Voyage 480 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The overwhelming majority of Voyage 480s you will encounter on the brokerage market are the four-cabin, four-head charter configuration. The builder supplied a large portion of its output to its own charter operation in the Caribbean, and those boats were specified to sleep the maximum number of guests, with a dedicated head and shower en suite in each hull. The three-cabin owner's version — which trades the two symmetrical aft cabins for a more generous single owner's stateroom with its own full head — does exist on the used market but appears considerably less often. If the owner's layout is a priority, budget for a longer search.

Both versions share the same forward cabin arrangement: athwartship double berths just forward of the mast and a single bunk in each forepeak — useful for kids or crew. The saloon is consistent across variants, with a horseshoe sofa and central table to starboard and a forward-facing U-shaped galley to port that gives the cook a generous run of counter space and a view out through the cabin windows.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Charter conditioning means most used Voyage 480s arrive generously outfitted. A front-opening refrigerator, top-opening freezer, stove, oven, microwave, and ice maker are commonly found as built-in features rather than upgrades, and the composite traveler arch integrated into the hardtop bimini is standard architecture on virtually every example. Watermakers, inverters, autopilots, chartplotters, and air conditioning systems are broadly fitted across the fleet — expect them to be present rather than absent, though condition will vary widely depending on use history and maintenance discipline.

Electric winches, cockpit showers, and a dedicated swim platform at the stern are also widely fitted. Hot water systems and dodgers appear on a large share of boats, and solar panels are a frequent addition, reflecting the independence-minded cruising profile of many private owners who acquired the boat after charter service.

On the upgrade side, lithium battery banks are a meaningful owner investment seen with growing frequency on boats that have been refitted for extended passagemaking. A self-tacking jib, which simplifies short-handed sailing considerably, is a popular addition on privately owned examples. Some owners have also replaced the builder's boom-stinger dinghy crane arrangement — which lifts the tender onto the foredeck — with conventional davits at the stern, and new or replacement trampolines are a common deferred-maintenance item worth confirming before purchase.

What to Inspect

The 480's charter DNA is an asset for durability, but it also means many examples have accumulated significant hours and sea miles before reaching the brokerage market. The areas most worth scrutinizing follow from the design's known characteristics.

Bridgedeck clearance and slamming are inherent to the design — the builder improved this relative to the earlier 450, but going hard on the wind in a chop will produce bridgedeck impacts. Inspect the bridgedeck underskin carefully for stress cracking, delamination, or any signs of water ingress at the join between the bridgedeck and the hulls.

The foam-cored construction throughout the hulls, deck, and bimini makes weight control possible, but coring demands rigorous maintenance of deck hardware bedding. Any unsealed fastener or fitting that has been allowed to weep will introduce water into the core. Tap the deck systematically, paying particular attention around chainplates, stanchion bases, and the mast compression points. The twin Yanmar diesel engines are the workhorse propulsion — check service records for both, inspect the raw-water impellers, heat exchangers, and zincs, and budget for a full service on any boat where documentation is incomplete.

Because charter boats are often turned over on tight schedules, running rigging may have been replaced on schedule but inspected infrequently between charter seasons. Walk every line, inspect the mainsheet bridle attachment points on the traveler arch for fatigue, and look at standing rigging terminations. The sliding hatch in the bimini is a feature worth operating yourself — the mechanism can develop stiffness and, if forced, causes stress to the composite surround. The aft swim platform looks spectacular at anchor but is exposed to loading from dinghy launching and water toys; check the mounting structure below decks for any movement or cracking.

Electrical systems on charter-cycled boats are frequently a patchwork. Air conditioning compressors in particular wear hard in Caribbean service; confirm each unit draws within spec and that the raw-water strainers serving the AC system are clean and accessible.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Voyage 480 is a genuinely niche boat in the used-catamaran market. It was built over a limited production run, and total numbers built were modest by comparison with French volume builders, so the pool of available examples is limited. The highest concentration of boats surfaces in the Caribbean basin — particularly the Virgin Islands and Grenada — given the charter heritage. United States brokers handle a meaningful share, especially on the East Coast, where returning charter boats frequently transact. Boats also appear periodically in the Mediterranean.

Because supply is thin, buyers willing to fly to inspect a boat in an out-of-the-way charter base will have more options than those restricting their search to a home port. A pre-purchase survey from an inspector with specific multihull and foam-core experience is not optional here — it is the central decision-making tool.

Before making an offer, work through this checklist:

• Confirm layout (four-cabin charter vs. three-cabin owner's version) matches your intended use
• Obtain complete engine service records for both Yanmars; budget a full service regardless
• Systematic deck tap for core delamination, especially at hardware penetrations and chainplate areas
• Bridgedeck underside inspection for stress cracking or water ingress
• Inspect all standing and running rigging, mainsheet bridle, and traveler arch fittings
• Operate the bimini sliding hatch and confirm it moves freely
• Test all AC units under load and inspect raw-water cooling circuits
• Verify condition of refrigerator, freezer, watermaker, and electrical systems; confirm battery bank health
• Confirm trampoline condition and dinghy-handling arrangement (crane vs. davits)
• Check swim platform mounting structure for movement or cracking
• Request any charter-fleet service history or refit documentation from the managing operator