Dufour 390 Grand Large Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner-version three-cabin boats are the more common find, though both owner and ex-charter layouts appear, with ex-charter examples themselves common. The standard plan is a three-cabin, two-head arrangement, while the factory also offered a massive athwartships double aft, a three-cabin three-head version with a linear port galley, and later a single-head option. Joinery is Moabi as standard, with teak or light oak seen on some boats. The L-shaped galley uses Corian tops, the port settee berth runs 6 feet and extends via a dropping chart table, and an enormous lazarette sits under the port seat. Split mattresses allow lee cloths, a useful sign of a boat equipped for real passage work.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Most boats on the market carry an autopilot, chartplotter, drop-down swim platform, bimini, and self-tacking jib as commonly fitted gear. Often-seen additions include hot water, cockpit shower, furling main, bow thruster, life raft, inverter, teak decks, and AIS — a cluster that points to powered anchoring, navigation, and shore-comfort use. Less common but worth noting as owner upgrades are heating, solar, and electric winches, the last two speaking to extended off-grid cruising and easier short-handed sail handling. A fixed bow sprit handles the asymmetrical spinnaker and protects the stem from anchor dings, while the standard traveler and twin backstays (with a single bifurcated stay option) define the rig.

What to Inspect

The one documented rigging shortfall is the headsail tracks being too short for an overlapping genoa, which matters if the boat is marketed with a 108% headsail on its Facnor FlatDeck furler rather than the standard self-tacker. Deck grip is another point: the non-slip finish is less grippy than some, so check wear patterns and consider traction upgrades if you sail in wet conditions. Under the cabin sole, confirm the stiffening matrix and stainless steel keel-bolt backing plates are intact, and verify the Saildrive seal service history on the standard 30 hp Volvo (40 hp optional).

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats regularly appear in France, Italy, Croatia, the United States, the British Virgin Islands, and the United Kingdom. For a buyer, the practical checklist is short: confirm the layout matches your cabin-count need, verify the headsail track length against any oversized genoa, inspect the Saildrive and keel-bolt backing, and decide whether the often-seen bow thruster and inverter suit your cruising. A well-kept 390 rewards with volume, flexible accommodations, and forgiving handling.