Catana 47 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin layouts account for the majority of used examples you are likely to encounter. These typically place a large owner's suite forward in one hull and two guest cabins in the other, freeing the opposite hull's aft section for an expanded galley or storage. The arrangement suits a liveaboard couple running offshore passages with occasional crew or guests, which is precisely how most of these boats have been used.

Four-cabin layouts do appear on the market. Many of these originated as charter-ready configurations and carry the service history to match, which is worth evaluating carefully. A charter history is neither automatically a liability nor a recommendation; it depends entirely on how the managing company maintained the vessel and what documentation survives. Ex-charter examples are common enough that buyers should be prepared to ask for complete service records rather than accepting vague assurances.

The saloon and bridge deck layout is consistent across production: a large, social cockpit aft, a raised saloon with good headroom and forward visibility, and the practical separation between helm stations and living space that distinguishes a proper offshore catamaran from a floating apartment.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used Catana 47s typically arrive with a substantial equipment inventory, reflecting both the original specification levels and the upgrades previous owners have layered on over passage-making careers. Solar arrays are nearly universal, often sized generously given that the boats have been used for extended cruising away from shore power. Autopilot, chartplotter, AIS, and radar are standard fare on the electronic navigation side, with Starlink becoming a common sight on more recent examples that have been actively cruised.

Watermakers, freezers, and hot water systems are broadly fitted, as are electric winches — the original sail handling plan assumed them, and most examples retain or have upgraded that gear. Biminis and hardtops are widely seen, protecting cockpit crew on tropical passages. Dinghy davits are a frequent addition, and a gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker rounds out the sail inventory on most bluewater-outfitted boats. Life rafts and EPIRBs are standard safety gear across the fleet.

Lithium battery banks represent a common and significant owner upgrade on examples that have been actively maintained and modernized. An inverter to support the electrical load of a liveaboard is nearly universal. Cockpit showers and washing machines speak to the amenity standard buyers should expect.

Air conditioning, heating systems, and wind generators are less universally fitted but appear on some examples; buyers should confirm their presence or absence rather than assuming either way. A spinnaker pole setup and upgraded swim platform modifications are seen on some examples, typically on boats whose owners pushed the performance envelope or spent extended time at anchor in settled conditions.

Teak decks are present on many examples and warrant careful inspection for their own sake — a tired teak deck is a cosmetic and structural concern that can represent meaningful refit cost.

What to Inspect

The electrical system deserves close attention. Cruising World's test team noted an exposed electrical panel and flagged electrical issues as points of concern during their evaluation, suggesting this is an area where the original build quality was inconsistent and where deferred maintenance compounds risk. On a boat that has spent years at sea with complex DC and AC electrical loads — watermakers, electric winches, inverters, lithium banks — the wiring should be surveyed by someone who knows multihull electrical systems specifically.

Daggerboard condition is central to the boat's value proposition. The twin daggerboard system provides the lateral resistance that makes the 47 genuinely competent to windward; worn or damaged boards, or a trunk that has been neglected, are expensive to address. Inspect the board surfaces, the trunk seals, and the lifting mechanism carefully. While daggerboards on properly maintained examples hold up well, they see significant loads and the consequences of a failure underway are serious.

The carbon fiber elements in the structure — cabin top inner skin, structural bulkheads, bimini top framing — should be examined for delamination or damage. Carbon is durable but not indestructible, and a hard passage in severe conditions can produce damage that is not always obvious at the surface.

Hull laminate integrity is worth scrutinizing despite the vinylester osmosis protection in the layup. Any blistering or moisture ingress into the Airex foam core represents a repair project; a moisture meter survey of the hulls below the waterline is standard practice and non-negotiable here.

Engine hours and service history for both engines matter considerably. The 47 typically carries a pair of diesels with modest individual horsepower; confirm both are in alignment, that the saildrive or shaft seals are in good condition, and that zincs and impellers have been maintained on schedule.

Running rigging, sail condition, and the square-topped mainsail track and car system should all be assessed. The large sail plan puts real loads through the hardware; sheets, halyards, blocks, and clutches all wear at predictable intervals on an actively sailed boat.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Catana 47 circulates most actively in the French market and across the Mediterranean, reflecting the builder's European base and the preference of many original owners for home-waters delivery. The United States market carries examples regularly, particularly boats that completed transatlantic passages or were imported by owners who sailed them offshore. New Caledonia, Thailand, and Australia represent additional market nodes where the boat's bluewater pedigree has driven it to distant anchorages and, eventually, to brokerage.

For a buyer willing to conduct thorough due diligence, the Catana 47 offers a rare combination: a genuinely fast offshore catamaran with serious build quality and the kind of equipment inventory that reflects real bluewater use rather than marina optimism.

Before making an offer, work through this checklist:

• Survey the electrical system end-to-end, including panel condition, wiring runs, and all battery bank documentation
• Inspect both daggerboards, trunks, and lifting mechanisms in person, with boards removed if possible
• Conduct a thorough moisture survey of both hulls below the waterline
• Verify complete service records for both engines, including hours, impeller changes, and saildrive service
• Confirm teak deck condition and assess any delamination or seam failure before factoring refit cost
• Review all carbon structural elements — cabin top, bulkheads — for delamination or impact damage
• Obtain the full sail inventory with condition notes; verify that the square-topped main track and car system are functional
• Clarify charter history and request the managing company's maintenance logs if applicable
• Confirm life raft certification date and EPIRB registration status
• Review all electronics for age and software currency, particularly chart data and AIS transponder certification