Cal 39 Mk III Buyer's Guide
The Cal 39 Mk III you find on the brokerage market is the 1981-and-later evolution of a model line that began with the 1971 Cal 40 replacement and continued through a 1978 revision. Around 150 Cal 39s of all generations were built, and quite a few went into charter before later owners retrofit them into serious cruisers. The Mk III is recognizable by its expanded aft cabin and remains a genuine performance cruiser with a well-aft spade rudder and solid-glass hull.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Mk III standard interior shows an L-shaped galley opposite the aft cabin, a saloon with port settee and table plus a starboard sea-berth settee, and a forward owner's cabin with ensuite head and large V-berth also reached from the saloon. The Mk III added a sink and large hanging locker to the aft cabin. Some boats substituted an enclosed aft head for the nav station, which buyers who navigate off the settee may regret. Cabin brightness comes from two or three overhead hatches and eight mostly opening portlights, though many boats carry plastic frames worth inspecting. Tanks occupy much of the under-settee volume, so live-aboard storage is modest.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Engine history matters most. Early boats came standard with the Perkins 4108, a reliable diesel easy to service; later examples carried a Universal four-cylinder or, on some, a Pathfinder built from a Volkswagen Rabbit—a unit almost universally disliked by owners. A meaningful number have been repowered with Yanmars, a sensible upgrade. Rig choices center on the standard keel-stepped spar or the hard-to-find tall rig that adds sail area and is in demand. For cruising, the 5-foot 6-inch shoal keel is more desirable than the standard 6-foot 8-inch draft. Most boats have double anchor rollers and a shallow external chain locker forward, and a 1979 example showed an aft locker converted to a gas locker—a configuration to verify for your own build.
What to Inspect
Owner reports cite deck delamination and leaky hull-to-deck joints, so probe the balsa-cored deck and the inward-flange joint carefully anchor. The foam-and-glass rudder can be a problem and should be examined during survey. Many boats have plastic portlights with broken dogs or cracked frames, and the original teak-and-holly cabin sole is not well supported and may need work. The teak toerail carries an outer headsail track that makes maintenance a chore, and nonskid is likely well worn. Engine access is poor from behind the companionway regardless of make.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability follows the typical markets on file for the model. For a shopper, the shortlist is:
- Confirm keel type—prefer the 5-foot 6-inch shoal draft for cruising range
- Verify rig: standard spar versus the scarce, desirable tall rig
- Check engine make; favor Perkins or Yanmar repower over Pathfinder
- Survey deck core, hull-to-deck joint, rudder, and plastic portlights
- Inspect cabin sole support and teak toerail track mounting
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cal 39 Mk III. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $64,500 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $74,500 | +15.5% |
Where they're listed
Cal 39 Mk III listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $69,500 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 34 Mk II | 34.5' | $ 62,900 | 75 | 25 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 39 | 38.88' | $ 182,145 | 30 | 7 |
| Caliber 38 | 38' | $ 81,184 | 18 | 4 |
| Caliber 33 | 32.5' | $ 43,950 | 12 | 6 |
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 54,122 | 12 | 2 |
| Oyster Yachts 39 | 40.68' | $ 51,665 | 9 | 3 |
| CAL 39 | 38.67' | $ 41,000 | 9 | 6 |
| CAL 39 Mk IIIYou are here | — | $ 69,500 | 2 | 0 |