Formosa 41 Buyer's Guide
The Formosa 41 Ketch on the brokerage market is William Garden's 41-foot blue-water ketch built by Formosa under the Clipper Marine brand, with around 200 produced from 1971 to 1978. Its heavy-displacement, full-keel hull and teak-heavy canoe-stern character make it a recognizable Taiwan cruiser for couples planning long passages rather than weekend racers.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used fleet is uniformly the Garden ketch with a 41-foot length and 32-foot waterline, carrying a mainsail and mizzen split rig and teak-laden interior trim. Buyers will find the same full-keel, canoe-stern hull across listings; differences are in owner-applied interior refits rather than factory layout changes. The ketch configuration and small-crew handling appeal define the boat regardless of which market it sits in.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats commonly carry hot water, autopilot, chartplotter, solar, inverter, and wind generator, with bimini and dodger canvas and life raft typically aboard. Often-seen upgrades include watermakers, diesel heating, electric winches, radar, AIS, and EPIRB, reflecting owners who fitted these 41s for extended offshore use. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster (solar, inverter, wind generator) signals self-sufficient anchoring, while electric winches and autopilot reduce the physical load of the ketch's sails on a couple's watch.
What to Inspect
Inspection should follow normal age-appropriate checks for a 1970s solid-fiberglass hull and teak decks. Focus on the teak-heavy construction for rot or deferred maintenance, and verify the ketch rigging and winch upgrades match the sail plan's stated dimensions.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These ketches typically appear in the United States, Australia, Mexico, and Italy. For a shopper, the checklist is short: confirm teak condition, validate the ketch rig and any electric winch or autopilot upgrades, and check the commonly fitted power systems for liveaboard readiness. The Formosa 41 remains a reachable blue-water couple's boat where these markets concentrate.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Formosa 41. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $57,500 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $5,000 | -91.3% |
| Aug 25 | 3 | $79,000 | +1480.0% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $69,626 | -11.9% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $27,968 | -59.8% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $71,011 | +153.9% |
Where they're listed
Formosa 41 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 3 (50.0%), followed by Australia and Italy.
Country view
6 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $79,000 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Australia | $65,632 | 2 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Italy | $27,968 | 1 | 0 | 16.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islander Freeport 41 | 41' | $ 44,900 | 27 | 8 |
| Formosa 51 | 50.83' | $ 114,559 | 20 | 4 |
| Irwin 41 | 41.5' | $ 51,950 | 20 | 2 |
| Formosa 41You are here | — | $ 75,007 | 6 | 1 |