Laurent Giles Laurent Giles 43 Buyer's Guide
The Laurent Giles 43, also called the Donella Class, is a 43-foot cutter designed by Jack Laurent Giles and constructed by A.H. Moody & Son from 1961, with at least sixteen launched. She is a carvel teak yacht on hardwood frames with a teak deck and varnished superstructure, sleeping six in two cabins and a saloon. For a shopper on the brokerage market she is a wooden classic whose condition turns entirely on how faithfully the usual planked-hull maintenance has been kept.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Donella's defining layout choice is the absence of a central cockpit: the class leader's first owner asked for more berths and the ability to go below from stem to stern without interruption, and the type keeps that full-length accommodation. Below you find a forecabin with Vee berths, a saloon with wrap-around Chesterfield settee berths around a centreline table, and an aft stateroom with berths port and starboard. The cockpit has high coamings leading forward to a deckhouse open aft, so the interior reads as one continuous wooden living space rather than a deck-saloon compromise.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A short-handed setup is commonly fitted, which on a yacht of this size matters because the cutter rig with roller-furling jib and staysail and electric sheet winches lets a couple handle her without crew. Commonly fitted power and energy gear includes an inverter, a Mastervolt charger and a new 110-amp alternator backing the house batteries, so a buyer should confirm the bank and charging hold up at anchor. Hot water is commonly fitted, as is a chartplotter, and a life raft is commonly carried — worth checking the raft's service date as those expire quietly. Sisters in the fleet also carry modern navigation such as radar, autopilot and AIS, but treat those as variable unless listed.
What to Inspect
Being carvel teak on hardwood frames, the hull demands scrutiny of its seams: the 1994–95 restoration re-caulked, epoxied and repainted the hull, so on a specific boat look for tight, sealed seams and any softness in the planking where teak meets hardwood. The teak deck and superstructure were re-caulked and Sikaflexed in 1995 and 2020; test for spongy deck sections around the lazarette and companionway and check the varnish for continuous upkeep rather than patch repairs. The electrical system was completely replaced in 1995, so verify the panel and wiring are later-era and not original cloth. The Perkins 4.216 diesel was overhauled 2003–2010 and removed for full rebuild in 2020; cold-start it and confirm no exhaust or coolant leaks, since a missed overhaul on this engine is an expensive omission. Keel bolts are silicon bronze and were removed and inspected in the refit — ask for evidence they were checked, as uninspected bronze bolts in a 1961 wooden hull are a flooding path.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are typically found in the Netherlands and United Kingdom. For a viewing, run through this short list:
- Check the carvel seams for tight caulking and plank softness.
- Probe the teak deck for spongy spots near hatches and coamings.
- Confirm the wiring dates from the 1995 replacement, not original.
- Start the Perkins cold and watch for leaks after the 2020 rebuild.
- Ask for proof the silicon bronze keel bolts were inspected.
- Verify the life raft service date if one is carried.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Laurent Giles Laurent Giles 43. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $33,979 | — |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $28,127 | -17.2% |
Where they're listed
Laurent Giles Laurent Giles 43 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 2 (66.7%), followed by Netherlands.
Country view
3 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $30,547 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Netherlands | $29,139 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slocum 43 | 42.5' | $ 105,000 | 27 | 2 |
| Hans Christian 43 | 42.62' | $ 119,000 | 23 | 2 |
| Roberts Mauritius 43 | — | $ 55,821 | 18 | 2 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 92,857 | 15 | 2 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 186,492 | 13 | 4 |
| Laurent Giles 38 | 38.83' | $ 51,169 | 11 | 4 |
| Morgan Giles Laurent Giles 43You are here | — | $ 29,139 | 3 | 0 |