Orca 43 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Orca 43 means looking at a Dick Carter-designed 43.5-foot sloop launched in 1972 anchor. These are solid-fiberglass hulls with lead ballast, a fin keel, and a skeg-hung rudder, built at the Sailboat / Nautical Fiberglass site. The flush deck and slender bow make the profile easy to spot on a dock, and the 60-horsepower Perkins diesel is the standard single-engine installation. The overall length runs 43.5 feet with a 12.66-foot beam, and the masthead sloop carries 1377 square feet of sail area.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts appear more often than other arrangements on the brokerage market, though both owner and alternative plans turn up. Ex-charter examples are common, so buyers should expect some hulls with heavier-use interior fit-out and wear consistent with fleet service. The 158-gallon water and 53-gallon diesel tankage is standard on these boats.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Buyers should evaluate any installed generator, watermaker, rig modification, or navigation suite on its own merits at viewing rather than assuming a fleet-standard package. The single 60-horsepower Perkins diesel and masthead rig are the baseline, so any added systems are owner-fitted rather than factory common.
What to Inspect
The Orca 43 documentation covers construction and history only. A buyer's inspection should therefore focus on the ordinary consequences of a 1972-launched solid-fiberglass hull: check the chainplate bedding where the slender deck meets the rig, confirm the Perkins mounts and shaft alignment, and look for gelcoat crazing along the flush deck edges. Because the mold was taken from a wooden prototype, verify that no later hull shows core or tabbing work inconsistent with solid-fiberglass construction.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Orca 43s are typically found in Croatia and Italy. For a viewing, keep a short list:
- Confirm the hull is solid fiberglass with no added core
- Inspect chainplate bedding at the flush deck
- Verify Perkins diesel mounts and shaft alignment
- Check for gelcoat crazing along deck edges
- Review any ex-charter history for interior wear
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Orca 43. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26 | 1 | $19 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dufour Classic 43 | 43' | $ 61,568 | 29 | 3 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 174,251 | 12 | 3 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 79,777 | 10 | 0 |
| Orca 43You are here | — | $ 19 | 1 | 0 |