Dufour 470 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin and charter four-cabin arrangements are both well represented, and ex-charter examples are common. The three deck layouts span a simple charter-oriented setup with controls led to a single aft winch, a more traditional owner layout with coach-roof halyards and sheets at the helm, and a six-winch performance version built for constant trim. Below, buyers will find either a transverse amidships galley or a starboard-side galley, with up to four heads across the larger plans. The fuller bow and powerful stern create substantial volume, so even the three-cabin versions feel roomy compared with older 48-footers.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Most boats on the market carry a practical cruising inventory. Commonly fitted items include a bow thruster, autopilot, chartplotter, furling main, self-tacking jib, inverter, hot water, air conditioning, solar, and a bimini—a cluster that means a buyer can expect push-button docking, reefed-down easy handling, and house-power support without immediate investment. Often-seen additions lean toward comfort and passage-making: a swim platform, teak decks, AIS, life raft, heating, cockpit shower, gennaker, electric winches, and freezer. Less common owner upgrades include an asymmetric spinnaker, dinghy davits, radar, dodger, and watermaker; these appear on boats whose owners extended range or liveaboard capability but should not be assumed.

What to Inspect

The hull is infused with PVC foam coring above the waterline and the laminate includes a vinylester outer layer and foam coring to help stave off osmosis, so survey focus on those areas is warranted for any suspected blister history. The cored deck is vacuum infused, and the rudder stock is solid stainless steel on the single high-aspect blade—check for play or corrosion at the bearing. Engine access is good from under the companionway steps and the sides, which simplifies a Volvo saildrive and 60hp diesel survey. Confirm the distributed electrical wiring and plumbing hoses remain bundled and labeled as built, since neat original routing eases fault tracing.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These yachts typically appear in Croatia, France, Spain, Greece, the United States, and Italy. For a shopper, the short checklist is: choose cabin count and deck layout for intended use (ex-charter four-cabin boats are common), verify the mast height against planned waterways since some owners specified a 4ft shortening, confirm the core and osmosis protection at survey, and expect to add a watermaker or davits only if the individual boat lacks them.