Beneteau Sense 50 Sailboats for Sale

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 defining trait is the absence of aft cabins — all accommodation sits forward, with the saloon taking nearly the entire 16-foot beam and a gently sloped three-step companionway leading down. The master cabin has an island bed, ample storage, and an ensuite with separate shower; a guest cabin carries a double berth with a day-time head. The third cabin was standard with two bunk beds, though the builder offered a choice between that and an office/workshop, and the portside service area could be finished as an extra cabin. For some markets a crew cabin was offered as an option. The saloon itself seats six around a fold-out table or converts to a low cocktail mode, and the island unit hides a flatscreen TV.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used fleet, electric winches, bimini, chartplotter, inverter, and AIS are commonly fitted. Often-seen gear includes solar, bow thruster, hot water, radar, autopilot, life raft, air conditioning, heating, lithium batteries, teak decks, watermaker, gennaker, furling main, freezer, and dodger. Less commonly, as owner upgrades or occasional factory options, you may find an asymmetric spinnaker, swim platform, dinghy davits, cockpit shower, short-handed setup, or EPIRB. The Dock & Go system — a joystick-controlled rotating saildrive developed with Yanmar and ZF — was taken by half the buyers to date, so its presence on a given boat is a spec check, not a given. The B&G electronics pack with an instrument panel at each helm was standard, with housing for a 9-inch plotter as an option.

What to Inspect

Period evaluations of the Sense 50 flagged a lack of footholds to brace when heeled, the judge's sole handling complaint. More substantive are the build-phase tells: bare plywood mounts and flimsy panels in front of the blinds signal the production-prototype lineage, and the complete lack of generator servicing access is a real ownership penalty despite acceptable engine access. The cream head and side lining were noted as already marked with handprints and not durably attached, so check lining adhesion and soiling. Twin rudders sit deep and close together, constantly submerged — confirm rudder stock and bearing condition, since that geometry was cited as a source of drag and reduced helm feel.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The typical markets for the Sense 50 are Greece, United States, France, Turkey, Italy, and United Kingdom. For a buyer, the checklist is short and source-bound: confirm whether Dock & Go is fitted and serviced through the Yanmar/ZF chain; inspect rudder bearings given the submerged twin setup; look for prototype telltales and generator access limits; and verify the light linings are intact and clean. Choose the three-cabin owner layout if you want the standard bunks, or the alternative if you prefer an office or crew option.