The Salthouse name has been attached to New Zealand-built boats since John Salthouse founded his original yard in 1956. Across the following decades, the Salthouse name has produced timber launches, GRP cruisers, production sailing yachts, and custom offshore builds. Salthouse was involved in the development of the Cavalier sailing range, one of the most recognised production yacht lines in New Zealand.
Right now, an unusually varied selection of Salthouse-built and Salthouse-designed vessels is listed across Boating New Zealand and its sister site, Tradeaboat. The group spans nearly five decades of production and covers timber and GRP construction, sail and power, family day boats and serious passage-makers.
Eight are below, chosen for the range of price points, use cases, and construction types they represent.
1979 Salthouse Corsair MkI — $120,000
11.7m LOA. Detroit diesel 210hp, fully rebuilt, 900 hours. Two cabins plus saloon berths, sleeps seven or more.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
The Corsair MkI was a staple of New Zealand launch ownership through the 1980s, and the design has held its reputation among buyers who know the coast. This 1979 Salthouse Corsair MkI has been through successive restorations and presents closer to new than her age suggests. The interior has been professionally restored with factory teak floors, the gearbox was fully rebuilt in February 2023, and more recently the heat exchanger reconditioned with a new water pump impeller. Hard top flybridge, bow thruster, shore power with a current EWOF, full electronics, separate fridge and freezer. A buyer wanting a ready-to-go MkI without a project list will find very little to add here.
1996 Salthouse Corsair MkII — $178,000
Approx. 12m. Single 400hp Iveco, shaft drive, 260 hours since new in 2013. Double V-berth forward, double bunk cabin to port.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
Powered by a 400hp Iveco installed new in 2013, this 1996 Corsair MkII is among the faster boats currently listed in this class, with 24 knots maximum and a 19-knot cruise reported. Engine-driven fridge and freezer, electric bow thruster, new swim platform fitted in 2025, new clears. A marina berth is available to purchase alongside.
2015 Salthouse Corsair Cabriolet 49 — $890,000
15m LOA, 4.12m beam, 1.0m draft. Two cabins.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
The Cabriolet 49 shares the Corsair name but little else with the MkI and MkII launches. This is a 15-metre GRP power catamaran developed by Dean Salthouse under the Next Generation Boats brand, with a layout centred on indoor-outdoor living — alfresco at its optimum. The shallow 1.0-metre draft opens anchorages and waterways that deeper-keeled boats cannot reach. Two well-appointed cabins. For buyers whose priorities are entertaining, stability, and shallow-water access, there is nothing else in the current Salthouse market that addresses the same brief.
1994 Salthouse Coastal 32 — $98,000
10.5m LOA. Hino 150hp shaft drive, 3,100 hours. One single and two doubles, sleeps six.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
The Coastal 32 was designed around volume relative to length, and reflects that priority: sleeps six in 10.5 metres, with a cockpit large enough to fish from. The Hino diesel is a well-supported unit which ensures reliability and easy maintenance. It has been consistently maintained across roughly 20 years of single-owner use. Furuno plotter and sounder, fridge and freezer in working order, Maxwell anchor winch, two showers inside and out, hot water off the engine, rubber dinghy with Suzuki outboard included.
1984 Salthouse KB760 — $56,000
8.45m LOA. 2020 Yanmar, ~405 hours. Family coastal cruiser.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
The KB760 is a compact fibreglass Bob Salthouse hull design that found a following among New Zealand boating families for its practicality and ease of handling. This 2984 Salthouse KB760 is notable for a 2020 Yanmar with circa 405 hours, which makes the engine package substantially younger than the hull. Hot and cold showers inside and in the cockpit, 12v/240v fridge and freezer, dual-station flybridge docking controls, shore power. Fresh antifoul, anodes, and prop-speed from May 2025. At $56,000, this is the most accessible entry point in the current Salthouse listings, and the engine hours make it a better buy than the price alone suggests.
1975 Salthouse 42 — $140,000
12.8m LOA, 4.2m beam, 1.3m draft. Detroit GM8V71TT shaft drive, reportedly reconditioned December 2016, 3,071 hours. Three forward cabins, sleeps a double and four singles.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
This 1975 Salthouse 42 is double-diagonal Kauri construction glassed over, a build method that defined New Zealand launch-building through the 1960s and 1970s. The Detroit diesel was reportedly fully reconditioned in late 2016, which provides a useful reference point against the total hours. Reported cruise of 9 knots at 1,500rpm averaging 20 litres per hour, with 16 knots available at maximum. Bow thruster, open flybridge, 1.96-metre headroom, spacious cockpit, and good all-round vision from the saloon helm station. For a buyer drawn to the timber era of New Zealand boatbuilding, this is a large-volume, classically constructed launch at a price that reflects honest wear rather than a showroom restoration.
1983 Cavalier 39 — $59,990
11.88m LOA. 3.42m beam. 1.82m draft. Perkins M60 60hp. Bluewater setup.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
This Cavalier 39 is a well-kept 1983 Cavalier 39 designed by Bob Salthouse and built by Export Yachts New Zealand for capable offshore cruising. At 11.88 metres, the yacht combines proven bluewater performance with practical liveaboard comfort, including full standing headroom, private double cabins, a well-equipped galley, and six berths. Powered by a reconditioned 60hp Perkins diesel with low hours since rebuild, it also carries a full sail wardrobe, professional osmosis treatment completed in 2022, and fresh antifoul in 2025. Lying in Auckland and priced at $59,990.
1978 Salthouse 12.8 Crusader — $65,000
12.8m LOA. 38hp Nanni Kubota auxiliary, 275 hours. Quarter berth aft, large double V-berth forward, two further doubles from saloon conversion.
Show me the boat on Tradeaboat.
This Salthouse 12.8 carries a category one survey history, which marks it as a yacht built and maintained for offshore work. The auxiliary has barely been used at 275 hours. The sail wardrobe is the standout feature: full battened mainsail, three genoas, yankee, storm jib, storm main, cutter blade, staysail, and spinnaker. The cockpit can be fully enclosed via the transom door, the traveller sits forward of the bimini for unobstructed movement, and autopilot controls are located at the helm. Decks prepped for painting. Offered below market value for a quick sale, this is a serious offshore sailing yacht with a complete sail inventory at an entry-level asking price.
Market Summary
From classic timber launches to modern GRP cruisers and offshore sailing yachts, the current Salthouse listings on Tradeaboat offer a rare cross-section of New Zealand boatbuilding history. Spanning nearly 50 years and prices from $56,000 to $890,000, the eight featured vessels cover a wide range of boating styles and ambitions: restored Corsair launches, family coastal cruisers, bluewater-capable sailing yachts, and a high-spec Cabriolet 49 designed for luxury entertaining and extended cruising. Together, they reflect the breadth of the Salthouse legacy — practical, capable New Zealand boats built for local conditions, with options ranging from accessible entry-level ownership to premium passagemaking platforms.
All vessels listed on Boating New Zealand and Tradeaboat. Specifications and prices as listed by the selling broker or owner; independent survey recommended before purchase.
