Lancer 40 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used Lancer 40 means looking at a David-designed center-cockpit motorsailer built by Lancer Yacht Corp. from 1983 to 1985, with a fiberglass hull, fin keel, and skeg rudder. These are American boats that turn up in the United States and Canada, and the short production span means any example is a fairly specialized cruiser rather than a common marina filler.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Lancer 40 is a monohull with a center cockpit and an angled transom carrying a fixed swimming platform, a layout that suits a couple or small family cruising with the helm sheltered mid-ship. Below the angled transom the stern platform adds boarding access, and the wheel-steered skeg rudder places steering aft of the cockpit. The hull is 40 feet overall, 33.67 feet on the waterline, and 12 feet beam, with a standard keel drawing 6.30 feet, so draft limits her to major marinas rather than shallow anchorages.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market these boats commonly fitted with electric winches, air conditioning, heating, a furling main, a bimini, and the swim platform, which together make for a low-effort coastal cruiser. Often-seen additions include solar, an inverter, hot water, and a hardtop, clustering into power and energy independence and all-weather cockpit comfort. A buyer should treat the furling main and electric winches as meaningful labor-savers, while air conditioning and heating speak to her liveaboard intent rather than barebones sailing.
What to Inspect
A buyer should confirm the overrigged masthead sloop rigging is sound, since she carries more rig than 99 percent of similar sailboats which indicates she is significantly overrigged. Check the halyard runs—about 111.8 feet at half-inch diameter—for chafe, and verify the inboard motor fitted for cruising, docking, and maneuvering is present and serviced. The fixed swim platform and angled transom junction deserve a close look for stress or sealant failure.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Lancer 40s are found in the United States and Canada. For a shopper the checklist is brief: confirm center-cockpit layout and swim platform integrity, verify the overrigged rig and long halyards are maintained, check the inboard and common creature-comfort gear, and accept the 6.30-foot draft limits. She is a slim, heavily canvased David cruiser—rewarding if you want a distinctive motorsailer, but not a mainstream production boat.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Lancer 40. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 1 | $39,641 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $39,577 | -0.2% |
| May 26 | 2 | $34,900 | -11.8% |
Where they're listed
Lancer 40 listings appear across 2 countries. Canada has the most listings with 2 (50.0%), followed by United States.
Country view
4 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $39,609 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% |
| United States | $34,900 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 40 | 40' | $ 159,000 | 52 | 19 |
| Caliber 40 LRC | 40.92' | $ 159,900 | 39 | 9 |
| Elan Impression 40 | 39.04' | $ 134,939 | 30 | 4 |
| Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 40 | 41.67' | $ 157,312 | 20 | 5 |
| Halmatic 37 | 36.5' | $ 47,500 | 16 | 4 |
| Lancer Yachts 40You are here | — | $ 37,239 | 4 | 0 |