Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin and charter four-cabin layouts are both well represented on the used market, and ex-charter examples are common. The Astréa 42 was sold in Maestro (three-cabin) and Quatuor (four-cabin) versions. The Maestro dedicates the entire starboard hull to a master suite with a walk-around island bed aft, an amidships angled desk, and a forward head with an enormous vanity, walk-in shower, and separate toilet compartment; the port hull on the test boat carried two cabins and two heads, though the builder offered several port-hull head configurations including two separate wet heads, two heads with a shared shower, or an aft head with full shower stall and forward wet head. The saloon is a bright lounge rather than a dinette, with glass doors connecting it to the cockpit on the same level, and the U-shaped galley with Vitrifrigo fridge drawers, Eno three-burner stove, and Italian Airlux oven anchors the interior. Ex-charter Quatuor boats will typically show more compact cabin arrangements oriented to guest capacity rather than the owner's suite experience.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

A used Astréa 42 will commonly carry chartplotter, autopilot, solar, inverter, watermaker, air conditioning, AIS, bimini, electric winches, radar, life raft, and freezer, with Garmin navigation technology partnered from the builder. Lithium batteries, cockpit shower, Starlink, hot water, and washing machine are often seen rather than universal. A swim platform was optional from new with dinghy davits as an alternative, and an optional plancha grill terminates the starboard transom; a Cummins 7.5 kW genset and forward-port-hull watermaker were available. Less commonly seen are swim platform additions beyond the original option, gennaker, spinnaker, heating, and asymmetric spinnaker, which tend to appear as owner upgrades. The coachroof offers space aft of the traveler for solar panels, and the cockpit commonly shows Serge Ferrari upholstery and a Vitrifrigo fridge.

What to Inspect

The documented review record points to a few specific items worth checking on any Astréa 42. The jib tracks are mounted on the cabintop far inboard, a placement the reviewing tester noted as too far inboard for ideal trim, so inspect track condition and any owner-added track extensions or lead blocks. The galley's central skylight is non-opening, with ventilation relying on a single opening hatch over the stove and two large forward opening windows, so confirm those openings and seals function. The bow lounge-cockpit lacks inherent shade at anchor according to the reviewing editor, meaning many owners added shade sails — check mounting points and any deck penetration wear. Standard engine access was described as decent, and the twin 30hp Volvo saildrives should be surveyed for typical saildrive diaphragm and leg service history.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Astréa 42 is typically found in France, Croatia, the United States, Greece, the British Virgin Islands, and Spain. For a shopper, the practical checklist is short and sourced from the boat's known design:

• Confirm whether the layout is Maestro or Quatuor, and whether the boat is ex-charter
• Verify the jib-track inboard placement and any modified sail-lead hardware
• Test the single galley ventilation hatch and forward opening windows
• Inspect bow-lounge shade additions and their deck mounts
• Review saildrive and genset/watermaker service records where fitted