Lafitte 44 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Lafitte 44 on the brokerage market means taking the measure of a Robert H. Perry cutter built in Taiwan for serious passage making, with 56 hulls produced and a record that includes many circumnavigations. These are boats that have lived hard offshore lives, and the used fleet reflects both the strength of the original construction and the wear those years have produced.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used boats carry the original passage-making interior: two companionways, a forward and an aft stateroom, and a galley that dominates the accommodation plan. A second companionway hatch forward of the cockpit drops down a very steep ladder into the galley and saloon, and to reach the main cabin you pass through a head compartment. The forward cabin has two berths set at nearly shoulder height, and the salon is spacious with adequate seating, though the drop-leaf table is awkward to move around. The cockpit itself is narrow and cramped with space for four at best, and the 40-inch destroyer wheel does not fit the space well.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market these boats commonly carry a spinnaker, radar, chartplotter, hot water, teak decks, and autopilot as standard fitted gear. For a buyer the consequential clusters are navigation and deck systems — radar and chartplotter paired with autopilot speak to a boat equipped for long passages — and comfort systems such as hot water and teak decks that define daily liveaboard use. The generator is an add-on typically found in the lazarette rather than factory standard.
What to Inspect
Teak decks are the first thing to scrutinize. Most boats had the teak fastened from below with screws, and after two decades of wear those screw tips stand proud and cut bare feet as well as leak after 20 years of wear, the screw tips will become exposed. Later hulls used screws from above with bunged holes, and that method leaks as well, so probe around every deck penetration for softness or staining. Check the chain lockers — one under the windlass and one aft under the V-berth — for the hawsepipe refit that lets chain run free, and confirm the forward locker is not holding water. Engine access is poor by design; lift the sole and confirm how the mechanic would actually reach the buried unit, because service costs scale with the struggle. In the forward cabin, look behind the paneling where a self-contained air-conditioning unit may sit on a shelf and leak condensate into the wood the forward cabin unit is leaking condensate. Finally, walk every inch of the cabin sole listening for squeaks that signal a foundation laid incorrectly.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States and New Zealand.
- Check teak decks for exposed screw tips and leak stains
- Confirm chain-locker drainage and hawsepipe routing
- Test engine access before committing to a survey
- Inspect forward-cabin paneling for A/C condensate rot
- Walk the sole for squeaks from poor foundation lay-up
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Lafitte 44. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25 | 1 | $21,000 | — |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $34,500 | +64.3% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $34,500 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Lafitte 44 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 4 (80.0%), followed by New Zealand.
Country view
5 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $34,500 | 4 | 0 | 80.0% |
| New Zealand | $106,457 | 1 | 0 | 20.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Yachts Morgan 44 | 44' | $ 95,000 | 23 | 1 |
| Hylas 44 | 44.17' | $ 109,990 | 15 | 2 |
| Hardin 44/45 | 44.5' | $ 62,500 | 15 | 1 |
| Peter Ibold 44 | 44' | $ 98,460 | 10 | 2 |
| Robert Perry 44You are here | — | $ 34,500 | 5 | 0 |