Tanton 45 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Tanton 45 means chasing one of the rarest blue-water cat-ketches afloat. With only five semi-custom hulls launched from the Ta Chiao Ltd. yard in Taiwan, each example on the used market is a distinct vessel aimed at long-distance sailing where simplicity and performance matter. Buyers should approach her as a one-off commission rather than a production boat, judging each on its own refit history and owner choices.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Tanton 45 shares the same fundamental plan: a nestled aft cockpit with a convertible table, an offset port hatch to a navigator's niche and quarter-berth, a central engine reached through galley cabinetry, and a starboard owner's double with its own head and shower anchor. The saloon carries a U-settee and pilot berth, and a second head serves the forepeak double. Because all were built to order, teak decks appear on some hulls as an option while others went without anchor. Interior wood, canvas, and systems reflect each original client's brief rather than a standard package.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats offered in the United States carry a practical long-range kit. Heating, solar, an inverter, and hot water are commonly fitted, letting a buyer live aboard in cool climates and run systems without the engine. A bimini, dodger, and dinghy davits are also common, supporting cockpit shelter and tender handling. On the navigation side, radar, autopilot, chartplotter, and EPIRB are routinely present, which matters because the unstayed rig leaves the decks clear for easy movement but gives no masthead platform for traditional wind instruments.
What to Inspect
The structural record is reassuring but not to be skipped. As boats.com detailed, the encapsulated cast-iron ballast means no keel bolts to survey, yet the balsa-cored topsides and balsa deck with plywood hardware landings deserve a moisture check given the isophthalic resin's osmosis brief anchor. One hull proved her toughness by breaking loose in a hurricane, surging through Ipswich harbor, and sinking four boats with minimal damage to herself, so inspect for prior storm history and any undocumented repairs anchor. Confirm whether teak decks were fitted and their condition, since that was an individual option rather than standard anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Tanton 45s appear in the United States market. For a buyer, the short checklist is: verify the semi-custom spec sheet and teak option, sound the balsa core and deck landings, confirm the carbon rig and wishbone booms are intact, and review the engine access through the galley. A well-kept example rewards the patient shopper with a self-steering, short-handed passagemaker few others will ever meet at anchor.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tanton 45. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $69,900 | — |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $69,900 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Tanton 45 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $69,900 | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outremer 45 | 44.95' | $ 660,000 | 50 | 12 |
| Swan 45 | 45.37' | $ 315,000 | 13 | 1 |
| J-Boats J/45 | 45.46' | $ 749,648 | 9 | 7 |
| Shearwater 45 | 51.42' | $ 179,900 | 8 | 2 |
| Tanton 45You are here | — | $ 69,900 | 2 | 1 |
| Frers 45 | 45' | $ 57,888 | 2 | 1 |