Wiley Sharp walks through a six-cabin, professionally maintained Saba 50 that's been kitted out well beyond the factory spec sheet.
Some catamarans get sold on their brochure. Others sell on how they’ve been looked after. S/V Libra, a 2020 Fountaine Pajot 50 Saba, leans on the latter: broker Wiley Sharp opens his walkthrough by crediting the boat’s full-time crew — and current captain Connor — for the condition she’s in today. It’s a six-cabin, six-head layout, the charter-friendly configuration, but one that’s been run as an eight-guest boat, which frees up two cabins for crew and stowage.
Deck, helm and the outdoor living
Sharp starts aft, at the transom mechanical spaces. Port side holds a Volvo D2-75, the water maker and the house batteries; starboard mirrors it with the second Volvo and the Onan generator — enough power, he notes, to run the domestic side of the boat including air conditioning. The dinghy davits get a powered winch, and the tender is an AB with a Yamaha outboard.
Moving forward along the wide weather decks, the upgrades start stacking up: a Dometic freezer supplementing cold storage, kayak and paddle board racks, fin organizers, a Yeti 105 cooler. Sharp is particularly enthusiastic about two details owners tend to appreciate later — the vinyl-coated trampoline (more comfortable than the standard French-style netting, in his view) and the teak veneer laid over the anchor locker, an area that often looks ragged on boats of this age.
The rig carries a square top main and a roller-furling genoa on a double spreader mast. The starboard helm is classic Fountaine Pajot — three winches with all sail control lines led aft — but Sharp’s favorite element is throttle placement: the Volvo Penta controls sit outboard, so you can stand on the wide side deck while docking, toss lines and keep a clear sightline aft. Electronics are a full Garmin package, with a chart plotter, repeaters and a quick windlass controller at the helm.
A few steps up is the sky lounge, fitted with aftermarket cushions and forward day beds. That cushion story runs through the whole boat: none of the soft goods are the Fountaine Pajot factory set, and all carry noticeably more foam. Down in the cockpit there’s a long aft bench, an L-shaped settee to port, an Isotherm refrigerator, a starboard day bed and integrated storage nearly everywhere.
Inside: a galley that actually works
Libra is a later Saba 50, which means the lighter white cabinet veneer and pale countertops — a more contemporary look than the earlier boats. The galley includes a dual-basin sink with farm-style faucet, oven, four-burner cooktop, drawer-style Isotherm fridge in the island, an Isotherm freezer, and — unusual at this size — a full-size washing machine that the crew reportedly call a third crew member after meal service. A dishwasher is part of the inventory as well.
The nav station mirrors the helm Garmin display and adds a Victron energy management system, Fusion stereo control and a Garmin VHF handheld. The upgraded Fusion amplifier lives beneath it, feeding speakers in places the factory never put them — including up forward on deck.
Accommodation is five interior staterooms plus the aft-cockpit-access cabin now used by crew, with storage behind headboards and a wet head. Port side holds an athwartships midship cabin and a forward semi-walkaround queen with en suite dry head; starboard repeats the pattern, with its midship cabin and head currently given over to storage. All heads are electric Jabsco units, and Sharp points out how gradual the companionway steps are — an easy detail to overlook until you’re living aboard.
Where the Saba 50 sits
Sharp makes no secret of his fondness for the model, calling the Saba 50 one of the better-sailing cruising catamarans Fountaine Pajot has built. The market backs up the interest: four have sold in the past 24 months at a median of $652,500, taking a median 172 days to find buyers.
| Figure | |
|---|---|
| Sold, last 24 months | 4 |
| Median sold price | $652,500 |
| Median days to sell | ~172 |
| Active listings | 4 |
| Asking range | $540,000–$800,000 |
| Median asking | $667,000 |
| Median sold (24 mo) | $652,500 | |||
| Median asking (active) | $667,000 |
Full specifications and pricing for Libra are available from Wiley Sharp, who invites questions directly.