Cavalier 39 Buyer's Guide
The Cavalier 39 is a Bob Salthouse-designed masthead sloop built by Cavalier Yachts in Australia from 1973 through 1979, with just 35 completed. She is a solid-fibreglass heavy cruiser of 39 feet, drawing about six feet on a fin keel, and the used Cavalier 39s split between the standard aft-cabin sloop and a few Pilot House, Centre Cockpit, ketch, and cutter variants. For a shopper, the small production count means each boat stands on its own condition rather than a deep pool of comparables.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most examples follow the standard plan: V-berth forward, two settee berths in the saloon, and a double aft. The Pilot House raises the saloon with windows for brighter living, while the Centre Cockpit puts an aft cabin behind a separate entrance. Ketch and cutter rigs appear as alternatives, the latter carrying a staysail between mast and forestay. Because only 35 were built, any non-standard layout should be judged as a one-off rather than a common option.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used Cavalier 39s commonly carry solar panels, wind generators, biminis, dodgers, and cockpit showers for power and weather protection, alongside AIS, autopilot, chartplotter, radar, EPIRB, and life raft for navigation and safety. Asymmetric and symmetric spinnakers are commonly fitted for downwind cruising. A buyer should confirm the energy cluster meets her own house load, since a wind generator and solar pair implies a cruiser who lived at anchor rather than a weekend sailor.
What to Inspect
The deep fin keel is the first practical check: at roughly six feet of draft the hull enters only major marinas, so verify the keel-root bonding and any grounding history before assuming routine haulout access. The same fin that gives splendid maneuverability trades away directional stability against a long keel, so on the trial sail note whether she wanders under autopilot or requires constant helm correction.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Cavalier 39s typically appear in Mexico and Australia. Walk the keel-to-hull joint for old repair or flex. Confirm the fin-keel draft against your intended marinas. Test the helm for directional wander under light correction. Verify the solar and wind generation against your anchor load. Check the variant layout matches the berth count you need.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cavalier 39. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 2 | $63,000 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $63,000 | 0.0% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $69,652 | +10.6% |
Where they're listed
Cavalier 39 listings appear across 2 countries. Mexico has the most listings with 3 (75.0%), followed by Australia.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber 40 | 40.92' | $ 169,000 | 24 | 7 |
| Oyster Yachts 39 | 40.68' | $ 52,061 | 9 | 4 |
| Cavalier 39You are here | — | $ 63,000 | 4 | 1 |