1983 Via Marine 42, 118 000 USD

Detour is a rare and capable French expedition sailboat, one of only approximately 30 Via 42s built by C.M.P.F. Fécamp in the early 1980s and a serious high-latitude passage-maker. Designed by Jean-Louis Noir, the Via 42 combines a lightweight but robust 5 mm marine aluminium hull with internal lead ballast and twin hydraulic swinging centreboards that allows shallow-draught access to anchorages unreachable by conventional fin-keel yachts, while retaining the ability to take the ground safely for routine maintenance. Her aluminium construction and shallow-draught versatility make her a natural candidate for high-latitude cruising, including the Northwest Passage.

Her recent cruising history speaks for itself: an extended Pacific and North American circuit from New Zealand to French Polynesia and Hawaii, followed by the Inside Passage from Alaska to San Francisco, before arriving on the Yacht Sales West dock in Sidney, BC.

She is ideally positioned for a buyer with high-latitude ambitions, Northwest Passage aspirations, or simply a desire for a capable, go-anywhere cruiser with range and redundancy built in.

Detour has received substantial investment in recent years. A new Volvo Penta D2-75F engine, saildrive, and MaxProp feathering propeller were installed in 2022. New AGM house batteries were fitted in 2023. A comprehensive 2025-2026 works programme addressed the recommendations of a professional pre-purchase survey including hull corrosion treatment, centreboard cover replacement, sanitation renewal, new bilge pump, rig work, and a full complement of new safety equipment.

Set up for autonomous, long-range cruising with Starlink, SSB/Pactor, watermaker, diesel heat, and Windpilot windvane, Detour arrives with a comprehensive inventory of spares, tools, and cruising equipment included in the asking price.

Detour is currently Swiss flagged. Yacht Sales West will assist the eventual buyer flag the vessel appropriately.

 Built for big adventures whether the Northwest Passage or the South
Pacific
 Aluminium hull: 5 mm marine aluminium plating with welded hat
stringers for stiffness
 12 mm aluminium base plate for safe beaching and grounding
 Internal lead ballast with two hydraulically operated swinging
centreboards (serviced 2025), draft 1.0 m boards up / 2.2 m boards
down
 Waterproof collision bulkheads at bow and stern
 Thick foam insulation above the waterline
 Protective bar under hull (bow to rudder) guards propeller and rudder
when beaching
COCKPIT AND DECK
 Large, self-draining cockpit
 Easy-to-navigate companionway with stairs
 Mast pulpits (aka Granny Bars), for additional safety when working at
the mast
 Swim ladder with deck shower
 3 x spinnaker poles
 Lofrans Tigres 1000W electric windlass (serviced 2026)
 Rocna 20 kg main anchor with 50 m of 10 mm chain and 100 m rode
 Delta 15 kg / Delta 17 kg / DOB 20 kg spare anchors with 30 m chain
 Windpilot Pacific windvane self-steering system
 Plenty of mooring lines and spare sheets
 Davits and a convenient swim platform sugar scoop
INTERIOR
 Classic 3-cabin layout: forward V-berth cabin, two aft double cabins
 Solid wood interior with numerous hatches providing ample lighting
and ventilation
 Large saloon with folding centre table; lee-cloths both sides for
seagoing comfort
 Navigation station to port with full electronics suite
 Separate bathroom with shower; outdoor deck shower, no
inconvenient wet head !
 Separate head compartment with Jabsco manual head (new pump
and sanitation tubing 2025), 30 L holding tank

 Deep bilges and numerous storage areas for long-term provisioning
 Webasto AirTop EvoM diesel heater
 Hot water via engine heat exchanger and shore power
 Fusion MS-RA70, Premium marine stereo with Bluetooth
GALLEY
 U-shaped galley to starboard, secure and practical in a seaway
 Gimballed 2-burner gas stove and oven (Eno)
 Dometic CFX 55 fridge/freezer (2025) and built-in 120 L front-loader
fridge with Isotherm cold plate (2016)
 Double stainless-steel sinks
 Fresh and saltwater at the sinks for maximum water conservation.
MECHANICAL
 Volvo Penta D2-75F, 75 HP (new 2022, approx. 1320 hr ). EPA
compliant.
 Full access from the large hatch in the cockpit
 Volvo Penta 150S saildrive (new 2022)
 MaxProp 20” 3-blade feathering propeller (new 2022, Propspeed
coated)
 Engine and saildrive serviced annually; last service March 2026
 320 L integral aluminium fuel tank
 New underwater paint system 2021 (3 x epoxy, 2 x primer, 3 x
antifoul); new antifoul March 2026 (2 layers Interlux Pacifica Plus)
ELECTRICAL + PLUMBING
 Well set up for off-grid adventures with self sufficiency for power and
water.
 4 x 150 Ah AGM house batteries, new 2023 (600 Ah total)
 Bosch 120 Ah starter battery, new 2022
 Victron 40 A battery charger
 4 x 100 W solar panels with Victron MPPT and display.
 ATMB 350 wind generator
 1 x 1,000 W and 1 x 350 W inverters
 Aquabase ESW 301 watermaker, 35 L/hr, with new membrane
 Stray current monitoring via installed indicator; portable anode for
marina use
 Shore power inlet (220 V) but can plug in an charge on 120V
 All seacocks reinforced nylon (non-corroding in aluminium hull)
 2 x electric bilge pumps (1 x Rule 3000 GPH with float switch); 1 x
manual bilge pump
INSTRUMENTS
• Raymarine 9” C95 chart plotter (chart table)
• Raymarine A65 Chartplotter (cockpit)
• Raymarine Colour i70 autopilot controller x 2, in the cockpit and at the
chart table plus S100 wireless remote
• Raymarine Digital Radar with integration and overlay with the two
chartplotters
• Raymarine Colour i70 wind instruments, depth sounder and log at
both the companionway and the chart table.
• Raymarine VHF with DSC. Integrated with GPS input.
• Analogue centreboard gauges in the cockpit
• ICOM IC-M801E SSB / HF radio with Pactor IV Dragon Modem
• Starlink Gen2 (new 2023), connected wherever you sail
• AIS transponder with antenna pack
• Iridium 9555 satellite phone
• Fusion MS-RA70 stereo
• Vion Digital Barograph.
• Octopus Power First Leakage Bargraph, helps protect the aluminum
hull
• Brass barometer and clock.
SAILS & RIG
 Sloop rig, deck-stepped aluminium mast (reinforced 2018)
 New wire standing rigging 2018
 Fixed inner forestay and removable Solent stay
 Full-battened mainsail with 3 reefs, 37 m² (Voile Performance)
 150% genoa, 60 m², on Profurl C420 furler (Voile Performance)
 Solent jib (Voile Performance)
 Storm jib (Voile Performance)
 Spinnaker with snuffer, 130 m²
 Walder Boom Brake: easy gybes !
 Winches: 2 x Lewmar Ocean ST 54 self-tailing; 4 x Harken/Barrossa
30; 1 x Lewmar ST 44: all serviced
 Lazybag (new 2016)
 3 x spinnaker poles
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
 Zodiac Aeritex 260 with Tohatsu M5BDS 5 HP outboard (serviced
2026), with dinghy davits. Dinghy floor (new 2026)
 Extensive spare parts inventory: engine (alternator, belt, impeller,
filters), spare autopilot, spare watermaker membrane (2026), rig
spares (Dyneema)
 Extensive tool kit
 Fishing gear
 Full galleywear
 Seago Seamaster ISO 9650-1 6-person life raft with grab bags (new
2026)
 6 x Uship 275 N inflatable lifejackets with harnesses (serviced 2026)
 3 x AIS Ocean MOB devices
 4 x neoprene exposure/immersion suits
 Ocean Signal EPIRB (battery expiry 2027)
 Flares, new 2025
 3 x 1 L and 2 x 2 L fire extinguishers + fire blanket
 1 x drogue
 Extensive first aid supplies
MAINTENANCE
 Last haul-out and anti-fouling: March 2026
 Last zinc(s) change: March 2026
 Last engine oil change:
 2018: New wire standing rigging; mast reinforced; abovewaterline
paint
 2021: Full underwater paint system (3 x epoxy, 2 x primer, 3 x
antifoul)
 2022: New Volvo Penta D2-75F engine, 150S saildrive, and
MaxProp feathering propeller
 2023: 4 x 150 Ah AGM house batteries; Starlink Gen2
 2025: Centreboard covers replaced; new turbo; centreboard
and hydraulic service; new bilge pump; sanitation overhaul;
sail service (Doyle Sails Auckland); rig work
 2025-2026: Hull corrosion treatment (Hick’s Marine
Fabrication, Sonoma); new antifouling (Interlux Pacifica Plus);
engine/saildrive annual service; windlass service; new liferaft;
lifejackets serviced; new flares; fire extinguishers replaced;
water tanks accessed, cleaned and retubed; spare
watermaker membrane