Dufour 445 Grand Large Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The three-cabin version places a centerline queen forward with a head and voluminous shower, while the four-cabin boat splits the bow into twin cabins and keeps two aft queen berths. A U-shaped saloon, inline galley, and forward nav station make either layout a practical liveaboard, with 6-foot-4-inch headroom throughout. Buyers cross-shopping a Beneteau Oceanis 45 or Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 439 will find the Dufour's moabi interior and fold-down transom swim platform distinctive.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Rather than chase every fitted toy, focus on systems that change ownership cost. A bow thruster is a frequent owner upgrade and aids docking on a 22,770-pound hull; teak decks appear less commonly and signal added maintenance. The standard 55-horsepower Volvo often gives way to a 75-horsepower Volvo with saildrive, and a low-drag four-bladed folding prop is a meaningful efficiency detail. For energy and comfort, a generator can sit between the aft cabins and a second refrigerator tucks under the settee. Canvas and sail handling center on the Z-Spar rig with Facnor furler and an electric cabintop winch; a retracting sprit supports offwind sails. Navigation is served by a full-size forward-facing station, and the wide fold-down swim platform spans the transom for cockpit access.

What to Inspect

The anvil-shaped cast-iron keel attached with stainless steel bolts should be checked for rust or scale at the garboard, since iron keels deteriorate without barrier coating. The foam-cored injection-molded deck is bonded to the hull flange with 3M's 5200 and fastened every 8 inches; confirm that seam remains sealed and the mechanical fastening is intact. The structural grid bonded to the hand-laid hull distributes keel and rig loads, so look for any separation or re-tabbing evidence after hard groundings. The saildrive on the Volvo should run smoothly and quietly, and the four-bladed folding prop must articulate cleanly.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats turn up across France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Martinique. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm keel version (deep 7ft 3in or shoal 5ft 10in) against intended waters; verify deck-to-hull bond and grid bonding; test saildrive and folding prop; assess bow thruster and teak deck as owner-fit variables; and choose three- or four-cabin layout by liveaboard need. The 445 Grand Large remains a sensible, well-built cruiser with few nasty surprises for the careful shopper.