Susie Jane

2002 Dufour Gib’Sea 43 – “Susie Jane” | Refitted Bluewater Cruiser, Never Chartered

Susie Jane is a proven ocean-crossing yacht, ready for her next family. Her current owners bought her in the UK, completed a two-year refit, and sailed her across the Atlantic. She has spent the last four years cruising the Caribbean from Sint Maarten to Trinidad. Over thousands of miles she has weathered several storms without a single breakage. She has been a full-time liveaboard home throughout, and she has never been chartered.

Built for the Ocean
The Gib’Sea 43 was named Cruising World’s 2001 Boat of the Year (Best Production Cruiser under $200K) and is CE Category A (Ocean) rated. When Italy’s Giornale della Vela tested her in 2001, they found her displacement the heaviest in her class. They also praised how little she heels: upwind under full sail in 20 knots true, the genoa stays well clear of the water.

Susie Jane has a traditional, heavily laid-up glass hull. Her weight was confirmed at 12 tonnes at haul-out. That gives her predictable, sea-kindly performance. She shrugs off heavy squalls and still makes over 7 knots comfortably on passage.

Refit & Upgrades

• Hull taken back to gelcoat, epoxy barrier coat applied (touched up 2024) and repainted
• Complete rewire: 12V and 220V systems, new electrics and lithium house bank
• 1,590W solar on a new solar arch
• New standing and running rigging
• New headsail (2022)
• New Hydrovane self-steering (2021)
• Major engine cooling system work (approx. £6,000)
• Rudder stock, stern tube/shaft bearing and keel seal replaced
• TruDesign through-hulls throughout
• New spray hood, stack pack and lazyjacks
• All winches serviced, wear parts replaced
• Gas system serviced, full circuit tested end to end
• Upholstery renewed
• Instruments brought up to modern standards
• New Jabsco HD freshwater pump (2024)
• New freezer (2025)
• Fridge service (2026)

Liveaboard Comfort

• Watermaker
• Washing machine
• All-electric galley: large fridge, freezer, electric oven, induction cooktop on a gimballed platform
• Spacious saloon with generous storage

Accommodation
The layout is flexible. She is currently arranged as three cabins plus an office, with one full head. A second head currently houses the washing machine. It can easily be converted back, as all valves remain in place.

Why She’s for Sale
With two growing children, her owners are moving ashore. They’re looking for a new owner or family who will care for Susie Jane as well as they have.

Susie Jane is a strong, well-found ocean platform. Her next owner can cross oceans in confidence and comfort.

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Boat Details

• Make / Model: Dufour Gib’Sea 43
• Year: 2002
• Condition: Used
• Price: USD 115,000
• Type: Sail, masthead sloop
• LOA: 42' 8" (13.01 m)
• Beam: 14' 0" (4.27 m)
• Max draft: 5' 7" (1.70 m)
• Hull: Solid (non-cored) GRP, E-glass in isophthalic resin, aramid impact layer in the bow, structural grid laminated to the hull. Balsa-cored deck. Factory osmosis barrier from new, epoxy barrier coat added during refit (touched up 2024)
• Keel: Fixed fin with bulb
• Fuel: Diesel
• Electrical system: 12V DC + 220V AC (inverter and shore power)
• Location: Afloat at anchor, Mount Hartman Bay (Secret Harbour), Grenada
• HIN: FR.DUF21352B202
• Flag: UK (Small Ships Register)
• Previous owners: 3
• Chartered: Never
• Last survey: 2020 (pre-purchase)
• Tax status: UK VAT paid (outside the UK for around four years)

Electronics

• Depth sounder: Airmar DST-810 (2022)
• Log / speed: Airmar DST-810 (2022)
• Wind speed & direction: B&G Triton with wireless (Bluetooth) wind sensor (2022)
• Chartplotter: Raymarine RL70C colour display (no charts loaded). Primary navigation is on the included Fossibot 10" IP67 rugged tablet
• Autopilot: B&G Triton with NAC-2 autopilot computer (2022)
• Compass: B&G Triton (2022)
• GPS: Raymarine
• VHF: Simrad, with new antenna
• Radar: Raymarine analogue radome (via RL70C), plus a new B&G Halo radar (supplied, not yet installed)
• AIS: Vesper XB-6000 transceiver (2022)
• Satellite internet: Starlink Gen 2 (2022)
• TV: Cello 24" 12V
• Stereo: JVC + Cambridge Audio
• Cockpit speakers: Kicker waterproof

Electrical

• Shore power inlet
• Inverter: Victron Phoenix 5000VA (5 kVA)
• Solar: 1,590 W on solar arch
• House batteries: 2x 300Ah LiFePO4 (600Ah total) with internal BMS
• Battery charger: Sterling 40A
• USB sockets: 10 (in each cabin and the saloon)

Sails

• Mainsail: Partially battened, good serviced working condition (age unknown)
• Spare mainsail: Older, baggy but usable as emergency spare
• Furling genoa: 140%, new 2022, great condition
• Cruising chute / asymmetric: New and unused

Rigging

• Standing rigging replaced 2020, last inspected 2025
• Running rigging renewed during refit
• Double steering wheels
• Winches: 4 manual (serviced, wear parts replaced)
• 2x whisker poles (need corrosion repair)

Outside & Deck

• Teak inlays in cockpit
• Cockpit cushions
• Cockpit table
• Cockpit shower
• Swim ladder
• Davit: Simpson, 200 kg (441 lb) capacity
• Radar reflector (fixed)
• Tender: Highfield Classic 290, 2.9 m (9' 6"), 2023
• Outboard: Yamaha Enduro 15 hp, 2023, major service 2026
• Magma gas BBQ

Covers

• Bimini: Hard solar arch cover with canvas at the front
• Spray hood: New (refit)
• Stack pack: New (refit), serviced 2025
• Lazyjacks: New (refit)

Ground Tackle

• Primary anchor: Mantus M2, 29 kg (65 lb)
• Secondary anchor: Lewmar CQR, 20 kg (44 lb)
• Chain: 50 m (164 ft) of 10 mm (due for replacement)
• Windlass: Lofrans Airon electric

Interior Equipment

• Washing machine: 4.5 kg (10 lb) top-loading
• Oven: Electric
• Cooktop: Induction, on gimballed platform
• Refrigerator: 300 L top-loading, Danfoss compressor, serviced 2026
• Freezer: 60 L, new 2025
• Watermaker: Schenker Zen 30 (30 L/h), new membrane and pump rebuild 2025
• Freshwater pump: Jabsco HD, new 2024
• Heads: 1x Jabsco manual marine
• Bilge pumps: Jabsco electric, Osculati automatic electric, 1 manual
• Heating: Autoterm 4 kW (ducting disconnected)
• Hot water: 40 L 1500 W boiler (disconnected due to leak)

Safety

• EPIRB (expires 2027)
• Liferaft: 6-person Sea Master Plus, ISO 9650-1 Type 1, bought new 2020 (service due)
• Fire extinguishers: 4 dry powder (service due)
• Lifejackets: 2 adult inflatable, 2 children’s

Self-Steering

• Hydrovane wind-vane self-steering (new 2021)
• B&G Triton autopilot with NAC-2 computer (2022)

Inventory

• Galley: Glasses, plates and bowls for 4 (no pots or pans)
• Spares: Shaft bearing, water pump, engine service parts (impellers, oil etc.) and miscellaneous wear parts
• Tools: Chain wrench for watermaker housing (owner’s other tools not included)
• Fossibot 10" IP67 rugged navigation tablet

• Heating ducting disconnected
• Hot water boiler disconnected due to leak
• Anchor chain due for replacement
• Liferaft due for service (not serviced since new in 2020)
• Fire extinguishers due for service (last serviced 2020)
• Whisker poles need corrosion repair
• Engine hour meter not working
• New B&G Halo radar supplied but not yet installed
• No holding tank fitted