Garcia Exploration 52 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Garcia Exploration 52 means weighing a thoroughly modern aluminium explorer against the realities of owned and ex-charter use. The 54-foot Berret-Racoupeau centerboarder was built from 2016 as the larger sister to the Exploration 45, and used examples split between private three-cabin layouts and charter four-cabin boats, with ex-charter units common on the market.
Layouts on the Used Market
Both owner three-cabin and charter four-cabin arrangements are well represented, and ex-charter boats turn up often. The standard plan gives three double cabins plus a service room and a real workshop; the forward owner's cabin offsets the berth with the wet room forward behind two watertight bulkheads, while aft cabins may be twin or double. The deck saloon's table drops to a bed and the dinette space below can become a single cabin or walk-in workshop. A forward-facing navstation acts as an interior helm with 270° view, and the galley sits to one side with horizon sightlines.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats carry strong passage-making kits. Commonly fitted for energy and autonomy are lithium batteries, solar, a watermaker, and a bow thruster, with a Starlink and AIS among the navigation gear. Canvas and sail-handling clusters run to a bimini, dodger, and electric winches, plus an asymmetric spinnaker or gennaker for downwind work. Comfort items commonly seen include a washing machine, freezer, heating, air conditioning, and teak decks. Less common owner additions include a code zero, hardtop, and dinghy davits — the latter a frequent upgrade for offshore tender stowage.
What to Inspect
On the test boat the Volvo Penta motor generated 80 dB aft and 76 dB in the main cabin under way, so judge whether that intrudes on your sleep anchor. Check the teak veneers across built-in units for matching quality, as the test boat showed poorly matched faces anchor. Verify watertight doors, fore and aft bulkheads, and welded aluminium through-hulls with above-waterline valves are intact, and confirm the centreboard pivots across its 1.27–3.00 m range without hull scoring.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets are France, Spain, and the United States. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm layout (owner vs ex-charter four-cabin), verify centreboard and rudder condition, sound for engine-noise tolerance, and assess veneer finish and watertight integrity before committing.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Garcia Exploration 52. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $1,573,293 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $1,515,023 | -3.7% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $2,039,454 | +34.6% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $1,750,000 | -14.2% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $2,039,454 | +16.5% |
| May 26 | 1 | $2,059,750 | +1.0% |
Where they're listed
Garcia Exploration 52 listings appear across 2 countries. France has the most listings with 3 (75.0%), followed by Spain.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amel Mango 52 | 53' | $ 179,000 | 33 | 2 |
| Siltala Yachts OY 52 | 51.16' | $ 293,350 | 19 | 4 |
| Garcia Exploration 45 | 48.82' | $ 1,002,246 | 18 | 4 |
| Feeling 52 | 51.84' | $ 446,643 | 16 | 5 |
| Garcia Exploration 52You are here | — | $ 2,039,454 | 5 | 0 |