plotter pod condition for upgrade ease
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Beneteau 49. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 14 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 2 | $ 275,000 | — |
| Feb 25 | 1 | $ 230,000 | -16.4% |
| Mar 25 | 5 | $ 225,000 | -2.2% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 219,000 | -2.7% |
| Aug 25 | 4 | $ 229,450 | +4.8% |
| Sep 25 | 9 | $ 227,758 | -0.7% |
| Oct 25 | 3 | $ 178,000 | -21.8% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 154,509 | -13.2% |
| Jan 26 | 10 | $ 214,000 | +38.5% |
| Feb 26 | 4 | $ 249,500 | +16.6% |
| Mar 26 | 7 | $ 209,000 | -16.2% |
| Apr 26 | 10 | $ 198,500 | -5.0% |
| May 26 | 8 | $ 209,000 | +5.3% |
| Jun 26 | 3 | $ 262,144 | +25.4% |
Where they're listed
Beneteau 49 listings appear across 5 countries. United States has the most listings with 49 (90.7%), followed by Mexico and Canada.
Country view
54 listings · 5 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 209,000 | 49 | 10 | 90.7% |
| Mexico | $ 298,000 | 2 | 0 | 3.7% |
| Canada | $ 262,144 | 1 | 1 | 1.9% |
| Spain | $ 227,758 | 1 | 0 | 1.9% |
| Italy | $ 154,509 | 1 | 0 | 1.9% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Sun Odyssey 49 | 49.16' | $ 170,500 | 102 | 20 |
| Bavaria Cruiser 50 | 49.18' | $ 128,733 | 66 | 8 |
| Beneteau 49You are here | — | $ 219,000 | 59 | 16 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 | 45.08' | $ 188,809 | 49 | 10 |
| Hunter 49 | 49.92' | $ 214,000 | 31 | 6 |
| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 49 | 50.5' | $ 125,873 | 29 | 5 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 DS | 49.15' | $ 199,000 | 21 | 7 |
| Beneteau 40 | 39.83' | $ 152,174 | 16 | 3 |
| Hanse 495 | 50.52' | $ 274,631 | 14 | 7 |
| Oyster Yachts 49 | 51.83' | $ 377,618 | 13 | 1 |
| Beneteau 46 | 47.24' | $ 189,395 | 10 | 3 |