Valiant 50 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The most common used configuration is the owner three-cabin arrangement, though both three-cabin and other layouts appear, and ex-charter examples are not unusual. Valiant offered four basic interior plans with a center or offset companionway, and the deck mold let original owners place hatches, portlights, and Dorades to taste. A buyer should confirm which companionway style and cabin count a given hull carries, since the personalized build means the same model can feel like two different boats inside.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used Valiant 50s commonly carry air conditioning, heating, dodger, autopilot, watermaker, solar, inverter, cockpit shower, radar, AIS, and chartplotter—a suite that makes most examples turnkey for liveaboard cruising. Less universal but seen as owner upgrades are wind generators, bow thrusters, electric winches, freezers, dinghy davits, EPIRBs, life rafts, and setups geared for short-handed or round-the-world sailing. For a buyer, the practical clusters are energy—solar, inverter, sometimes wind generator—meaning less generator dependence at anchor; comfort and canvas—dodger, cockpit shower, AC and heat—speaking to tropical or year-round use; and navigation—radar, AIS, chartplotter, autopilot—showing the boat is wired for offshore passages without immediate refit.

What to Inspect

The structural facts on this model are reassuring but worth verifying. The hull is a single solid fiberglass layup with isophthalic resin, its thickness reaching nearly two inches at the bilge turn anchor. The standard lead keel is attached with 18 stainless steel J-bolts bedded in 3M 5200, and the shoal keel uses the same method, so a survey should confirm bolt integrity and sealant condition at both keel-hull junctions anchor. An aluminum toerail is through-bolted to the deck with 5200 every 4 1/2 inches, so check for toerail loosening or deck intrusion at fastener points anchor. The engine, tanks, and stove were installed last to preserve removal access, a point in the buyer's favor if service history shows clean reach to those components anchor.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The typical market for these boats is the United States. A buyer's short checklist: confirm layout (three-cabin owner version most often seen, ex-charter possible); verify keel J-bolt and toerail fastening condition; confirm energy and navigation suite matches your cruise plan; and ask about factory refurbishment support through the builder's sister company for parts. The Valiant 50 rewards a careful shopper with a customizable, well-built Perry passagemaker that remains supportable long after new production ended.