Westsail 43 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Westsail 43 means looking at a rear-cockpit Crealock cutter built from the Westsail 42 hull molds, with production starting in 1974 and under 100 examples afloat. These are heavily built, long-keeled offshore boats rather than weekend racers, and the used buyer is choosing among individually equipped cruisers rather than a standardized modern production line.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Westsail 43 shares the same essential hull: a 42-foot-11-inch fiberglass hull with a 13-foot beam, a long full keel, and an attached rudder. The rear-cockpit arrangement sets her apart from the Westsail 42, and the interior volume reflects a length-beam ratio of 3.30, which makes her roomier than just over half of comparable sailboat designs. Below, the mass and 11,000 pounds of ballast produce a motion comfort ratio ranked above 96% of similar boats, so the used buyer should expect a stable, slow-moving liveaboard platform rather than a light-air performer.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used Westsail 43s commonly carry a substantial cruising equipment suite. Heating, solar, and wind generation are commonly fitted, addressing the house-power demands of a boat that often sits at anchor for long stretches. Radar, AIS, and chartplotter are also commonly fitted, giving the buyer modern navigation without immediate upgrade. A bimini or hardtop is commonly seen for cockpit protection, while a cockpit shower is often seen rather than universal. The buyer should verify the state of these systems, as the boat’s 82-horsepower Perkins diesel and deep-cycle needs make energy and navigation gear central to ownership.
What to Inspect
The buyer should note the performance envelope. The draft runs 5.68 to 5.98 feet dependent on load, so grounding clearance and lift requirements vary by how the boat is loaded. Each added 1,509 pounds of cruising gear sinks the hull about one inch, so added equipment sits her deeper and slows her further. Light-wind speed is limited: with a 135% genoa the sail-area-to-displacement ratio reaches only 18.1, and the design is faster than just 12% of similar boats in light wind, so inspect rigging and sail condition to extract what little pace the hull allows.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Westsail 43 are the United States and Argentina. For the buyer, the takeaway is a short checklist: confirm the cutter rig and long-keel draft against your cruising grounds; verify solar, wind, and heating systems are operational; check radar, AIS, and chartplotter currency; inspect the Perkins diesel and hull for load-related draft changes; and accept that light-air performance will be modest by modern standards.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Westsail 43. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $59,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $79,500 | +34.7% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $79,500 | 0.0% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $29,000 | -63.5% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $40,000 | +37.9% |
| May 26 | 2 | $40,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Westsail 43 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 6 (85.7%), followed by Argentina.
Country view
7 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $40,000 | 6 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Argentina | $18,000 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slocum 43 | 42.5' | $ 105,000 | 27 | 2 |
| Hans Christian 43 | 42.62' | $ 119,000 | 23 | 2 |
| Nauticat 43 | 42.67' | $ 145,000 | 23 | 2 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 92,857 | 15 | 2 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 186,444 | 13 | 5 |
| Mason 43 | 43.83' | $ 79,900 | 10 | 1 |
| Westsail 43You are here | — | $ 40,000 | 7 | 0 |