Jeanneau Sun Kiss 47 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Two interior configurations reached production: a two-cabin version organized around a large owner's cabin forward, and a three-cabin version that divides the bow between two smaller staterooms. On the used market, ex-charter examples are common and tend to carry the three-cabin configuration, making the full owner's-cabin-forward layout the harder of the two to find; buyers with a strong preference for that arrangement should be prepared to wait or cast a wider geographic net. The saloon is generous in both versions, the galley well-placed, and storage — always a cruiser's preoccupation — is handled with the thoroughness that French production boats of this era typically managed. Buyers considering the centerboard keel variant, which draws notably less when the board is raised, will find that option less common than the standard deep-fin version; it is worth specifically flagging your preference to brokers.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Sun Kiss 47s that have been actively cruised arrive on the market with substantial kit. Autopilot, EPIRB, chartplotter, radar, and AIS are effectively standard across examples that have done any offshore work, and most carry a life raft, bimini, cockpit shower, hot water system, and swim platform. Solar panels and a wind generator are commonly fitted together, reflecting an owner community that has generally committed to passage-making independence from marinas. Watermakers appear frequently, as do inverters and heating systems — kit that signals a boat set up for extended liveaboard or long-passage use. Teak decks, bow thrusters, and electric winches show up on a meaningful portion of the fleet, often as previous-owner additions rather than factory fits. Dinghy davits and lithium battery banks appear with growing regularity as owners modernize older electrical systems, and an asymmetric spinnaker or traditional spinnaker is not uncommon among examples that have been sailed offshore. A dodger — often owner-fitted rather than factory-original — rounds out the picture on boats that have been set up for serious distance work.

What to Inspect

The Sun Kiss 47's GRP hull is robust, but any example approaching four decades of age deserves a thorough osmotic survey below the waterline. Blistering and osmotic damage are a known concern on Jeanneau GRP hulls of this era, and the degree of any remediation work — and how thoroughly it was done — is one of the most important questions to put to the surveyor. Keel-to-hull attachment deserves careful attention on the fin-keel version; inspect for cracking, weeping, or movement at the joint. The centerboard mechanism on the lifting-keel variant adds its own inspection requirement: verify the pennant, the pivot, and the case for wear and corrosion, and confirm the board actually retracts fully.

The cutter rig concentrates significant load through the chainplates and the inner forestay fittings, so those structural points — and the condition of the standing rigging generally — warrant close inspection on any survey. Running rigging on older boats is often overdue for replacement even when it looks acceptable to the eye; treat it as a budget item rather than a question mark. The Yanmar diesel engine fitted to most examples is a known quantity and generally long-lived when maintained, but confirm service history, inspect the raw-water cooling circuit and heat exchanger, and budget for impeller and zincs as a matter of course.

Teak decks, common on well-fitted examples, are a double-edged inheritance: beautiful when sound, problematic when the underlying screws or bedding has allowed water ingress into the deck core. Tap the decks for soft spots and inspect through-deck fastenings carefully. Electrical systems in boats of this age frequently reflect decades of incremental additions; a proper audit by a marine electrician is money well spent, particularly before accepting a boat with a lithium retrofit.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Sun Kiss 47 circulates most actively in French and Spanish waters, with additional examples found in the Netherlands and across the broader European brokerage market; isolated examples reach the wider Atlantic circuit and appear in the Pacific. Buyers in North America will find the model less common than in Europe, and patience — or willingness to import — is generally required.

The boat rewards a buyer who wants a genuine passage-making cruiser with a classic French character: a cutter-rigged, comfortable, moderately-displacement 47-footer that has proven itself on offshore passages in experienced hands. It is not the easiest boat to find, but examples that have been well maintained and thoughtfully equipped offer serious capability at a price point that reflects the model's age rather than its ability.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Commission a full osmotic survey below the waterline; confirm extent of any blistering and quality of prior remediation
• Inspect keel-to-hull joint for cracking, movement, or weeping; for centerboard versions, verify the board, pennant, and case
• Examine all chainplate and inner-forestay attachment points; assess standing rigging age and condition
• Confirm Yanmar engine service history; inspect raw-water circuit, heat exchanger, and cooling system
• Tap teak decks for soft spots; inspect through-deck fastenings for water ingress into the core
• Commission a marine electrical audit, especially on boats with lithium retrofits or significant added electronics
• Verify life raft service date, EPIRB registration, and expiry status on all safety equipment
• Confirm all sea cocks operate freely; inspect keel bolts if accessible