ETAP 32S Buyer's Guide
The ETAP 32s is a Belgian Mortain & Mavrikios-designed cruiser built from 2003, a 32-foot fractional-sloop monohull with a foam-sandwich unsinkable hull and a distinctive vertical tiller steering option. On the brokerage market she appears across northern European waters, and a shopper should understand both her standard layout and the known construction points before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every 32s shares the same core plan: six berths with a bow V-berth, two main-cabin settees, and a starboard aft double. The galley is an L-shape to port just forward of the companionway, opposite a starboard navigation station with the head aft of it. The stepped superstructure gives an almost deck-saloon feel, and Yachting Monthly noted good ventilation and large-item stowage as strengths, while cautioning that interior room trails the equivalent Bénéteau or Jeanneau. Keel choice divides the fleet — a shoal 4-foot-3-inch tandem keel or a deeper 5-foot-11-inch wing keel — and either sits under a low, lean hull with a flat-run shallow underbody.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a practical cruising fit. Commonly fitted items include autopilot, chartplotter, cabin heating, spinnaker, bimini, swim platform, cockpit shower, and life raft. Often-seen upgrades cluster around power and energy — solar panels and electric winches appear frequently — and around canvas and sail handling, where dodgers and gennakers are usual, alongside radar, AIS, and EPIRB for navigation and safety. The Volvo sail-drive diesel and EVS steering were factory items, with many yachts fitted with the EVS system; a buyer should confirm which helm a specific boat carries.
What to Inspect
The 32s is built as a hull within a hull with closed-cell polyurethane foam injected between the fiberglass skins, a method that provides buoyancy and condensation insulation hull-within-hull foam construction. Because the unsinkability depends on that sealed sandwich, inspect for any hull-deck impact that could breach the inner skin or foam cavity, and check the stepped superstructure joints for water ingress. The EVS tiller uses Delrin rack-and-pinion gears on a vertically mounted post to the rudderstock Delrin rack-and-pinion helm linkage; verify the gears are free of wear and the spade rudder bearing shows no play. The Volvo sail drive should be run up to confirm cooling and shaft-seal condition.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are typically found in the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, France, and Denmark. For a shopper, the checklist is short: confirm keel draft versus intended cruising ground, verify EVS or tiller helm condition, inspect the foam-sandwich integrity, and check the sail drive. A well-kept 32s offers an unsinkable, Category A-rated small cruiser with a balanced and unusual helm.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the ETAP 32S. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 5 | $52,610 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $55,409 | +5.3% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $48,986 | -11.6% |
| Jun 26 | 4 | $63,871 | +30.4% |
| Oct 26 | 1 | $54,849 | -14.1% |
Where they're listed
ETAP 32S listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 4 (57.1%), followed by Italy and France.
Country view
7 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $66,176 | 4 | 0 | 57.1% |
| Italy | $59,886 | 2 | 0 | 28.6% |
| France | $54,849 | 1 | 1 | 14.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contessa 32 | 32' | $ 32,963 | 68 | 20 |
| ETAP 30I | 29.33' | $ 42,046 | 27 | 11 |
| J-Boats J/32 | 32.6' | $ 65,000 | 24 | 10 |
| Jeanneau Sun Fast 32 | 31.17' | $ 48,704 | 20 | 5 |
| ETAP 37s | 36.94' | $ 108,518 | 20 | 7 |
| Pearson 32 | 31.75' | $ 16,500 | 12 | 6 |
| Sabre 32 | 32.17' | $ 35,000 | 10 | 3 |
| Hunter Marine Channel 32/323 | 32.35' | $ 35,428 | 8 | 6 |
| ETAP 32SYou are here | — | $ 61,531 | 7 | 1 |
| Morgan 32 | 31.92' | $ 27,200 | 6 | 1 |