C&C 37/40+ Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Plus and XL share a full cruising interior with an aft cockpit and two staterooms—aft and forward—while the R strips weight with a Spartan interior and reverse transom. The Plus and XL galleys carry dual sinks, an icebox, freezer, and three-burner propane stove, and both place queen berths in each stateroom with a roomy nav station aft to port. The V-berth stateroom has a starboard vanity and port hanging locker. A bridgedeck keeps cabin water out but costs some leg room, and the cozy cockpit snuggly seats six. The XL uses the R's lighter hull and deck plan with a taller mast and deeper keel, making it 40% lighter than the Plus; the R itself carries a deep fin keel just over eight feet.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used C&C 37/40s commonly carry radar, autopilot, chartplotter, hot water, heating, inverter, gennaker, spinnaker, and a dodger, so a typical example already supports extended cruising. Often-seen additions include an asymmetric spinnaker, freezer, bimini, swim platform, and AIS, which broaden shorthanded sail handling and visibility. Less common owner upgrades include air conditioning, solar, electric winches, EPIRB, and simplified shorthanded rigging—worth noting but not expected on every boat. For a buyer, the common autopilot and chartplotter mean navigation is largely in place, while the often-seen freezer and bimini speak to liveaboard comfort; solar and electric winches remain bonus finds rather than standard kit.

What to Inspect

The aluminum toerail draws the most owner criticism: deck crews sometimes complain it creates discomfort despite its usefulness, and some critics contend those rails are more apt to leak. Backing plates under deck hardware are another watch item, since some owners say they were skimpy or never installed, though C&C did fit matting to handle compression. Where leaking and possible balsa-core delamination were suspected, some owners have removed and rebedded deck hardware, so check for prior rebedding marks and core soundness. The cockpit itself is snug—some owners consider it too small, and six is a tight fit—so trial it with your usual crew.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The used fleet is concentrated in the United States and Canada. A sensible used-boat checklist: confirm which of the three models you are viewing and whether the hull is a 37 or rebranded 40; inspect aluminum toerail leakage and backing-plate installation; sound the balsa deck core around hardware for delamination; verify engine access via side panels and companionway door (Universal or later Yanmar); and budget for replacing three-decade-old electronics. Choose the Plus for comfort, the XL for light crossover speed, the R for racing—and expect a well-kept example from a prideful ownership community.