C&C 51 Custom Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used C&C 51 Custom means chasing a scarce Canadian cruiser that Robert W. Ball designed and C&C Yachts first built in 1986, with at least five original hulls and a sixth finished after the 1994 factory fire. The model is out of production, so a buyer must understand the realistic layouts, upgrades, and the thin documented history that shapes inspection.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both owner and ex-charter configurations are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The last hull, Silent Partner II, was completed with a fixed keel rather than the centreboard used on the rest of the class, so a buyer who wants the variable-draft stub fin should confirm the specific hull identity before negotiating.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Air conditioning and heating are commonly fitted, making liveaboard use practical. Often-seen systems include a watermaker and inverter for extended off-grid stays, plus an asymmetric spinnaker and furling main that simplify sail handling on a 51-foot masthead sloop. Buyers will also frequently find a bow thruster and electric winches for short-handed docking and trimming, along with radar, AIS, autopilot, and chartplotter covering modern navigation. A life raft and EPIRB round out the safety inventory on many boats, while teak decks, a cockpit shower, and a washing machine appear as comfort upgrades.
What to Inspect
The sources show no structural or mechanical defects for the design itself. The one external event that bears on surviving hulls is the 1994 fire at the C&C factory in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which destroyed three boats under construction; the last example was finished from a spared hull and launched in 1997 anchor. A buyer should verify the hull identity and completion history, since the fixed-keel Silent Partner II differs from the centreboard sisters, and confirm that any hydraulic centreboard lift and tackle arrangement operates smoothly given the board’s lead-ballast fill anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States market. For a shopper, the practical checklist is short: confirm whether the hull is a centreboard or the fixed-keel Silent Partner II; expect owner three-cabin or ex-charter layouts; look for climate control and power systems as standard; and treat the 1994 fire and post-fire completion as a provenance question rather than a defect flag per the sources.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the C&C 51 Custom. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 2 | $195,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $195,000 | 0.0% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $155,000 | -20.5% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $155,000 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 2 | $175,000 | +12.9% |
Where they're listed
C&C 51 Custom listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 6.
Country view
6 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $155,000 | 6 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outremer 51 | 51.35' | $ 1,129,000 | 64 | 19 |
| Hinckley Yachts Sou'wester 51 | 51.16' | $ 515,000 | 27 | 11 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51 | 50.83' | $ 139,014 | 13 | 6 |
| C&C 44 | 44.17' | $ 61,900 | 9 | 1 |
| Hylas 51 | 51' | $ 167,000 | 8 | 3 |
| C&C 51 CustomYou are here | — | $ 155,000 | 6 | 0 |