Formosa 47 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Formosa 47 means looking at a ketch manufactured in 1980 by Formosa Boat Building Co. Ltd. in Taiwan, a 46-foot cruiser with a fin keel and skeg rudder designed by Claude Puvieux. Most survivors show either a three-cabin owner layout or an ex-charter interior, both of which appear on the used market, with ex-charter examples a common sight. Knowing the fleet's two interior plans and its documented constraints is the first step before any survey.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common configuration offered to buyers, though both owner and ex-charter layouts are available, and ex-charter boats turn up frequently. The cabin count supports 11 berths, so volume below is generous regardless of plan. The deep fin keel draws about 2.25 to 2.35 meters loaded, which means any candidate can only use deep-draft facilities — a fact to confirm against the berths you intend to use.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-found used Formosa 47s commonly carry solar, hot water, life raft, dinghy davits, cockpit shower, autopilot, inverter, a self-tacking jib, and bow thruster as standard cruising kit. Power and energy clusters around solar, inverter, and autopilot, meaning many boats already support unattended anchoring; a bow thruster and self-tacking jib point to easier short-handed handling. Often-seen canvas and navigation items include a bimini and chartplotter. Less common owner upgrades run to watermaker, heating, electric winches, washing machine, teak decks, radar, and EPIRB — worthwhile if present, but not expected.
What to Inspect
The one flat constraint to verify on any example is the draft: at roughly 2.25 to 2.35 meters dependent on load, the vessel is restricted to deep-water berths, so check keel integrity and confirm the stated draft against the specific hull. Beyond that, the fin-keel and skeg-rudder structure should be surveyed for bonding and alignment, and the cast-iron keel examined for corrosion at the hull joint.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in Greece, the United States, Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. For a shopper, the checklist is short: confirm whether the layout is owner three-cabin or ex-charter, verify the deep-draft fin keel against your marina access, and check that the common cruising equipment (solar, autopilot, bow thruster, self-tacking jib) is present or budgeted. A Formosa 47 rewards the buyer who plans around her draft and values volume over shallow-water flexibility.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Formosa 47. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $79,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $104,759 | +32.6% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $121,874 | +16.3% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $57,684 | -52.7% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $142,311 | +146.7% |
| May 26 | 1 | $110,617 | -22.3% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $87,400 | -21.0% |
| Jul 26 | 5 | $116,534 | +33.3% |
Where they're listed
Formosa 47 listings appear across 5 countries. Greece has the most listings with 8 (61.5%), followed by Italy and France.
Country view
13 listings · 5 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | $101,967 | 8 | 7 | 61.5% |
| Italy | $126,196 | 2 | 0 | 15.4% |
| France | $110,987 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Netherlands | $57,684 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
| United States | $79,000 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velmare 47 | 46.58' | $ 90,000 | 30 | 5 |
| North Wind 47 | 46.75' | $ 203,865 | 23 | 9 |
| Formosa 47You are here | — | $ 110,802 | 14 | 7 |
| Gulfstar 47 Sailmaster | 47.42' | $ 115,000 | 10 | 0 |
| Cheoy Lee Offshore 47 | 46.75' | $ 136,975 | 6 | 1 |