A Charente-Maritime yard, sail and power
Fountaine Pajot is based in Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis, near La Rochelle on France's Atlantic coast, and bought the Dufour yard in 2018. Its sailing catamarans carry names such as Lucia, Elba, Saona or Tanna, and each name stands for a model and a production period. Several models have followed one another at the same length: a recent model does not compare with its predecessor.
The power catamarans form a separate range. The older ones were called Summerland, Cumberland or Queensland; in 2021 the MY range was renamed, the MY40 becoming the MY5 and the MY44 the MY6. The same boat can therefore appear under two names in listings.
Maestro or Quatuor: the version matters
Many models come in a Maestro version, with a whole hull for the owner's cabin, and a Quatuor version with four double cabins, popular in charter. The two versions do not attract the same buyers, and a boat is first compared with boats of the same version.
These version names often appear in listings. Use them as they are, with the number of cabins and heads, so that the comparison covers equivalent boats.
Cruising equipment and engines
A cruising catamaran is also worth what it lets you do away from marinas: energy, fresh water, comfort. Solar panels, recent batteries, a watermaker, a generator and air conditioning add value, provided they are maintained and invoiced.
Under sail, buyers look at the age of the standing rigging, mainsail and genoa. On the engine side, they ask for the hours on both engines and the service history of the drives. On a power catamaran, those hours and that record weigh even more, since the engines do all the work.
Preparing to sell a Fountaine Pajot
- note the exact model name, its version and its year;
- if the boat has changed trade name, give both;
- gather invoices for the self-sufficiency equipment, with installation dates;
- record the hours on each engine and on the generator;
- state the home port and flag, which matter to buyers;
- have the evidence of VAT status ready, especially for a boat leaving charter.
