Dufour 325 Grand Large Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is a hand-laminated solid fiberglass shell using NPG gelcoat with the first cloth layer impregnated with NPG resin, a combination the builder describes as an optimum barrier against osmosis anchor. An inner moulded hull bottom carries a structural grid laminated to the hull, and the deck is a PVC foam-core sandwich moulded by resin transfer injection, which saves weight and leaves a clean interior finish. The keel is cast iron, with bolt loads taken up by a stainless steel backing plate. Two keel alternatives were offered: an L-shaped bulb fin drawing about 1.85 to 1.95 meters dependent on load, and a shoaler L-keel drawing about 1.55 to 1.65 meters. The rudder is semi-elliptical, filled with closed-cell epoxy foam on a stainless steel solid stock, with the stock head left accessible under the helmsman's sole for an emergency tiller.

Rig and Handling

The 325 is built with a fractional 9/10 rig on a deck-stepped anodised aluminium mast with double swept-back spreaders, and a grounded rigging system using continuous single-strand stainless steel cable with chrome-plated bronze turnbuckles. Reviewing the specification, Yacht Database noted the boat carries more rig than 90% of comparable sailboats, leaving it significantly overrigged for its size anchor. Mainsheet tackle runs on the roof, a boomvang gives 4:1 purchase, and genoa sheets lead through piston-track blocks to turning blocks on the coamings. A single stainless chainplate serves cap and aft lower shrouds. Under power, the Volvo Penta diesel with saildrive drives the hull to a calculated maximum of about 5.4 knots, against a theoretical displacement-hull speed of 7.1 knots. The capsize screening value of 2.05 led Yacht Database to note this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races, though the CE Class A rating tells a different story about intended use.

Accommodations

Headroom sits above average for the class, and the joinery is all prime Moabi mahogany with solid-wood fiddles, mouldings, and framings; soles are Moabi laminated, and upper linings are Moabi wood. Lighting comes from numerous chrome spotlights and reading lights, while ventilation is handled by two deck hatches with integrated ventilators, four opening roof portlights with curtains, two hull portlights, and two permanent "mushroom" aerators. Saloon and cabin cushions have removable covers, and all cabin doors carry a blocking system to hold them open. The companionway is a sliding Plexiglas hatch with washboards and lock, curved wooden steps, and engine access by lifting the step case on a jack. Cockpit seating is teak-trimmed over a GRP sole, with a large side locker lid fitted with padlock hasps.

Known Issues

The principal caveats a buyer inherits are inherent to the choices above: the L-shaped bulb fin variant restricts the boat to major marinas because of its 1.85 to 1.95 meter draft dependent on load, and the saildrive transmission — while efficient — is a unit that demands periodic diaphragm and seal service distinct from a conventional shaft. The overrigged specification means standing rigging and deck hardware see higher loads than on a lightly sparred 33-footer, so inspection of the single chainplate and turnbuckles carries more consequence. None of these is a defect; they are the trade-offs of the design's ambitions.

The Verdict

The Dufour 325 Grand Large is a thoughtfully packaged small cruiser that punches above its length in accommodation and equipment, backed by an osmosis-resistant hull layup and an ocean-rated certification. Its overrigged fractional sail plan and well-organized deck make it a confident short-handed coastal and offshore vessel, while the shoal keel option broadens where it can lie. The deep-draft version's marina limitations and the saildrive's maintenance profile are the prices paid for that package.

Pros