Beneteau First 405 Buyer's Guide
The Beneteau First 405 occupies a particular sweet spot in the used performance-cruiser market: a genuine Jean Berret design with Nautor's Swan–influenced lines, built during a brief production window in the mid-to-late 1980s, that manages to feel both purposeful and liveable. What makes it worth understanding before you go shopping is that its interior architecture is unusually accomplished for the era — naval architect Bob Perry famously studied it hoping to find weaknesses and largely came away empty-handed. The galley is genuinely large and well arranged, the quarter berths are long enough for tall crew, and the headroom and circulation throughout are better than most contemporaries at the same waterline length. Burmese teak joinery was standard, giving survivors an interior warmth that ages well when maintained. The flip side is that teak — on the deck or below — demands honest attention during any survey. The rig is intentionally modest, keeping the boat docile and manageable for a short-handed couple but limiting light-air speed; buyers wanting more sail area will find that an easy target for upgrading. With a fin keel drawing just over seven feet in standard form (a shallower draft option exists), the 405 is a true blue-water-capable hull with a displacement-to-length ratio in the mid-180s and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio that favors comfort over racing. It is a boat that rewards buyers who prioritize seaworthiness and interior quality over raw upwind speed.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used market for the First 405 is dominated by the three-cabin layout, which pairs a forward owner's cabin with a separate aft quarter cabin on each side and two full heads. This arrangement suits couples doing extended passages while still offering reasonable guest accommodation. Two-cabin examples do appear, typically configured with a larger saloon, and they remain worth considering for buyers who rarely sail with crew. The aft head in both configurations is genuinely usable rather than a token compartment — an observation that distinguished the 405 even among contemporary reviewers. Whichever layout you find, the saloon table and galley are broadly similar; the differences are concentrated aft.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
By the time a First 405 reaches today's brokerage market, its original systems have typically been substantially updated or replaced. Autopilots, chartplotters, and inverters are commonly fitted across the fleet; these were either retrofitted by early owners or refreshed by subsequent ones, and their presence can be assumed rather than treated as a bonus. Solar panels are a frequent addition, usually mounted on a stern arch or davits, reflecting the boat's use as a liveaboard or long-range cruiser. Life rafts in their canisters appear regularly in listings, though buyers should always confirm inspection dates.
A meaningful portion of the fleet carries owner-installed upgrades that mark boats used for serious offshore work: watermakers, AIS transponders, dodgers and biminis, and cockpit showers all appear with notable frequency. Spinnakers — both symmetrical and asymmetric — are a common addition for owners who wanted to address the conservative sail plan, and some examples carry electric winches fitted for short-handed passage-making. Lithium battery banks are a relatively recent upgrade found on boats whose owners have invested in complete electrical system rebuilds. Teak decks, either original or refinished, appear on a portion of the fleet and add character while also adding survey complexity. A swim platform, often an owner-fabricated or aftermarket addition at the transom, is seen on examples set up for warm-water cruising.
What to Inspect
The First 405's age means that structural and mechanical due diligence is non-negotiable, even on well-maintained examples. The hull and deck joint deserves close attention, as does any area where deck hardware has been through-bolted over decades of loading and weather cycling. The integrated companionway and skylight hatch — a design detail Perry specifically praised for its refinement — should be examined for seal integrity and any signs of water intrusion into the cabin top. The cockpit coaming design, with its ramp-style construction, should be checked for delamination or stress cracking, particularly at the bases.
Below decks, the Burmese teak joinery is beautiful but requires honest inspection: soft spots in the cabin sole, swollen or delaminated teak veneers on bulkheads, and any staining around deck fittings all point to moisture intrusion that may have been present for years. The original Perkins diesel engine, where still fitted, is a known quantity mechanically but at this age deserves a full service history review and compression check; many examples have been re-engined, and the replacement powerplant and its installation quality should be assessed independently. Seacocks and through-hulls are a priority on any vessel of this vintage — confirm they are full-bore bronze or modern composite replacements and that they turn freely. The keel-to-hull joint should be surveyed carefully given the fin configuration and the ballast ratio; any rust weeping, cracking in the fairing, or soft spots in surrounding laminate require further investigation. Rigging on boats of this era is frequently at or past its service life even if outwardly sound; budget for a full standing rigging replacement if records cannot confirm a recent re-rig.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The First 405 circulates most actively in the Mediterranean — particularly Greece — and in the Caribbean, with a meaningful secondary market in Northern Europe including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and examples regularly appearing in North America. Its reputation as a well-engineered offshore cruiser keeps demand steady without generating the frenzied competition that newer production boats attract, which means patient buyers can afford to be selective.
Before committing, work through this checklist:
- Commission a full out-of-water survey including keel-joint inspection and hull osmotic assessment
- Confirm standing rigging age and obtain quotes for replacement if undocumented
- Survey all seacocks and through-hulls for condition and operability
- Inspect the companionway/skylight hatch integration for seal and structural integrity
- Evaluate the engine (or replacement engine) compression, mounts, and raw-water cooling system
- Check teak deck or cabin sole for soft spots indicating moisture intrusion beneath
- Verify life raft and EPIRB certification dates
- Confirm solar, autopilot, and chartplotter installations are properly integrated with the vessel's electrical system
- Assess whether the sail inventory — including any spinnaker — is serviceable or needs replacement
- Review the keel draft option fitted and confirm it suits your intended cruising grounds
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Beneteau First 405. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 12 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 2 | $ 65,707 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 45,533 | -30.7% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $ 64,720 | +42.1% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $ 32,624 | -49.6% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $ 68,050 | +108.6% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $ 61,362 | -9.8% |
| Feb 26 | 3 | $ 60,075 | -2.1% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $ 34,995 | -41.7% |
| Apr 26 | 12 | $ 58,498 | +67.2% |
| May 26 | 3 | $ 45,533 | -22.2% |
| Jun 26 | 5 | $ 79,114 | +73.8% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $ 69,289 | -12.4% |
Where they're listed
Beneteau First 405 listings appear across 11 countries. Greece has the most listings with 11 (31.4%), followed by Martinique and Netherlands.
Country view
35 listings · 11 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | $ 45,533 | 11 | 3 | 31.4% |
| Martinique | $ 86,513 | 5 | 2 | 14.3% |
| Netherlands | $ 79,114 | 5 | 4 | 14.3% |
| United Kingdom | $ 33,375 | 3 | 0 | 8.6% |
| Saint Lucia | $ 34,995 | 3 | 0 | 8.6% |
| Denmark | $ 67,004 | 2 | 1 | 5.7% |
| United States | $ 57,500 | 2 | 0 | 5.7% |
| Spain | $ 63,723 | 1 | 0 | 2.9% |
| France | $ 56,803 | 1 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Italy | $ 31,873 | 1 | 0 | 2.9% |
| Mexico | $ 44,900 | 1 | 0 | 2.9% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Sun Odyssey 45 | 45.01' | $ 165,059 | 100 | 34 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 | 40.03' | $ 100,037 | 52 | 14 |
| Dufour 405 Grand Large | 39.93' | $ 144,569 | 51 | 13 |
| Beneteau First 405You are here | — | $ 59,000 | 35 | 11 |
| Beneteau First 375 | 37.08' | $ 39,842 | 25 | 7 |
| J/BOATS J/40 | 40' | $ 68,750 | 16 | 7 |
| Tartan 40 | 40.25' | $ 89,900 | 13 | 1 |
| Dufour Classic 45 | 45.92' | $ 108,634 | 12 | 0 |
| Frers 45 | 45' | $ 57,372 | 6 | 0 |