Fuji 40 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Fuji 40 means looking at a small, finite class: Fuji built just over a dozen of these 39-foot 2-inch Sparkman & Stephens sloops, the last in 1979, and the boats were part of a broader Fuji Yacht Builders of Yokosuka output for the United States beginning in 1973. What survives are heavy, foam-cored-deck cruisers with thick hand-laid hulls and encapsulated iron ballast — a traditionalist’s offshore vessel rather than a modern light racer.
Layouts on the Used Market
The interior runs bow to companionway as a conventional cruising arrangement: anchor locker, V-berth, head, closet, settees, and a pedestal table with fold-up leaves, then galley and nav station. Aft, the cabin holds a generous double berth to port, a single to starboard, and drawers and a seat between them with standing headroom. Headroom everywhere reaches up to 6 feet 10 inches. The aft-cabin volume and the roomy main saloon are the boat’s signature used-market assets.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The original specification included a 40-horsepower Westerbeke auxiliary, a 50-gallon fuel tank, and a 100-gallon water tank. Eight plastic deadlights were fitted from new; a frequent owner upgrade replaces these with stainless-steel opening ports for better ventilation. Rigging and pulpits draw attention too — some owners strengthen the bow pulpit with added horizontal and vertical supports and brace the gate stanchions and stern pulpit to the teak toerail. The mainsheet traveler remains just aft of the companionway, with a port-side boom crutch clearing the entry under power or at anchor.
What to Inspect
Documented issues center on access and drainage. Engine access is excellent forward and aft but poor on either side, so check serviceability of side-mounted components. The deck lacks efficient scuppers, and water can only escape through three half-inch drains on each side discharging a few inches below the sheer — verify no history of standing water or structural damp. Also confirm the center hatch support is reachable for your crew, since a person 5 feet 4 inches tall cannot reach it. On older boats, inspect cabinetry fit: well-
-kept examples show doors and drawers still fitting after decades.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For the shopper, the checklist is short and sourced: confirm side engine access limits, examine the constrained deck drainage path, verify hatch-prop reach, and expect a heavily built hull with exemplary joinery. A Fuji 40 rewards the buyer who values sea-kindly motion and roomy accommodation over brisk performance.
- Inspect side engine access and three half-inch-per-side drains
- Verify center hatch support reach for intended crew
- Expect original Westerbeke and possible stainless deadlight upgrade
- Found in the United States market
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Fuji 40. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 3 | $ 29,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Fuji 40 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 29,000 | 3 | 3 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 40 | 40' | $ 159,000 | 42 | 11 |
| Hughes 40 | 40' | $ 69,900 | 17 | 3 |
| Swan 40 | 39.3' | $ 95,688 | 14 | 0 |
| Tartan 40 | 40.25' | $ 89,900 | 13 | 1 |
| Bayfield 40 | 45.5' | $ 98,500 | 7 | 4 |
| Fuji 40You are here | — | $ 29,000 | 3 | 3 |