Valiant 39 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Valiant 39 means stepping into Robert Perry’s canoe-stern lineage at its most evolved: the 39 is essentially an updated Valiant 37, and the boats on the brokerage market reflect that cruising pedigree rather than any racer pretension. The examples afloat are predominantly the isophthalic-resin hulls, so the blistering of earlier Uniflite-built Valiants is not the specter it once was. What you are really evaluating is a 18,500-pound solid-glass cruiser with a skeg rudder, bolted lead keel, and a cutter rig on a tubular bowsprit.
Layouts on the Used Market
Charter four-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The standard interior places a U-shaped galley to starboard opposite a port-side nav station, with longitudinal settees in the saloon that double as sea berths via lee cloths and a folding dinette amidship. Sleeping doubles are smallish and located in the starboard quarter and forepeak, and the single head sits port-side aft, separate from its own shower stall. Cabin headroom is 6 feet 5 inches. Ex-charter boats may show higher cycle counts on the systems but tend to carry fuller equipment lists.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, dodgers, watermakers, solar, biminis, radar, autopilots, chartplotters, and EPIRBs are commonly fitted. Heating, inverters, spinnakers, asymmetric spinnakers, electric winches, freezers, hardtops, AIS, and life rafts are often seen. The original specification already included a freshwater-cooled Westerbeke 35B behind the companionway steps, a dual-bank 12-volt DC system with 110-volt AC shore power, and a Valiant-assembled distribution panel with 28 DC toggles. Fuel lives in two removable marine alloy tanks aft of the engine and water in stainless tanks beneath the settees; standard capacities are 47 and 128 gallons, with optional tankage available.
What to Inspect
The documented construction of the 39 is its own best inspection checklist. Confirm the hull is laid up in one piece of solid glass with isophthalic resin from gel coat into the laminate, and that the deck is affixed to the hull on an inturned flange with 5200 and stainless bolts on 4 1/2-inch centers. The keel should remain bedded to the sump with 3M 5200 and secured by no fewer than 11 3/4-inch stainless J bolts with backing plates. Verify the rig is keel-stepped with two sets of spreaders and that standing rigging terminates at chain plates bonded to structural knees. The original Westerbeke 35B and the removable alloy fuel tanks are serviceable but age-dependent; inspect the 1/2-inch foam insulation inside the hull from the waterline up for delamination or saturation.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical availability is in the United States. For the shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Prefer confirmed isophthalic-resin hulls over any ambiguous early build
- Check keel J-bolt count and sump bedding integrity
- Confirm cutter rigging and through-deck spar condition
- Expect ex-charter four-cabin boats to be common; inspect systems cycling
- Verify tankage configuration (standard vs. optional) against intended use
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Valiant 39. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 2 | $ 149,000 | — |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $ 189,900 | +27.4% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 189,900 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Valiant 39 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 189,900 | 3 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 53,844 | 12 | 3 |
| Oyster Yachts 39 | 40.68' | $ 42,565 | 6 | 1 |
| Valiant 39You are here | — | $ 189,900 | 3 | 1 |