Dufour 512 Grand Large Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The 512 Grand Large was offered in cabin configurations, and the three-cabin layout is the one you will most often encounter when searching brokerage listings. That arrangement provides a forward master stateroom with an island berth and ensuite split across two compartments, plus two guest staterooms flanking the companionway, each with its own head. The galley-forward, saloon-aft interior arrangement — with the galley dropped one step below the saloon sole — is a hallmark of the design across all configurations. Some examples were fitted with a two-cabin layout that gives the aft port stateroom additional volume, an appealing option for couples who rarely carry guests. Both configurations appear on the market, though the three-cabin version is decidedly more prevalent. A dedicated navigation station sits to starboard, and the large T-shaped cockpit with electric transom is standard throughout the production run.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Examples on the used market tend to arrive well equipped, reflecting the price tier at which they originally sold and the profile of owners who bought them. Air conditioning is commonly fitted, as are electric winches, autopilot, bow thruster, radar, chartplotter, and AIS — these items appear on the great majority of listings. Teak decking in the cockpit is standard. Biminis are extremely common; a canvas package protecting the cockpit helm controls was frequently specified as an option and is often seen on examples in the market. Spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker handling gear — flying from the fixed bowsprit — is commonly fitted, reflecting the design's offshore racing roots and the typical buyer's ambition.

Heating systems appear regularly, consistent with European charter and blue-water use where cool-weather passages are routine. Watermakers, dodgers, inverters, solar panels, cockpit showers, freezers, and life rafts are often seen — suggesting a high proportion of examples were outfitted for extended cruising or charter work. Furling mainsails are seen on a meaningful share of examples, added by owners seeking even more shorthanded convenience. Dinghy davits, a gennaker or code zero, and an EPIRB sometimes appear as owner upgrades, signaling boats that completed or were prepared for offshore passages.

What to Inspect

The hull is hand-laminated polyester and GRP with a vacuum-bonded foam sandwich core, and keel bolts bear onto stainless steel backing plates — generally solid engineering, but any fifty-footer of this vintage rewards a thorough survey. Pay particular attention to the keel-hull joint and backing plate area, and confirm there are no signs of weeping or movement at the keel root, which is a standard point of vulnerability on any modern fin-keel design. Dufour fitted an epoxy barrier coat against osmosis at the factory, but blister surveys are still warranted on any GRP hull that has lived in warm water for extended periods. The foam-cored deck sections can trap moisture if fittings were not properly bedded or have been rebedded without attention to core sealing, so a moisture meter survey of the deck is worthwhile.

The Volvo diesel saildrive is the standard engine installation; saildrives require periodic inspection of the bellows sealing the leg to the hull — a failure here is a serious flooding risk, and replacement intervals should be confirmed against the service log. Electric systems on these boats are often elaborate: confirm the battery bank has been appropriately maintained or replaced, and check the operation of all electric winches, the thruster systems, and the transom opening mechanism, all of which see heavy use. Rigging should be inspected carefully, particularly at the chainplates, which are anchored wide to the gunwales — verify the through-deck fittings are not admitting moisture. If the boat carries the optional taller Grand Prix mast, confirm the rig tune and standing rigging condition carefully, as that package puts additional load on the hull.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The 512 Grand Large was produced across a short window in the mid-to-late 2010s, which keeps overall supply modest but means that what appears on the market is relatively consistent in age and specification. Availability is broadly concentrated across Southern European brokerage markets — Spain, Greece, Italy, and France are the primary hunting grounds — reflecting the model's popularity in Mediterranean charter and bluewater-cruising circles. North American listings appear regularly, particularly in the United States, making the model accessible on both sides of the Atlantic. The combination of limited production and sustained demand means these do not sit long, so buyers should be positioned to move.

Before committing, work through this checklist:

• Commission a full out-of-water survey with osmosis testing and moisture meter deck scan
• Inspect the keel-hull joint and verify backing plate condition
• Confirm saildrive bellows service history and current condition
• Verify electric winch, bow thruster, and transom operation under load
• Check standing rigging and chainplate through-deck fittings for moisture ingress
• Review battery bank age and service history; confirm solar and charging systems function
• Confirm watermaker, air conditioning, and generator (if fitted) are operational
• Verify the canvas package — dodger, bimini — for condition and fit
• If Grand Prix rig is present, have rigging professionally inspected