Dufour 48 Sail Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used Dufour 48 Sail means looking at a 2018-launched catamaran that began life as a charter design from Umberto Felci and his Felci Yachts co-founder Lorenzo Giovannozzi, later affected by Fountaine Pajot's takeover of Dufour that May. The boat was first shown at Cannes in 2018 and reached markets such as Australia by that year's test of hull #29. As a modern 47-foot catamaran with solid fiberglass construction and a 26-foot-3-inch beam, it rewards buyers who value volume and shallow draft over bluewater bridgedeck silence.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most 48 Sail examples trace to the model's charter origins, so the dominant layout maximizes cabin volume through relatively modest bridgedeck clearance. That geometry guarantees good belowdeck space but means the boat is tuned for accommodating groups rather than silent passage-making. The 4-foot-3-inch draft and 238-gallon fuel, 214-gallon water capacities suit island and coastal cruising.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
With no consolidated equipment summary available, gear should be judged per individual listing. The 48 Sail's fractional sloop rig with 1335 square feet of sail and a 72.8-foot mast implies that buyers should focus on rig and sail-handling gear, plus energy systems suited to a 36,376-pound catamaran with a single Volvo Penta diesel. Generator and watermaker installations matter most for independent cruising; canvas and cockpit shading, along with powered winches or furling upgrades, affect hands-on handling; navigation electronics should be verified for currency.
What to Inspect
The one documented design caveat is the modest bridgedeck clearance, which risks slamming in bigger seas even as it expands cabin volume. On any survey, watch for hull/deck joint integrity at the inward-facing flange and evidence of bridgedeck impact or stress from offshore use. Confirm the solid fiberglass hull and deck show no osmotic or structural repair history beyond normal wear.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For a buyer, the checklist is short: verify the charter versus private use history, inspect bridgedeck clearance behavior in a sea trial, confirm tankage and rig condition, and assess upgrade quality. The Dufour 48 Sail is a spacious, shallow-draft catamaran best suited to volume-minded cruisers who accept the slamming tradeoff in heavier conditions.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau Oceanis Oceanis 48 | 47.92' | $ 244,000 | 173 | 31 |
| Dufour 470 | 48.72' | $ 408,898 | 79 | 13 |
| Dufour 41 | 41' | $ 407,847 | 55 | 5 |
| Performance 44 Performance | 44.85' | $ 219,049 | 54 | 7 |
| Performance 40 | 40.42' | $ 115,362 | 36 | 8 |
| Dufour 56 -2 | 56.27' | $ 329,191 | 36 | 7 |
| Dufour 54 | 55.25' | $ 1,113,000 | 21 | 0 |
| Swan 48 | 48.49' | $ 576,812 | 18 | 2 |
| Dufour 485 Grand Large | 48.33' | $ 232,473 | 18 | 6 |
| Dufour Catamaran 48 | 46.59' | $ 675,000 | 9 | 1 |