Dufour 500 Grand Large Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The basic floor plan offers a choice of three or four cabins with two or three ensuite heads, though most hulls carry the master forward with split head to starboard and shower to port. The forward owner cabin uses an island berth with drawers and overhead hatches; two guest cabins with head and shower finish the aft end under the cockpit. Belowdecks the saloon is enormous with a U-shaped settee and convertible table to port, straight settee and sliding nav station to starboard. The split athwartships galley sits just aft of the master, keeping cooking clear of saloon traffic.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Commonly fitted gear on the used fleet includes bow thruster, autopilot, inverter, chartplotter, AIS, and electric winches, all of which matter for shorthanded docking and navigation. Often-seen sail additions are a gennaker or Code 0 flown from the retractable sprit, extending light-air range beyond the 110% genoa. For energy and comfort, commonly fitted items include a watermaker, air conditioning, heating, and solar, supporting extended cruising; a generator hides in the cockpit tower machinery space. Less commonly seen are dinghy davits and Starlink as owner upgrades.

What to Inspect

The headsail runs on a Facnor belowdeck furler, a mechanism that can be labor-intensive to service given its recessed position anchor. The retractable bow and stern thrusters seen on test boats are complex units prone to electrical and growth issues; some owners seal the pocket. The saildrive leg sits forward of the rudder. Check the belowdeck rigging leads and the electrically operated drop transom for smooth operation, and confirm the split galley sea-berth conversions are intact.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These yachts typically appear in Italy, Singapore, France, Greece, Martinique, and Türkiye. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm layout (three versus four cabins), verify thruster and furler service history, test the drop transom and cockpit tower machinery access, and assess solar or lithium upgrades for liveaboard load. The 500 GL rewards the careful shopper with a light, modern hull and a genuinely residential interior.