Ta Chiao CT-56 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common layout seen on the resale market, though two-cabin versions also appear, and ex-charter boats are a common sight. The teak interior and raised-quarterdeck volume give real liveaboard space, and because many hulls were customized for offshore voyaging, interior finishes and stowage differ hull to hull. A buyer cross-shopping a Tayana 55 or an Amel Super Maramu will find the CT-56 more traditionally finished and less standardized than those contemporaries.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The brokerage fleet commonly carries chartplotter, radar, autopilot, air conditioning, freezer, washing machine, teak decks, AIS, inverter, spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker, bow thruster, and life raft as fitted equipment. Often seen additions include watermaker, bimini, hot water, and dinghy davits. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster — inverter, air conditioning, washing machine, and bow thruster — signals whether the boat was set up for marina-living or independent anchoring; the canvas-and-sail-handling cluster of bimini, spinnaker, and davits speaks to tropical cruising readiness. A watermaker and freezer together indicate serious passage-making intent rather than coastal hopping.

What to Inspect

The CT-56's solid fiberglass hull and full keel are straightforward, but the teak decks fitted to most used boats deserve close attention for fastener penetration and sub-deck water migration spacious teak interior. Attached rudders on these hulls can suffer internal laminate issues if water enters at the stock, and inboard chainplates hidden behind teak cabinetry should be checked for crevice corrosion. Decades-old steel or iron fuel tanks may show internal rust or weeping, and any documented osmosis repair on a specific hull should be reviewed for extent and method.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats turn up in Spain, the United States, the Virgin Islands, U.S., Greece, Slovenia, and Malaysia. For a shopper, the checklist is simple: confirm the layout matches your liveaboard plan, verify the teak deck and rudder condition, inspect hidden chainplates and tankage, and assess whether the fitted power and watermaking gear matches your cruising style. The CT-56 rewards an owner who wants a rare, traditional Perry ketch rather than a production modern cruiser.