Design and Construction
Felci’s hull has a fuller bow than the 470, while chines keep the waterline narrow. A deeper, more rounded forefoot aims to make the boat more forgiving at sea. The additional beam forward adds to an already high level of form stability. Those full bow sections also balance the broad transom, helping the boat track in more of a straight line when heeled than older designs with wide sterns and narrow bows.
The Dufour 48 displaces 13,900 kg and carries 3,850 kg of iron ballast in a 2.35 m draft bulb keel. That makes it a heavy boat—about 25% heavier than Beneteau’s new Oceanis 47, as test sailors noted. Even so, testers said it felt relatively light at the wheel, crediting agile handling rather than skittish motion.
Extended glazing and numerous openings bring natural light and ventilation into the saloon and cabins. The widened aft platform retains two direct accesses to the sea, while integrated rope lockers sit within the secure side decks.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The Dufour 48 carries a 19/20ths fractional rig. Its low, waist-height gooseneck and mast steps ease mainsail handling, while a bowsprit with an integral bowroller can carry a furling offwind sail.
A self-tacking jib track is standard, although the test boat flew an overlapping genoa. Once its sheet is cracked, the self-tacking jib depowers toward the head—a useful trait as the breeze builds.
In a short Solent chop, test sailors found the boat seakindly. The chines threw spray to windward, and the deeper forefoot and lack of flat sections below kept her from slamming. The deep single rudder maintained its grip even when the boat bore away with the sails sheeted in hard.
In gusts of 15–26 knots, the test boat reached 9.4 knots on a close reach and held 8.5–9 knots at a 110° true wind angle. Upwind in 16–19 knots, it still cruised at 7.5 knots with standard Dacron sails and a twisted main. The boat is intended to sail in the high single figures without much effort and is happiest at 18º of heel, though it needs more than 10 knots of true wind to come alive.
Cockpit and Accommodation
Dufour offers three-, four-, and five-cabin layouts, with two to four heads. Buyers can also choose between two fundamentally different saloon and galley arrangements: a full-width forward galley just aft of the main bulkhead, or a long linear galley to port with an offset dining table.
In the three-cabin version, the forward owner’s cabin has a 215 cm by 177 cm island bed with a wraparound headboard. Separate shower and toilet compartments serve the cabin, and opening hatches above the bed provide excellent ventilation. The aft cabins are also generous, with fully rectangular 204 cm by 163 cm berths. Airflow is weaker there, however, because the only opening ports face the cockpit well and the aft coachroof bulkhead.
The XXL saloon is arranged around a hexagonal table and C-shaped seating to starboard, which is long enough to serve as a seaberth. The starboard heads compartment can be converted into a work and navigation station. The main port heads can instead become either a utility space or a twin-bunk room.
An outdoor galley extends the skylounge cockpit. The two cockpit tables each split into sections and can be lowered electrically in harbour to create sunpads. At sea, they also give the crew something to brace against.
Systems and Ownership
The key systems are arranged for straightforward servicing. The electrical panels are logically laid out, with good access to the wiring behind them, making it easier to keep retrofitted additional equipment neatly installed.
Propulsion options include 60 hp and 80 hp Yanmar diesels, as well as a 25 kW electric pod drive supplied by 27–32 kWh batteries. The ODSea+ hybrid rudder system adds diesel-generator charging and can regenerate up to 1 kW while sailing.
A hardtop fitted with 1,300 W of solar panels and an optional zero-emission propulsion system can extend the boat’s off-grid range. B&G Electronics supplies the instrument suite.
Known Issues
Testers found that the tops of the steering pedestals sat marginally too close to the wheels and clipped their knuckles. Dufour was rectifying this at review time.
In the three-cabin boat’s forward stateroom, the headboard boxing left not quite enough room to sit upright in bed. The builder said it was looking into a remedy.
The sprayhood would benefit from a window in its top so the crew can see the mainsail while hoisting, reefing, and trimming. Ventilation in the aft cabins also remains a weak point for liveaboard comfort in warm climates.
The Verdict
The Dufour 48 is a spacious, bluewater-rated cruiser that sails with surprising verve for its size. It trades hardcore expedition credentials for forgiving motion, easy handling, and a genuinely flexible interior.
Private owners will probably favour the three-cabin layout and its vast forward suite, while charter fleets can divide the bow into two en suite cabins. The ergonomic snags are relatively minor: steering-pedestal clearance, headboard boxing, sprayhood visibility, and aft-cabin airflow. These ergonomic snags were being addressed rather than designed in.
Pros
- Forgiving, slam-free hull with a deeper forefoot and chines that preserve a narrow waterline
- Strong measured pace: 9.4 knots reaching and 7.5 knots upwind in modest breeze
- Extensive, reconfigurable cabin and galley choices, including a genuine owner’s suite
- Logical electrical architecture suited to retrofits, plus hybrid-propulsion options
Cons
- Aft-cabin natural ventilation is limited to cockpit-facing ports
- Headboard boxing restricts room to sit upright in the forward berth
- Steering-pedestal tops initially clipped the helmsperson’s knuckles
- Sprayhood lacks a window for viewing the mainsail during hoists, reefing, and trimming
