J-Boats J/105 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The used fleet splits between Tillotson Pearson hulls and French-built boats with Volvo 2020 diesels instead of the North American Yanmar diesels. Both share the T-shape cockpit with forward traveler, two settees that double as berths, a bow V-berth, and an optional quarterberth aft. Headroom is low—about 5 feet 4 inches in the saloon—and the split galley is minimal: nav table port, sink and optional alcohol stove starboard, a portable cooler under the ladder, and a 5-gallon water jug. The private head is placed just aft of the V-berth, with a shower offered optionally. Early boats carry a foredeck hatch that opens past 180 degrees; later ones may show the factory bumper fix.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Asymmetric spinnaker and snuffer are commonly fitted, matching the pole-free concept that defines the class. A short-handed setup is often seen, built around the forward traveler and single primary winch pair so one sailor manages the spinnaker from the cockpit. A chartplotter is also often carried. Less common but worth noting as owner upgrades are a dodger for weather protection, an autopilot for shorthanded passages, and AIS for traffic awareness. On the power side, the standard Yanmar or Volvo diesel with folding prop is what you get; navigation typically centers on the chartplotter, while comfort upgrades like a dodger and autopilot appear on some boats.

What to Inspect

Some boats have reported issues with the bulkhead supporting the chainplates, and on early hulls the balsa deck core was left around the chainplate penetrations anchor; later boats used solid glass there, so confirm which your candidate is. The aluminum rudder bearings react with copper in bottom paint and corrode; a three-to-five year life is cited, and some owners have fitted Harken plastic. The shallow bilge wets floorboard end grain when heeled, and original plywood rotted while later plastic-faced boards delaminated. The Bomar foredeck hatch frame cracks flat on deck. A number of owners note water entering through the sprit tube in the forward cabin, and soft engine mounts that let the diesel jump, leaking dripless seals in some installs. Early floorboards were called weak; check for rot or delamination.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The J/105 turns up across the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, and Switzerland. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm chainplate core detail by hull era, budget for rudder-bearing replacement on aluminum units, inspect floorboard ends for rot, verify sprit-tube sealing, and decide tiller versus Edson wheel based on cockpit preference. A clean, later-core hull with plastic rudder bearings and sealed floorboards is the one to target.