Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42 means choosing among a generation of cats that launched in 1992 and built nearly 200 examples before 2000, most of which began life in charter. The boat's charter heritage shows in the layouts and equipment you will meet today, and a careful look at a few known weak points will save grief after purchase.
Layouts on the Used Market
Charter four-cabin versions are the more common find, though owner-oriented layouts exist. Ex-charter examples are common, and the four-double-cabin, two-head plan dominates the fleet. Some boats instead use the forward sections of each hull for single berths, yielding six private cabins. The rare owner's version swaps one cabin for an office, and some owner versions convert a head to a dedicated shower. Regardless of plan, the saloon enters through sliding glass doors to a wraparound settee, with a galley-up arrangement to port and the nav station beside it.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power and energy systems are commonly fitted with solar and an inverter, while watermakers and air conditioning are often seen, along with freezers and hot water. For passage-making, autopilot and chartplotter are commonly or often present, and electric winches appear on many boats. Comfort clusters include a bimini and trampoline as standard-used items, with a life raft often carried. Less common owner upgrades include a hardtop, teak decks, and a wind generator for off-grid power, plus a gennaker for downwind speed and heating for cooler climates.
What to Inspect
The escape hatches set in each head protrude past the hulls and are meant for capsize egress; they often leak and their plastic handles and latches are inadequate and frequently over-tightened anchor. The helm is bulkhead-mounted to starboard with a fighting-chair seat that is almost unmanageable for short sailors, so confirm the steering reach suits the buyer. The Yanmar diesels sit in aft lazarettes and are not convenient to work on, though saildrive units make removal straightforward anchor. Note too the partial backstays that make paying out the boom difficult, and the two forward deck lockers whose storage is limited by water-tank placement.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets include the United States, New Caledonia, France, Guatemala, Italy, and Mexico. For a buyer, the checklist is short and backed by documented known issues:
- Check escape hatches for leaks and latch damage
- Verify helm seat reach for the principal helmsman
- Inspect lazarette diesels and saildrive seals
- Confirm backstay geometry does not foul boom travel
- Match cabin count and charter history to intended use
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 14 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $237,000 | — |
| Mar 25 | 2 | $213,000 | -10.1% |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $169,000 | -20.7% |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $165,000 | -2.4% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $189,000 | +14.5% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $149,000 | -21.2% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $155,361 | +4.3% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $157,262 | +1.2% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $211,013 | +34.2% |
| Apr 26 | 5 | $215,000 | +1.9% |
| May 26 | 1 | $245,294 | +14.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $215,000 | -12.4% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $217,000 | +0.9% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $172,752 | -20.4% |
Where they're listed
Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42 listings appear across 7 countries. France has the most listings with 3 (23.1%), followed by United States and Italy.
Country view
13 listings · 7 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $245,294 | 3 | 0 | 23.1% |
| United States | $215,000 | 3 | 2 | 23.1% |
| Italy | $182,641 | 2 | 0 | 15.4% |
| New Caledonia | $157,262 | 2 | 0 | 15.4% |
| Belize | $215,000 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Guatemala | $217,000 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Mexico | $217,000 | 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
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP Athena 38 | 38.05' | $ 141,982 | 31 | 2 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.2 | 41.99' | $ 78,815 | 25 | 3 |
| First First 42 | 42.92' | $ 49,500 | 24 | 6 |
| Sabre 42 | 41.75' | $ 91,950 | 22 | 8 |
| Palmer Johnson J/42 | 42' | $ 151,950 | 18 | 3 |
| Catana Catamarans 42 | 41.27' | $ 480,141 | 17 | 2 |
| Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42You are here | — | $ 184,287 | 15 | 3 |
| Robertson and Caine 42 / Moorings 4200 | 41.57' | $ 593,452 | 12 | 1 |