Fastcat 435 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a FastCat 435 means looking at a South African-built ocean cruising catamaran from African Cats BV, designed by Angelo Lavranos and launched in 2006. These are light, fast 43-foot cruisers with a radical weight-saving character, so the used buyer is evaluating a boat whose virtues and limits both spring from that philosophy rather than from a heavy liveaboard hull.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 435 was offered with two huge state rooms and two single cabins, heating in each hull, and a panoramic saloon with a complete chart table that gives a real workspace. The cabin roof carries Lavranos’ sharp angles and large picture windows, and the nacelle is shaped so the forward section rides higher than average to keep seas off it. Fine hull entries mean interior volume is tuned for speed and comfort rather than maximum payload, so a buyer should assess how heavily a given boat has been loaded by prior owners.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Factory boats left with a full Ocean Crossing Pack, twin 29-horsepower Yanmar diesels, a second alternator with two smart regulators, and two AIR Breeze wind generators aft. Refit history on one unit shows the kind of work a buyer may encounter: a complete spray-paint including the mast, new stainless-steel davit, new lazy bag and bimini, and a replacement wind generator. For a shopper, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — twin engines, dual alternator regulation, and wind generators that may have been renewed — and sail-handling canvas, where a fresh lazy bag and bimini signal recent care. A new davit also speaks to dinghy-handling readiness.
What to Inspect
The epoxy resin vacuum infusion on solid fiberglass and the finish judged very high level by Multihulls World define the structure, but the fine entries mean any evidence of overloaded or strained hulls should be weighed carefully, since the form does not favour load-carrying capacity. Because one boat was fully spray-painted including the mast during refit, inspect painted surfaces for coverage quality and whether underlying gelcoat or structure was addressed. Verify the wind generators, davit, and canvas are the upgraded items or remain original, and confirm the second alternator and smart regulators are present and functioning for offshore electrical independence.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The FastCat 435 comes direct from South Africa, and typical markets reflect that origin channel rather than a broad domestic used pool. For the buyer, the short checklist is: confirm the carbon mast and Ocean Crossing Pack are intact, check the fine-entry hulls for overload signs, verify the dual-alternator charging path, and review any repaint or davit work as evidence of owner care. A lightly loaded, well-upgraded 435 remains a fast and comfortable ocean cruiser.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outremer 45 | 44.95' | $ 660,000 | 49 | 8 |
| Trimeran 43 | 43' | $ 449,950 | 38 | 6 |
| Privilège 435 | 43' | $ 274,000 | 22 | 2 |
| Oyster Yachts 435 | 43.42' | $ 102,221 | 16 | 5 |
| Beneteau First 435 | 43.5' | $ 62,000 | 9 | 5 |