Feeling 396 DI Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Two interior plans were offered. The two-stateroom version places a double berth forward and a full-width double aft, while the three-stateroom version splits the stern into port and starboard cabins. Both carry two heads with showers — one forward, one aft — each with its own stainless holding tank, and both share an L-shaped settee arrangement port and starboard around a folding central dinette. Elm woodwork and 7-foot headroom give the saloon a light feel, and a port-side galley with double sinks and a microwave sits by the companionway opposite a forward-facing nav station. A fixed-fin version with 5-foot-11-inch draft and lower displacement was also built for those who never intend to dry out.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Boats in this range commonly carry solar, autopilot, chartplotter, AIS, and a swim platform, the last integrated with the removable helmsman's seat in the cockpit. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar paired with the standard house battery bank under the sole — and navigation and steering, where autopilot, chartplotter, and AIS build on the rack-and-pinion dual-rudder helm. The 40-horsepower Yanmar is reached through companionway hatches, and a mechanical windlass with double rollers and a chain locker is standard forward.

What to Inspect

The lifting-keel version carries a cast-iron belly pan externally affixed for ballast, and reviewers raised concern over its vulnerability to rust and corrosion in the marine environment anchor; Kirie kept the metal external and beefed up the hull schedule where it attaches, so inspect that joint and the surrounding glass closely. The cockpit is small and divided by a wide bridge deck, and moving below is a climb that leaves a crewmember exposed in rough conditions — evaluate whether the bridge-deck geometry suits your sailing. Confirm the centerboard pivot pin and bushings and the fiberglass foil condition, since the foil weighs under 300 pounds and is the heart of the beaching function.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats are typically found in the United Kingdom. For a shopper, the checklist is straightforward: verify the external cast-iron ballast and hull attachment for corrosion; exercise the lifting centerboard and inspect its stainless pivot; assess the cockpit bridge deck against your offshore plans; confirm the fixed-fin alternative if beaching is not required; and check that the common solar, autopilot, chartplotter, and AIS fit your intended use.