Privilège 39 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Privilege 39 means considering a 38-foot-9-inch catamaran designed by Eric Le Ferve and built by Jeantot Marine from the late 1980s through the late 1990s, later sometimes badged Alliaura 39. These semicustom boats crossed oceans routinely — almost every example offered on our side of the world has made the passage under its own power — so a buyer is looking at a proven platform rather than a fair-weather coastal cat.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard plan gives each hull two double cabins with athwartship bunks fore and aft, heads in the walkways, and a down-galley in the port hull. On the brokerage market the four-cabin charter layout is the more common version, though both owner and charter configurations appear, and ex-charter boats are common. Either way the saloon is light and airy with a U-shaped settee, forward-facing nav station, and generous cherry or mahogany woodwork; the cockpit is huge by cat standards with a port-side T-helm, full-length traveler, and teak detailing.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
For a cruising buyer the consequential clusters are energy and water, then sail handling and shelter. Most boats commonly carry a watermaker, solar array, lithium batteries, and an inverter, which together mean real off-grid autonomy; a freezer and hot water add liveaboard comfort. Common sail-handling and exterior gear includes electric winches, a bimini, trampoline, dinghy davits, and a swim platform, while cockpit shower and radar, autopilot, and chartplotter cover navigation and deck routine. A few details are period-standard rather than upgrades: most 39s already show davits with solar above and a Bruce-roller anchoring setup.
What to Inspect
The solid forward bridgedeck and hull-and-deck joint on a flange are structural strengths, but check the deck coring around high-load areas since the deck is cored except where loading demands solid laminate. Hulls are cored from the waterline up and solid below, so focus moisture survey on the upper topsides. Original 29-horsepower Volvo saildrives are accessed through the aft lazarettes; several boats have re-powered with Yanmars, so confirm what sits in each hull and inspect saildrive seals. Verify the universal-jointed aluminum crossbeam for flex wear and the staysail chainplate rooted in the solid bridgedeck.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These cats typically turn up in Martinique and the United States. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm layout (charter four-cabin is common), verify energy suite (watermaker, lithium, solar, inverter), inspect saildrives and any Yanmar repower, survey deck coring and crossbeam joint, and check the small swim steps for your boarding needs.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Privilège 39. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $80,000 | — |
| Mar 25 | 1 | $159,000 | +98.8% |
| May 25 | 1 | $149,000 | -6.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $139,921 | -6.1% |
| Sep 26 | 2 | $139,999 | +0.1% |
Where they're listed
Privilège 39 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 2 (66.7%), followed by Martinique.
Country view
3 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $139,999 | 2 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Martinique | $139,921 | 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
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagoon 39 | 38.4' | $ 299,000 | 109 | 30 |
| Siltala 38 | 37.5' | $ 105,947 | 55 | 13 |
| Island Packet 439 | 47' | $ 700,000 | 23 | 5 |
| Prout Snowgoose 37 | 37' | $ 45,000 | 21 | 3 |
| Fountaine Pajot FP 41 | 39.7' | $ 773,000 | 19 | 5 |
| Nauticat 43 | 42.67' | $ 145,000 | 19 | 2 |
| Privilège 435 | 43' | $ 274,000 | 16 | 4 |
| Prout 38 | 38' | $ 134,825 | 15 | 0 |
| Oyster Yachts 39 | 40.68' | $ 39,733 | 9 | 6 |
| Privilège 37 | 37' | $ 159,000 | 7 | 2 |
| Privilège 39You are here | — | $ 139,999 | 3 | 2 |