Solaris 50 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The three-cabin owner's layout is the more commonly encountered configuration on the used market, featuring a large forward owner's stateroom with an island double, two symmetrical aft cabins either side of the companionway, and a full galley to port with a nav station to starboard in the saloon. The alternative layout replaces the forward stateroom with a smaller Pullman-double cabin and opens up the sail-locker space forward to create a dedicated crew berth — useful for charter or extended bluewater passages with professional crew. Both configurations are available, though the three-cabin version predominates. Buyers with a preference for the crew-berth version should expect to look harder, but it does appear. The saloon in either case is notably well-proportioned for a performance-cruiser of this type, with a folding-leaf dinette, a full-length settee, and two loose chairs that can be secured to the sole.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used Solaris 50s come to market in generally well-equipped condition, reflecting the buyer profile of the original owners. Teak decks are essentially universal across the used fleet, and chartplotters, autopilot, AIS, radar, and a bow thruster are commonly fitted across virtually all examples. Electric winches appear on the great majority of used boats — the standard Harken Radial 50s of earlier builds are often replaced or supplemented with larger Performa electrics, which the design accommodates neatly given that all working lines are already led below deck to the helm station. Heating systems, inverters, biminis, life rafts, and air conditioning are widely encountered.

A step down in prevalence but still frequently seen: watermakers, furling mains, swim platforms, dodgers, hot water systems, and asymmetric kite or gennaker inventories. Many owners have added or upgraded the downwind sail package, and it is worth asking specifically whether the Code 0 halyard is rigged — the mast is fractional with a top exit designed for a spinnaker halyard, and owners who have taken advantage of this feature tend to carry a Code 0 or full asymmetric as part of the working sail plan. A cockpit shower and a dedicated code zero are occasional owner upgrades rather than standard kit. Carbon rigs and rod rigging appear on some examples and represent a meaningful performance and inspection consideration when present.

What to Inspect

The hull layup is E-glass composite cored with Airex foam, vacuum-infused with polyester resin and protected by a vinylester skin coat. The skin coat is the primary defence against osmotic blistering, and a thorough moisture survey of the hull bottom is always warranted. The deck joint is glued and through-fastened on close centers, but teak deck seams and the joint itself deserve attention for any signs of water ingress, particularly on older examples where the teak caulking may have begun to harden and crack.

The keel deserves specific scrutiny. The T-bulb keel is bolted with fasteners on less-than-ten-inch centers, and the raked-forward mounting geometry places the connection under characteristic loading during hard upwind work. Check for any movement, staining, or cracking at the keel-to-hull joint and inspect the keel bolt condition through the bilge. On boats equipped with the retractable keel option — which does appear on some examples — the lifting mechanism and pennant condition require specialist evaluation.

The belowdeck line-routing galleries are an elegant solution to a clean deck, but they benefit from periodic inspection for wear, chafe, and moisture accumulation. The sheave boxes and rope-clutch arrays at the helm station should be operated through their full range. The backstay hydraulic tensioner, fitted with Harken cylinders on most examples, warrants inspection for any weeping or degraded hose. On boats with carbon spars, the mast base, spreader roots, and chainplate area should be examined carefully; carbon fatigue in rigging fittings can be silent until it isn't. Rod rigging, when fitted, should be inspected for any kinks or corrosion at the swage terminals.

The saildrive leg deserves standard due-diligence inspection — bellows condition, shaft seal integrity, and gearbox oil — as does the main engine regardless of whether the standard 55 hp or the uprated 75 hp Volvo Penta is fitted. The cockpit is notably shallow with minimal coamings, which contributes to the aesthetic but means that in rough conditions the on-watch crew has little to hold. Check that any removable cockpit table is present and properly secured, and that the stowable dodger and bimini frame runs cleanly in its trench without binding.

Ventilation in the aft cabins is poor by design — the low-profile superstructure that makes the boat look so good limits the size of hatches and ports aft. Buyers planning extended warm-weather cruising should confirm that the air conditioning system is functional and that the refrigeration units — typically a combination of a top-loading fridge, a drawer fridge-freezer, and sometimes a wine locker — are all operational, as these are the primary strategy for thermal management.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Solaris 50 is produced in Italy and has its strongest secondary market across the Mediterranean, with particularly good availability in Italy, Spain, France, and Greece. It also appears with some regularity in the United States and, less frequently, in Australia. For buyers outside Europe, imports are straightforward given the boat's CE certification, and the performance-cruiser community around this model is active enough that owners and surveyors with specific type knowledge are not difficult to locate.

This is a boat for the buyer who wants genuine pace, striking aesthetics, and quality Italian construction without sacrificing interior volume. It rewards buyers who do their homework.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Moisture survey of the hull bottom and attention to the vinylester skin coat condition
• Keel-to-hull joint inspection, keel bolt condition through the bilge; retractable keel mechanism if fitted
• Backstay hydraulic tensioner for any weeping or degraded hose
• Carbon spar inspection at mast base, spreader roots, and chainplate area if carbon rig is fitted; rod rigging terminal condition
• Belowdeck line galleries, sheave boxes, and rope-clutch arrays at helm station
• Saildrive bellows, shaft seal, and gearbox oil
• Aft cabin ventilation strategy and full operational check of air conditioning and refrigeration systems
• Teak deck caulking and deck joint for signs of water ingress
• Complete downwind sail inventory and Code 0 halyard rigging status
• Electric winch function across all four stations