J-Boats J/45 Buyer's Guide
The J/45 is a 45-foot performance cruiser-racer built by J/Composites in France and designed by Al Johnstone, intended as an offshore-capable boat equally at home on a race starting line or a cruise. For shoppers on the brokerage market, the model presents as a modern, well-equipped yacht with a consistent structural story and a few layout permutations worth knowing before you inspect.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The J/45 can be configured with a three-stateroom, two-head layout or a two-stateroom, two-head layout, the latter achieved by deleting the starboard aft stateroom to gain a larger aft head with a proper shower stall and storage. After staterooms can include pipe berths above the double berths, and the owner's en suite stateroom is forward with stowage. The saloon has a dining table with U-shaped seating to port and a settee opposite, a full nav station to starboard, and a galley aft to port at the foot of the companionway.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A swim platform, inverter, and electric winches are commonly fitted on used J/45s. Less commonly seen but available as owner upgrades or sometimes-or-owner-upgrade items are a code zero, spinnaker, asymmetric spinnaker, dodger, and teak decks. The standard deck material is Flexiteek, with teak in the cockpit and side decks as an option. Optional gear seen on the model includes Harken Performa winches, a carbon Furler Boom from Denmark, composite standing rigging from Future Fibres, a hydraulic panel for backstay and vang, B&G electronics, air conditioning, keeps generator, and a retractable bow thruster.
What to Inspect
The documented record shows no recurring structural defects for the J/45. The hull and deck are cored with PVC foam of varying densities and vacuum-infused in one shot per the proprietary SCRIMP system, with a composite grid and bulkheads bonded to the hull; the laminate supporting the L-shaped fin keel is all solid. Buyers should still confirm the integrity of the cored hull and deck infusion and the bonded internal grid, and verify the standard 7-foot-6-inch lead keel or any deep/shoal option for keel-structure condition. The deep sail locker forward provides access to the chain locker in the forepeak, sealed by a watertight door—check that door and the locker seals. No documented drainage or flooding-path issues are recorded in the source material.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The J/45 is typically found on the used market in the United States and Spain. For a brokerage purchase, focus on layout fit, confirmed optional equipment, and the baseline structural items above.
- Decide between three-stateroom and two-stateroom, two-head layouts
- Confirm commonly fitted swim platform, inverter, electric winches are present
- Verify keel type and condition (standard lead, deep, or shoal)
- Check watertight forepeak door and sail/chain locker seals
- Inspect cored hull/deck and bonded grid as part of survey
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the J-Boats J/45. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $ 523,977 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 523,977 | 0.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 45 | -100.0% |
Where they're listed
J-Boats J/45 listings appear across 2 countries. Spain has the most listings with 2 (66.7%), followed by United States.
Country view
3 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | $ 523,977 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| United States | $ 45 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts C45 | 47.34' | $ 313,247 | 87 | 24 |
| Outremer 45 | 44.95' | $ 660,000 | 47 | 8 |
| Sweden Yachts 45 | 46.42' | $ 317,224 | 24 | 7 |
| Beneteau First 45 (Farr) | 46.59' | $ 186,928 | 15 | 4 |
| Swan 45 | 45.37' | $ 315,000 | 15 | 1 |
| Performance 45 E | 45.76' | $ 187,948 | 13 | 3 |
| Salona 45 | 44.45' | $ 112,769 | 9 | 1 |
| Frers 45 | 45' | $ 57,401 | 6 | 0 |
| J Boats J/45You are here | — | $ 523,977 | 3 | 1 |