Cara of Portsmouth - Jeanneau FOR SALE

Cara of Portsmouth is configured as a true bluewater cruiser and long-range passagemaker, not a short-hop weekender. She features a Spectra watermaker with standard and enlarged freshwater tanks, delivering ocean-crossing range and letting her remain self-sufficient at anchor for long stretches during extended voyages across oceans worldwide.

UNAVAILABLE TO U.S. BUYERS WHILE LOCATED IN UNITED STATES WATERS

Description

Cara of Portsmouth, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 designed by Philippe Briand, has been thoughtfully refined to deliver superior performance and effortless handling. Built to UK specification, she is the deep draft version, gaining the extra stability and windward bite of a deeper L-shaped keel over the standard shoal draft configuration. Stable and responsive at the helm, she inspires confidence, and her length manoeuvres with notable precision in all conditions.

Purposefully configured as a genuine long-range cruiser rather than a coastal weekender, she carries a Spectra water maker alongside both standard and upgraded water tankage, granting the range to cross oceans and remain self-sufficient at anchor for extended periods. A stainless steel stern gantry supports two 330 watt solar panels that feed a Victron monitored 440Ah house bank, while a comprehensive B&G navigation suite—comprising radar, AIS, autopilot, and a chartplotter at the helm—ensures capable, informed passages wherever the horizon leads.

Overview

Cara is finished in the popular three-cabin, two-head layout, with the owner’s suite forward featuring an island berth, hanging lockers, and an overhead hatch for natural light and ventilation. The forward cabin enjoys its own private head and shower, creating a fully separate retreat from the guest accommodations. In the saloon, a U-shaped dinette wraps around a folding leaf table that converts to a berth, facing a long straight settee, all set beneath soft indirect lighting. White Mediterranean leatherette upholstery, together with blackout blinds and insect screens fitted to every hatch, elevates comfort on board. Aft to port, the L-shaped galley is appointed with twin stainless-steel sinks, mixer taps, and a toughened safety-glass splash guard, while two aft double cabins share the second head. Both heads are fitted with holding tanks, and the aft head benefits from a shower divider screen. Diesel-fired heating runs to every cabin and head through thermo-ducted insulation with a programmable thermostat, keeping Cara comfortable well beyond the tropics. The galley and interior equipment suite includes a Seaward-style two-burner stainless-steel cooker with oven and grill, a large refrigerator with ice-cube box top that is front-loading with additional top access, and a pressurized hot and cold water system served by a 40L hot-water tank. Entertainment is handled by a Fusion music system with Bluetooth feeding a Bose 2.1 speaker system in the saloon, complemented by a TV that was supplied and fitted without an antenna at the time of installation. A Seagull drinking-water filter with dedicated faucet adds confidence for extended cruising.

On deck, this Deep Draft Sun Odyssey 449 is fitted with a deep fin keel and bulb to UK specification and finished with a teak cockpit sole, seats, and bathing platform, plus a drop-down swim platform for effortless water access. Twin steering wheels with black leather wraps and taupe covers frame the cockpit, where a table with LED courtesy lights invites alfresco dining. Practical detailing includes a bow roller with reinforced tack point, cleats at maximum beam, gates in the guardrails, LED navigation lights, a large sprayhood, a hot and cold stern shower, and cockpit stereo speakers. A stainless-steel stern gantry with dinghy lifting crane enhances tender handling, while deck gear is rounded out by six large fenders, four long warps, a bow fender, four cockpit safety padeyes, a mahogany flag staff with sewn red ensign, and comprehensive canvas covers including an all-round cockpit enclosure ideal when moored in rainy or windy conditions.

Electrical systems are built around a 12V DC house and engine network, complemented by 230V AC shore power on UK sockets, a breaker panel, and B&G displays at each helm. Power storage and generation are robust, with a 440Ah battery bank for engine and domestic loads, a separate battery bank dedicated to the bow thrusters, a 120Ah engine alternator, and a 40Ah battery charger. Solar capacity includes a Solara S460M 35W panel with regulator as an original factory fit, two 330W solar panels mounted on the stern gantry, and an MPPT controller optimizing yield. A third 80W solar panel on the coach roof is dedicated to charging the engine start battery and was installed prior to first launch by the main dealership. A Victron battery monitor, galvanic isolator, inverter, gas alarm with solenoid gas isolator, and 12V fans complete the specification.

Navigation and electronics are equally comprehensive, featuring a B&G multifunction display at each helm and a B&G autopilot with helm control head and rate gyro compass, supported by both a dedicated autopilot remote control and a cordless remote. A B&G nine-inch color hybrid touchscreen chartplotter in a cockpit pod anchors situational awareness, paired with a B&G DSC VHF with AIS and Hawk Windex antennae, plus a B&G DSC VHF cordless handset for the cockpit. Connectivity arrives via a B&G Wi‑Fi module, while a B&G 3G radar with AIS upgrade and VHF splitter extends range and redundancy. A three-inch chrome-case clock and barometer add a classic finishing touch below.

The sail plan centers on a classic mast with a battened mainsail carrying three reefs, managed by lazy jacks and a sail pack, and paired with a furling genoa protected by UV covers. For performance and versatility, an asymmetric spinnaker flies on a Karver furler from the bowsprit, and a Simbo system equips two high-cut jibs that slide into the twin grooves of the furler, each with a pole to keep sheets outboard. Sail-handling hardware includes an electric Harken self-tailing halyard winch and a matching Harken self-tailing halyard winch to starboard, with four halyards in total—one long enough to reach the waterline for use in man-overboard recovery—plus a second winch handle and halyard tail bags. Downwind, the Simbo rig features two symmetrical high-cut Yankee jibs and poles, while further options comprise a furling asymmetric spinnaker and a cruising chute in 1.5oz cloth or a Code Zero on a Karver furler with torsion rope. Running rigging is specified with one Dyneema halyard, one polyester halyard, two polyester spinnaker sheets, and two 75mm Harken ESP blocks.

Propulsion is delivered by a Yanmar 4JH5CE 54hp diesel on a saildrive turning a three-blade Gori folding propeller. The saildrive’s overdrive facility enables higher motor or motorsailing speeds at the proper engine load, improving fuel efficiency while reducing wear, noise, and vibration. Engine maintenance has been carried out per schedule with records onboard, the boat is hauled annually for bottom painting and anode replacement, and the saildrive seal was replaced in 2026. Ground tackle and cruising utility equipment include an electric anchor windlass, a Vulcan primary anchor with size not specified, and a Delta secondary anchor with 30m of chain and 30m of rode plus an extra 30m of chain, together with a Spectra water maker for extended autonomy.

For safety and shore excursions, a 2021 Ocean Safety liferaft—serviced in 2024—stands ready, while the tender package comprises a 2019 AB tender powered by an 18 HP Tohatsu outboard, model M18E2.