Salona 42 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used Salona 42 means looking at a 2008-onward J&J Design performance cruiser built by Salona Yachts (AD Boats Ltd.), a 42-foot fractional sloop with a 37-foot-7-inch waterline and 838 square feet of sail. These are boats that left the yard as serious cruiser-racers, and the used fleet reflects that intent.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. A buyer should expect the three-cabin owner version to dominate listings, with charter-derived boats often showing higher hours and more wear in the saloon and heads. Either way, the interior was finished to respect the needs and facts of being at sea, so even a charter boat should read as a working cruiser rather than a stripped bareboat.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most used Salona 42s carry a strong navigational and safety baseline: chartplotter, autopilot, AIS, EPIRB, and life raft are commonly fitted, with solar and inverter supporting independent power. For downwind work, a gennaker is commonly fitted and a code zero or spinnaker is often seen, meaning many boats already have the gear for light-air passages. Comfort equipment such as heating, hot water, and a cockpit shower is commonly fitted, while canvas like a bimini is often seen. A buyer evaluating energy and sail-handling clusters should confirm the gennaker hardware and solar capacity rather than assume a specific rig.
What to Inspect
The builder's method includes a transparent gel coat below the waterline to allow visual inspection of the laminate, so a surveyor can directly examine the hull structure without cutting transparent gel coat below the waterline. Inspection should follow condition of a 2008-era infused composite cruiser relative to its use history.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Salona 42 include Greece, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Sweden. For a buyer, the practical checklist is: confirm whether the example is ex-charter, verify the three-cabin layout matches your plans, check the commonly fitted navigation and safety gear is present and functional, and inspect the transparent underwater gel coat for laminate quality. These boats are performance cruisers at heart, so judge sails, rigging, and keel loads with appropriate care.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Salona 42. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 4 | $144,405 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $151,121 | +4.7% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $151,121 | 0.0% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $167,913 | +11.1% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $151,121 | -10.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $151,121 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $151,121 | 0.0% |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $139,927 | -7.4% |
Where they're listed
Salona 42 listings appear across 3 countries. Greece has the most listings with 4 (57.1%), followed by Italy and Poland.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts Vision 42 | 41.99' | $ 251,869 | 48 | 8 |
| First First 42 | 42.92' | $ 49,500 | 27 | 9 |
| Palmer Johnson J/42 | 42' | $ 144,900 | 19 | 4 |
| Sabre 42 | 41.75' | $ 89,000 | 19 | 8 |
| Dehler 42 | 42.13' | $ 317,954 | 18 | 3 |
| Catana Catamarans 42 | 41.27' | $ 446,648 | 15 | 4 |
| Salona 40 | 39.34' | $ 106,345 | 10 | 2 |
| Salona 41 | 41.01' | $ 158,957 | 8 | 1 |
| Salona 42You are here | — | $ 151,121 | 7 | 1 |
| Comfortina 42 | 42.19' | $ 188,622 | 7 | 4 |
| Baltic 42 | 42.43' | $ 72,743 | 4 | 1 |