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Sessa Marine problems: what to check on a used Sessa

UPDATED 8 NOVEMBER 2026 · 3 FINDINGS · 1 SOURCES

Known problems on used Sessa motor yachts and where to look: the sliding roof and its guides, cracks around hull windows and ports, the cockpit doors, IPS seals, anodes and bonding, and fouling that costs speed.

AT A GLANCE
Sessa
BUILDER
Sessa Marine, an Italian builder of sports cruisers and flybridge yachts
COVERS
Sessa C42 with Volvo Penta IPS, from Motor Boat & Yachting's used boat report
DOCUMENTED BY
Surveyor Chris Olsen's report in Motor Boat & Yachting
CHECK FIRST
Roof operation and cracking; hull windows and ports; cockpit doors; IPS seals, anode history and bonding; the service history

Sessa's C42 is an Italian sports cruiser with a huge cockpit and a sliding roof; the boat MBY reviewed runs on twin Volvo Penta IPS500. Surveyor Chris Olsen's notes in Motor Boat & Yachting's used boat report centre on the roof and the glazing, then the pod drives.

The roof

Olsen calls the roof such an important selling point that it must be carefully inspected: all guides clear, the unit sliding efficiently over several operations, and no structural cracking.

Where to look. Run the roof several times, look along the guides, and check the surrounding structure for cracks.

Hull windows, ports and doors

As on most boats of the type, Olsen asks for a careful check of the hull windows and ports for cracking around the radii and for impact damage. The large sliding cockpit doors should open smoothly and lock open.

IPS: seals, anodes, bonding and fouling

Olsen asks for IPS seals, the anode history and correct bonding against galvanic corrosion to be checked thoroughly, with the machinery service history and a searching sea trial, noting that heat exchanger cleaning is often forgotten. He adds that the claimed 35 knots needs a clean hull and sterngear: even a few barnacles on IPS props cost significant performance.

Where to look. The IPS service record and seal replacement dates, the anodes, bonding continuity, heat exchanger cleaning, and speed against rpm on the trial.

What to check on a Sessa

Area What to look for Source of the concern
Roof Clear guides, smooth operation, no cracking Olsen, C42
Hull windows and ports Cracks at radii, impact damage Olsen, C42
Cockpit doors Smooth running, lock open Olsen, C42
IPS Seals, anode history, bonding Olsen, C42
Engines Heat exchanger cleaning, sea trial Olsen, C42
Bottom and props Fouling against speed Olsen, C42

Writing it up

"IPS drives: no record of the scheduled seal service; anodes 70% depleted; bonding to the starboard drive reads open circuit. Recommend the drives are serviced by a Volvo Penta dealer and the bonding restored before the vessel is used." Give what's missing from the record and what you measured.

Findings to look for on a Sessa

Each page shows how the defect is found, what decides the grade and example findings written up at A, B and C.

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Frequently asked

What should I check on a used Sessa C42?

Surveyor Chris Olsen asks for a careful inspection of the roof assembly, with clear guides, smooth sliding over several operations and no structural cracking. He also asks for checks of the hull windows and ports for cracks, the cockpit doors, the machinery service history, and IPS seals, anode history and bonding against galvanic corrosion.

Why is my Sessa slower than its claimed speed?

Olsen says the claimed 35 knots of the C42 needs a clean hull and sterngear, and that even a few barnacles on IPS propellers cause a significant drop in performance. He suggests a mid-season lift-out for a pressure wash and anode check.

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