Crowther Buccaneer 40 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Crowther Buccaneer 40 means chasing a scarce 1972-vintage trimaran: only nine were built from plans by various yards, and every example carries the individuality of its builder's interpretation. As a 40.5-foot demountable trimaran with a 27.5-foot beam, it is a specialized buy for the multihull-minded cruiser rather than a mainstream brokerage find.
Layouts on the Used Market
Because the Buccaneer 40 was produced from plans rather than a single production line, interiors differ from boat to boat. The constant across all examples is the three-hull trimaran form with a daggerboard and a masthead sloop rig on a 12.34-meter LOA hull. Buyers should expect to evaluate each boat as a unique finished vessel, with the 8.38-meter beam providing the platform that defines livability.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Solar power and autopilot are commonly fitted on these boats, reflecting the offshore-cruising intent of most owners. Beyond that pair, the record does not itemize further equipment tiers, so a buyer should treat navigation instruments, sail-handling hardware, and comfort systems as variable by example. The presence of solar and autopilot is a useful baseline signal that a given boat was kept in active cruising trim, but neither implies a specific inventory of refrigeration, windvane, or canvas work.
What to Inspect
The Buccaneer 40's known construction points center on its demountable aluminum beam structure joining the hulls — the interface between beams and hulls is the critical structural zone to survey for fatigue, corrosion, or movement. The hull material is fiberglass or plywood composite, so core moisture in the plywood elements and skin separation are inspection priorities. The daggerboard trunk and its seals should be checked for wear and water intrusion given the 1.07-to-1.83-meter draft range, and the plan-built finishing means electrical and plumbing runs must be assessed individually rather than against a type standard.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These trimarans appear on the used market in the United States. For a prospective owner, the buy decision rests on tolerance for a nine-unit design and the willingness to vet a demountable multihull's beam joints and composite core. A short checklist:
- Confirm hull-to-aluminum-beam connection integrity
- Test daggerboard operation and inspect trunk seals
- Survey plywood-composite core for moisture
- Verify solar and autopilot function as fitted
- Expect plan-built interior variation; assess systems per boat
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Crowther Buccaneer 40. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $35,000 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nautitech 40 | 39.67' | $ 225,000 | 21 | 4 |
| Pogo 40 | 39.96' | $ 185,512 | 18 | 4 |