Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 Buyer's Guide
The Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 sits at the heart of the builder's renewed 40-to-67-foot catamaran range and remains a common sight among used cruising cats, with both owner and ex-charter examples in circulation. Built from 2018, it was offered in Maestro three-cabin and Quatuor four-cabin layouts, making it a flexible target for private liveaboards and former charter boats alike.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin and charter four-cabin versions are both well represented, and ex-charter boats are common. The Maestro dedicates the starboard hull to a master suite with walk-around berth and a large head, while the Quatuor multiplies sleeping capacity for charter use. The saloon connects to the cockpit on the same level through glass doors, and the galley is a U-shape with fridge drawers and a three-burner stove. A port-side cockpit dinette seats six to eight, and the foredeck carries a U-lounge with footwell plus trampoline. The coachroof sundeck is reached by steps from the helm and makes a popular lounging space.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most used Astréa 42s carry a strong equipment baseline. Commonly fitted systems include chartplotter, autopilot, AIS, radar, solar, inverter, watermaker, air conditioning, freezer, life raft, bimini, and electric winches—a suite that means a buyer can expect full navigational and off-grid capability without immediate investment. Often-seen additions are lithium batteries, washing machine, cockpit shower, Starlink, and hot water, speaking to owners who extended autonomous living. Less common but present as owner upgrades are gennaker, swim platform, heating, spinnaker, and asymmetric spinnaker; the swim platform was optional from new, with dinghy davits as the alternative. A Cummins 7.5 kW genset was available forward in the port hull. For a shopper, the practical clusters are power and energy (solar, inverter, lithium, genset), comfort and climate (air conditioning, watermaker, washing machine), and sail handling (electric winches, gennaker)—each materially changing the boat's readiness for extended cruising.
What to Inspect
The Astréa 42's mainsail halyard uses a unique hook system that automatically clips into the sail head when raised and disconnects when dropped; any hesitation in release should be checked for track friction or fouling. The inboard cabintop jib tracks are known to sit too far inboard, which can close the slot on deeper wind angles and is worth noting for light-air performance. The non-opening central skylight and the bow lounge lacking factory shade are design points rather than defects, but the bow lounge benefits from an added shade sail at anchor. The optional hydraulic swim platform should be examined around its transom mounts for wear from leverage and tender motion. The standard engine access is decent, and the twin 30hp Volvo Penta diesels with saildrives should be surveyed for routine wear decent machinery access.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Astréa 42 include France, Croatia, the United States, Greece, the British Virgin Islands, and Spain. For a buyer, the checklist is brief: confirm layout (Maestro vs Quatuor) against intended use, verify the equipment tier present (commonly fitted vs owner upgrades), inspect the halyard hook and swim platform mounts if fitted, and assess the inboard jib tracks for your sailing grounds. The boat's construction, space, and agility make it a sound used-cat choice.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 21 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 2 | $756,955 | — |
| Mar 25 | 1 | $558,565 | -26.2% |
| Apr 25 | 5 | $615,000 | +10.1% |
| May 25 | 5 | $531,700 | -13.5% |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $499,000 | -6.2% |
| Jul 25 | 3 | $503,716 | +0.9% |
| Aug 25 | 3 | $629,000 | +24.9% |
| Sep 25 | 17 | $498,119 | -20.8% |
| Oct 25 | 16 | $608,936 | +22.2% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $1,222,500 | +100.8% |
| Dec 25 | 5 | $464,538 | -62.0% |
| Jan 26 | 22 | $619,528 | +33.4% |
| Feb 26 | 19 | $559,446 | -9.7% |
| Mar 26 | 10 | $619,340 | +10.7% |
| Apr 26 | 95 | $558,565 | -9.8% |
| May 26 | 16 | $545,692 | -2.3% |
| Jun 26 | 12 | $479,324 | -12.2% |
| Jul 26 | 9 | $495,000 | +3.3% |
| Aug 26 | 19 | $618,020 | +24.9% |
| Sep 26 | 16 | $522,000 | -15.5% |
| Oct 26 | 5 | $604,459 | +15.8% |
Where they're listed
Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 listings appear across 23 countries. United States has the most listings with 44 (19.3%), followed by France and Croatia.
Country view
228 listings · 23 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $549,000 | 44 | 14 | 19.3% |
| France | $610,056 | 39 | 7 | 17.1% |
| Croatia | $615,653 | 25 | 2 | 11.0% |
| Greece | $509,313 | 23 | 4 | 10.1% |
| British Virgin Islands | $499,000 | 23 | 4 | 10.1% |
| Spain | $749,865 | 13 | 4 | 5.7% |
| New Zealand | $765,602 | 8 | 1 | 3.5% |
| Bahamas | $441,669 | 6 | 1 | 2.6% |
| Guadeloupe | $359,947 | 6 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $499,000 | 5 | 1 | 2.2% |
| Italy | $727,589 | 5 | 1 | 2.2% |
| Montenegro | $673,544 | 5 | 0 | 2.2% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42You are here | — | $ 560,000 | 239 | 43 |
| Voyage 4.2 | 42.13' | $ 591,133 | 152 | 24 |
| Bavaria Yachts C42 | 40.62' | $ 334,517 | 144 | 22 |
| Catalina 42 | 41.86' | $ 75,000 | 116 | 23 |
| Jeanneau Sun Sun Odyssey 42 DS | 42.42' | $ 155,000 | 93 | 19 |
| Balance 442 | 44.29' | $ 1,150,000 | 23 | 6 |
| Aventura Yachts 45 | 44.29' | $ 707,986 | 22 | 2 |
| Fountaine Pajot FP 41 | 39.7' | $ 773,000 | 19 | 5 |
| Dehler 42 | 42.13' | $ 317,948 | 18 | 3 |
| Harmony 42 | 42.19' | $ 89,549 | 10 | 3 |