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14 Great Pocket Cruisers in 2023

• By Victor Tan
• Updated: July 20, 2023

Pocket cruisers and mini yachts are generally vessels under 50 feet in length overall, and can include express cruiser designs, flybridge yachts as well as either monohull or catamaran hull forms. They are cruising boats easily handled by a small, or even shorthanded, crew. Pocket cruisers generally have wave-taming hull designs and have the ability to take on sporty seas, offer comfortable accommodations belowdecks with one or two staterooms for extended voyages, “homelike amenities,” and the ability to cruise as slowly or as quickly as an owner desires with inboard- and outboard-power options. These pocket-cruising boats have the range for longer voyages , can pull up in skinny water at the sandbar thanks to shallow drafts, and head over the horizon where cruising adventure awaits. Pocket cruisers are true multitasking yachts. When it comes to family and couples cruising, it’s hard to beat a well-built and well-equipped and pocket cruiser.

Best Cruising Boats Under 50-Feet

The following 14 pocket cruisers and mini yachts are all vessels we’ve seen, been aboard, and tested. They are listed in no particular order.

• Hood 35 LM: high-tech, family-friendly pocket cruiser
• Galeon Yachts 375 GTO: mid-size boat with plenty of below-deck space
• Aquila 42: sleek power catamaran ready to entertain
• Azimut Verve 42 : small, yet mighty yacht ready for open water
• Hinckley Yachts 35: luxury picnic cruiser with range
• Beneteau Gran Turismo 45: sleek cruising yacht with all the amenities
• Solaris Power 48 Open: eye-catching power yacht with 360-degree views
• Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS: luxury cruiser yacht with powerful outboard options
• Back Cove 34O: modern outboard power combined with classic Downeast styling
• Picnic Boat 40: speedy and fuel-efficient vessel with great looks
• Aquila 36: comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt
• Boston Whaler 350 Realm: multitasker built for fishing and entertaining
• MJM 35z: sporty, aesthetically pleasing, cruising-conscious features and elegant lines
• Greenline 39: sturdy-looking lines and environmentally-friendly power

When Android co-founder, Rich Miner, wanted a new family-friendly pocket cruiser , he turned to a custom-penned C.W. Hood design and a Lyman-Morse-built 35-footer, which has a timeless Down East profile matched to seriously modern technology under the hood.

This yacht looks like a traditional, cold-molded Down East dayboat, but actually, it has everything, from Hamilton HJX Series water-jet drives to a planned Sea Machines autonomous command-and-control system . Top speed: 40-plus knots.

Quick Specifications

Galeon yachts 375 gto.

Even the remnants of Hurricane Ian, couldn’t dissuade the Galeon Yacht 375 GTO from its cruising mission. The small yacht’s wave-splitting hull form is paired to torque-filled 600 hp Mercury Verado outboards , giving this fun-in-the-sun boat a 47-knot top hop.

The 375 GTO is a speedster, to be sure, but it’s also so much more. Just about every aspect of the main deck seating is transformable and multifunction, from the aft seating to the alfresco dining abaft the helm, and beyond. It also has a family-size and eminently cruise-worthy belowdecks space for four guests, all while providing a foredeck entertaining lounge too.

The Galeon Yachts 375 GTO ticks all the boxes for an easy-to-handle and sporty cruiser.

Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran

Following the success of its 44-, 54- and 70-foot power catamaran models, Aquila has launched the stable-as-a-table, owner-operator-ready Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran .

The Aquila 42 is the entry point into the builder’s yacht line and is noteworthy for its ability to accommodate anywhere from a two- to four-stateroom layout, depending on the owner’s cruising requirements. There are alfresco spaces to manage the sunset cruise with friends and family, including a foredeck lounge area that can be accessed via centerline steps from the flybridge. The Aquila 42 is available with several Volvo Penta diesel-engine options .

Azimut Verve 42

Want to cruise from Florida to Bimini in about an hour? The Azimut Yachts Verve 42 can do that thanks, in part, to triple 450 hp Mercury Racing outboards and a hull designed to dice-and-slice a seaway. Top hop: 45 knots. The Verve 42 also has style for miles with a fine entry, raked hardtop, and a razorlike sheerline accented by sweeping hull glass from bow to stern. It’s striking.

With accommodation for a family of four, the Verve 42 is also solid under the hull tokeep everyone safe on those passages. The Verve 42’s hull is built of fiberglass and uses vinylester resins for blister protection. The yacht’s deck and hardtop are comprised of carbon fiber for strength without added weight. This all means that the Azimut Verve 42 is built to CE Classification Type A , making it suitable for sea voyages where winds can exceed 45 mph and seas to 13 feet.

Hinckley Yachts 35

The Hinckley Yachts 35 takes everything that yachtsmen like about this pedigreed-brand’s classic profile and infuses today’s modern outboard power to create 40 knots of sheer fun wrapped in sheer luxury.

This 35-foot Hinckley is built on a Michael-Peters-penned hull form with a fine entry, wider-than-average chines and a moderate deadrise. While the boat is built to sprint when desired, it’s also a relatively economical cruiser. For instance, a comfortable 24-knot cruise the Hinckley Yachts 35 has a 276-nautical-mile range.

It also has a tech-build thanks to vacuum-infused carbon-fiber composites and epoxy resin. An integrated interior structure is infused with the hull adding rigidity. The hull is then post-cured in an 80-foot oven, further strengthening the structure.

Beneteau Gran Turismo 45

The Beneteau Gran Turismo is the flagship of the builder’s four-model GT series, which also includes 32-, 36- and 41-foot models.

The Gran Turismo 45 ’s cruise-centric layout includes two staterooms and two heads belowdecks, as well as a galley down. There is also a dinette for meals and a settee for rainy-day lounging. Entertaining guests and enjoying the sun is the primary mission of the main deck.

Solaris Power 48 Open

The Solaris Power 48 Open was the first powerboat from this longtime builder known for its sailing yachts, ranging from 40 to 110 feet length overall. The Solaris Power 48 Open is notable for its wave-slicing plumb-bow design, high freeboard forward and 32-knot-plus speed. Power is twin 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS650 diesels.

The high freeboard keeps the deck dry and help creates sizable volume belowdecks with an average 6-foot-6-inch headroom. This enables real estate for either one or two staterooms. With the single-stateroom setup, there is a forepeak master stateroom while an L-shaped settee converts to sleeping accommodations for family or occasional guests. Interior wood options are oak or walnut.

Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS

Outboard-power cruising aficionados will appreciate the triple-engine options for the Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS . The 42 GLS we got aboard had the triple 400 hp Mercury Verados , which produced a top hop of 45 knots, but triple 450 hp Verados are available. Triple 350 hp Mercury Verados are the standard engine option. No matter the power arrangement, this express cruiser can easily be used for wakeboarding and tube towing. The 42 GLS is designed to handle the rough stuff too, with a fine entry and 21-degree transom deadrise.

For cruising enthusiasts, the 42 GLS has a master stateroom with an athwartships and a nearly queen-size berth, and the lower salon’s U-shaped dinette converts to a queen-size berth for the kids.

Back Cove 34O

Combining modern outboard power with classic Downeast styling, the Back Cove 34O touts award-winning standards with cruising in mind. The 34O is equipped with twin 300 hp Yamaha outboards, engines that allow the Newport International Boat Show’s 2018 Best Powerboat Under 35 Feet winner to travel up to 214 nautical miles at 24 knots on a 250-gallon fuel tank.

Belowdecks, the 34O has an island double berth and a split-head arrangement with the toilet to port and a separate shower stall to starboard. On the main deck, a U-shape dinette to port accommodates four or more guests on the Back Cove Yachts vessel. The 34O’s galley is equipped with a Cuisinart microwave, a two-burner Kenyon electric cooktop and a Vitrifrigo fridge and freezer.

Picnic Boat 40

Hinckley Yachts unveiled its first Picnic Boat more than two decades ago. Now, after two previous, sub-40-foot models, the Maine-based boatbuilder has developed its largest and most advanced model to date: the Picnic Boat 40.

Twin 480 hp Cummins diesel engines paired to twin Hamilton 322 jet drives propel the yacht to a 30-knot cruising speed and 34 knots on the pins. With optional twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, cruise and top-end speeds jump to 35 and 38 knots, respectively.

There is an L-shaped settee with a table and a wet bar on the main deck to port. The helm station is forward and to starboard with a benchseat for two. There is also a companion seat across from the helm. Belowdecks, there is 6-foot-2-inch headroom, and the dinette table drops to form a California-king berth for overnights and weekending.

Aquila Power Catamarans started its line with 44- and 48-footers, and now the builder’s Aquila 36 takes the line into the midsize market.

The 36 features a single, main-living area from bow to stern, helped in part by the vessel’s 14-foot, 7-inch beam. The boat can comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt. Several Mercury Verado engine options are available for the Aquila 36, including twin 250-, 300- and 350-hp four-strokes. With the 350s, the Aquila has a top-end speed of 37 knots.

Other notable features include a fiberglass hardtop, a dinette, a cooktop, a fridge, a sink and a smokeless grill. Belowdecks, there are two staterooms with nearly queen-size berths, en suite heads and 6-foot-6-inch headroom in each.

Boston Whaler 350 Realm

From fishing and entertaining guests to diving and overnight cruising, Boston Whaler ‘s 350 Realm is a multitasker. And it’s fast, too. It’s powered with either triple 300 hp or triple 350 hp Mercury Verados. The 350 Realm can reach a top speed of 46 knots.

At the helm, two Raymarine displays provide vital navigation data. The captain can take in the displays’ view from a doublewide helm seat. There’s a flip-down platform for standing when needed and a footrest when desired.

There is a V-shaped berth that converts into a double berth with a filler cushion. The separated head has a VacuFlush MSD and a hot-and-cold shower. Owners also have the option to add a microwave and a flat-screen TV.

The MJM 35z can reach a top speed of 44 knots and a cruising speed of 33 knots on its optional 350 hp Mercury Verado outboards; twin 300 hp outboards are standard on this MJM Yachts vessel. Additionally, the 35z can travel up to 304 nautical miles on its 250-gallon fuel tank.

The 35z has a flush-deck layout and to port is space for an electric grill, a baitwell, a sink, an ice maker and a fridge. There are two Stidd helm seats—one for the helmsman and the other for a copilot—that rotate to face the rest of the seating aft. In the cabin is V-shaped seating forward that can be converted to a berth.

Owners also have the option of adding a Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer and a full-length Bimini top to shade the cockpit.

Greenline 39

Greenline Yachts ‘ vessels are aptly named for their environmentally friendly means of moving about; the Greenline 39 is no different. The Slovenian yacht manufacturer produces two types of this model: hybrid and solar.

If owners opt for the latter, the 39’s four solar panels atop the salon power all of the vessel’s systems for three hours. With the power of the sun, the 39 can achieve a max speed of 6.5 knots and a cruising speed of 4 knots. The hybrid type uses those same panels to help power a 220 hp Volvo Penta D3 with a Mahle electric-drive system. Owners have the option of replacing the standard engine with a 370 hp Yanmar 8LV diesel.

Belowdecks, scissor berths provide accommodations for long weekends.

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What Is The Best Size Cruising Yacht?

By Robert Bowman | Posted On Mar 25, 2024 Updated On Mar 26, 2024

Making the right decision when it comes to choosing what cruising yacht to buy can mean the difference between the trip of a lifetime or the quick realization that you should have gone bigger. Of course, everything depends on the various ways you plan to use your boat through the span of your ownership experience. This is truly where having an honest discussion with a reputable, professional yacht broker can save you the heartache of making the wrong choice.

Here are some things to consider when choosing the best size cruising yacht :

• What are the most common sizes of cruising yachts?
• What are the top cruising yacht builders?
• What are some examples of available cruising yachts for sale?  

If you have dreams of exploring the Bahamas, completing the Great Loop, or just want to be able to entertain friends on the water, a boat designed for cruising might be the best type to consider. Cruising boats often have particular characteristics for comfort purposes so that the owner and their guests can enjoy their trip with many of the same amenities as home. Comfort features like larger water tanks, air-conditioners in each cabin, an extra generator, and additional storage are all examples of attributes of a boat that are generally important for this type of owner.

To determine what the best size cruising yacht is, there are a number of questions you must consider such as how many guests you plan to invite on board at one time, how many nights do you see yourself staying on board, how far you plan to cruise, and what amenities from home are most important to you. For example, a full sized refrigerator and galley appliances may be necessary should you plan to stay at sea for weeks at a time. Cruising to Alaska may mean you need a more fuel-efficient yacht with larger fuel tanks. This is where an in-depth conversation with your broker can make a difference.

(Below: Fleming Yachts are often called 'The Ultimate Cruising Yacht'.)

1. What Are The Most Common Sizes Of Cruising Yachts?

It's easier to break down the various sies of yachts in groups of 10-feet. Unless there is a drastic difference in the layout of the boat, there isn't much noticeable difference between a boat that has a 2 or 3 foot difference in length overall.

• 35 to 39-feet : Considered a smaller cruising boat, this length of vessel is capable of comfortable overnight trips, coastal cruising, generally has lower overall fuel costs, and normally is equipped with some kind of small cabin with a convertible berth for sleeping. An example of a boat in this range could be a downeast style.

• 40 to 49-feet : This is an excellent size range for a first time cruising yacht owner. With today's joystick and docking technology, a 40-foot plus size cruising boat can offer more of a seating area, a higher range, and normally has 2 cabins with a shared head.

• 50 to 59-feet : A popular range for experienced cruisers, at under 60-feet this is still ideal for the owner/operator who wants to cruise without a captain. This begins the small motor yacht range where vessels can have up to 3 staterooms if desired. Owners of cruising boats in this range can stay on board for a greater amount of time.

• 60 to 69-feet : For some, a captain might be needed in this range if you haven't had the previous ownership experience of a similar-sized vessel. Getting insurance in this range can also depend on your overall experience level. Cruising boats in this range can have up to 3 or 4 cabins and accommodate up to 8 guests. There are also modest crew cabins available in this size range.

2. What Are The Top Cruising Yacht Builders?

Trying to select the best cruising yacht builder is similar to choosing what auto manufacturer you like the best or home builder. Everyone has their own unique style and taste and many builders are quite similar in quality. If you've hired a yacht broker to assist you in your search, their experience and knowledge regarding certain builders or particular models can be invaluable.

One method of due diligence in choosing the right cruising yacht is to look at some of the more prestigious awards that are given in the industry. For example, you can easily search the Boat Builder Awards, the World Yacht Trophies, and the European Powerboat Awards to see what builders won in their category.

Many of the industry magazines, such as Power & Motor Yacht and Yachting Magazine, continually post reviews of boats, as does BoatTest.com. While it's rare to see many negative remarks about any of the tested boats, the editors adhere to a strict ethical code of providing truthful and objective opinions about each boat. Other factors to consider are what brand of engine and equipment are chosen by the builder. No matter what cruising boat you decide to purchase, it won't be long before it needs to be serviced. Popular engine and equipment manufacturers are easier on warranty claims, receiving replacement parts, and serviced in general.

Here are some of the top cruising boat builders according to number of boats on the market:

• Cruisers Yachts
• Fairline Yachts
• Galeon Yachts
• Grand Banks Yachts
• Hampton Endurance Yachts
• Hinckly Yachts
• Kadey-Krogen
• Meridian Yachts
• Nordic Tugs
• Outer Reef Yachts
• Prestige Yachts
• Princess Yachts
• Sabre Yachts

There are more cruising yacht builders than what is listed above, some are still producing new boats and some aren't, but still have boats on the brokerage market. Search all boat brands here .

3. What Are Some Examples Of Good Cruising Yachts Currently Available For Sale?

Below are 15 examples of available cruising yachts for sale on the brokerage market today, in order by size. Each one is listed with a United Yacht Sales broker, so please contact us today if you see one that interests you. Not sure where to start? Call our main office at (772) 463-3131 and we'll connect you with a professional agent that can answer all of your questions.

2009 HAMPTON ENDURANCE 700 SKYLOUNGE

" THREE OF A KIND " is a head turner in any harbor. The spacious interior of the 70’ Hampton Endurance is perfect for long-distance cruising and entertaining guests. Whether you’re a cruising couple or wish to put the yacht in charter and utilize the aft crew quarters, the possibilities are endless. She features a power frequency converter allowing her to be plugged into shore power anywhere in the world!

2016 SUNSEEKER 68 SPORT YACHT

As powerful as it is graceful, the 68 Sport Yacht is a classic example of Sunseeker innovation. The streamlined shape. The 36 knot top speed. The unmistakable style. They’re all Sunseeker trademarks. In fact, everything about this remarkable Sport Yacht is the result of years of dedication and an unwavering desire to produce the best. Inside, the main saloon has everything you could wish for; state-of-the-art entertainment systems, high quality fabrics and plenty of natural light. It’s the perfect entertainment space.

2002 HATTERAS 63 MY

From the Power Boat Guide, “Introduced in 2000, the sleek styling of the Hatteras 63 Pilothouse reflected the growing popularity of European motor yachts in the American market first seen in the mid-1990’s. Built on a modified-v hull with a wide 18’3” beam, prop pockets, and a relatively deep keel, the 63 is no lightweight compared with other yachts her size. While many Eurostyle pilothouse yachts have both the galley and dinette on the pilothouse level, the galley in the 63 is forward on the main deck level.

2004 AZIMUT 62 FLYBRIDGE

The Azimut 62 Evolution , as her name states, was the evolution of the very popular 58FLY she was designed to replace in 2004. The 62E was in fact more popular and sold more than twice the number of units than the 58FLY in the five-year run for the model. She is well suited for both entertaining and family style cruising.

2020 PRESTIGE 590 FLY

This lightly used Prestige 590 is the best value on the market. She has less than 150 original hours on her Cummins 600 Zeus Motors and maintained with an open check book. Three staterooms plus the optional air conditioned crew quarters, Seakeeper Gyro Stabilizer, Teak Cockpit and Platform, Full Raymarine Electronic Package plus KVH Tracvision Sat TV, U/W Lights, and more.

2011 SEA RAY 580 SUNDANCER

The Sea Ray 580 produced from 2008 to 2014, was a radical departure for Sea Ray from its previous more conservative styling to a new level of elegant sophistication in response to European luxury motoryacht trends. The 580 Sundancer's sinuous curves and flowing lines make this sport cruiser a definite head-turner.

2015 PRINCESS 56 FLY

The Princess 56 Flybridge Yacht is a luxurious and spacious yacht that provides the perfect combination of performance, comfort and elegance for anyone wishing to spend some quality time on the water. The interior of the Princess 56 is beautifully designed with high-quality materials and finishes to complement the panoramic views.

2007 FAIRLINE TARGA 52

With spacious accommodations, an enormously accommodating cockpit area for relaxing and entertaining in style…and up to 31 exhilarating knots on tap, the Targa 52 is a luxury long-range sports cruiser guaranteed to turn heads as you power effortlessly past. This cruising boat features a 3-stateroom layout, cockpit air conditioning, and even a convertible roof.

2015 SEA RAY 510 SUNDANCER

This is one of the few Sea Ray 510 Sundancers that doesn’t have Zeus Drives. She has just completed her annual full regiment of services and she is ready for her new owner and new home. The Sea Ray Sundancer has a long history of being a popular options for the boat owner that wants to cruise for several nights at a time.

2000 CARVER 506 MOTOR YACHT

COBB-N-CRUZER is most likely the finest example of a Carver 506 Motor Yacht on the market that has been well cared for from Day One. Only 2 owners who used the boat primarily in Fresh Water. When not in use in Orange Beach, the boat was always in a covered slip or full warehouse storage heated. Less than 800 original hours with the majority of hours used in the past 10 years. Recent services to engines completed and boat fully detailed this Carver Motor Yacht is turnkey ready to cruise by her next owner.

2004 SILVERTON 48 CONVERTIBLE

This 48 Silverton Convertible is not only a great looking flybridge motoryacht, she has incredible accommodations inside with 3 total staterooms including 2 double staterooms with a walk around bed in the master. The salon is large and open and bright and an easy step down to the huge cockpit, (16’4” beam), leading to the molded in steps to the air conditioned flybridge.

2013 BENETEAU 44 SWIFT TRAWLER

The Beneteau 44 Swift Trawler is a yacht that is specifically designed for cruising. This particular boat has less than 1,000 hours on the engines and all services are up to date. Seaworthy thanks to its hulls design, it is also powered with Volvo Penta D4 engines making it fuel efficient as well. If you're considering offshore cruising and want a stable boat with plenty of storage, look no further than the Swift Trawler.

2018 HINCKLEY 37 PICNIC BOAT MK III

The 2018 Hinckley Picnic Boat 37 MKIII features the modern conveniences, functionality, and performance expected of a beautiful, iconic yacht. Hinckley’s signature woodwork adds elegance and rich tradition throughout the yacht. Features such as the reliable, simple to operate jet propulsion system (no props or shafts to damage or injure marine life), patented JetStick II joystick controls for Hover Lock virtual anchoring and precise docking, efficient composite hull make her easy to handle and maneuver for a great owner experience.

United Yacht Sales has the world's largest network of boat buyers and sellers in the industry, thanks to our team of over 250 yacht brokers in 104 different locations. Whether buying a luxury boat or selling one, we have the right expert on staff to assist you in navigating the brokerage market for your type of yacht. If you're looking at selling a boat, there is no quicker way to get activity than listing it with United. Our entire team is immediately notified every time a listing agreement is made with United Yacht Sales and many boats are sold before they ever even make it online. Our support team is among the best in the industry at marketing your yacht. 100% of our marketing budget goes towards advertising our clients' listings, a claim not many other firms can make. To get started listing your yacht, fill out our online form What's My Yacht Worth ?

Here Are Other Yacht Sales Related Articles You Be Interested In :

• How Much Should I Pay For A Yacht?
• What's The Best Time Of Year To Sell A Boat?
• Yachts For The South Florida Lifestyle
• Best Boats For The Bahamas
• How Much Is The Motor Yacht On Average?
• Where United Yacht Sales Advertises Your Yacht
• Can I Sell My Yacht Without A Broker?
• What Does A Yacht Broker Do?
• How Much Should You Spend On A Yacht?
• What Are The Most Popular Yacht Brands?
• Why Are Boats So Expensive?
• How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Yacht?
• Get Rid Of Boat Smells Before You Sell It
• Hiring The Right Yacht Captain
• Choosing The Right Yacht Broker
• Is A Yacht A Good Investment?
• Advice On Purchasing A Yacht

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• Cruising Yachts 35' to 40'

Popular Cruising Yachts from 35 to 40 Feet Long Overall Their Physical Properties & Key Performance Indicators

Welcome to this ever-growing gallery of some of the most popular cruising yachts between 35 and 40 feet (10.7m to 12.2m) long overall.

Cruising Yachts featured on this page...

Medium sized cruising yachts like these are often the sailboat of choice for short-handed crews, and if properly equipped and maintained, will take long offshore voyages in their stride.

Sailboats at the top of this size range, those above 12m long overall, will find that they are charged considerably more in marinas than those that fall just under 12m LOA. Something worth bearing in mind perhaps?

Beneteau First 35s5

Amel Sharki

Dehler 38 (Van de Stadt)

Dehler 39 CWS

Finnsailor 35

Bolero 35.5

Dehler 37 CWS

Hunter 36 Legend

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35

Beneteau First 375

Challenger 35

Starlight 35

Starlight 39

Cabo Rico 38

Westerly Typhoon 37

Southerly 110

Sweden Yachts 390

Pearson 365

Jeanneau 'Sun Fast' 37

Hallberg-Rassy 37

Gulfstar 36

Beneteau Oceanis 381

Catalina 36

Undeniably, with her gentle sheer, clipper bow and 'moustache' nameplate, the Mariner 40 ketch is a very attractive cruising yacht. Her long keel and very heavy displacement suggest she'll be a steady, comfortable performer in a seaway but passage times will suffer as a result.

Cavalier 39

Many thanks to the owner of 'Kiwa' for this pic of his Cavalier 39 cruising yacht.

Vancouver 36

Bayfield 40

Island Packet Estero 36

Beneteau 393

Tashiba 40 (aka Baba 40 and Panda 40)

Oyster Heritage 37

Many thanks to Andy Thomson for this pic of  'Spellbinder',  his Oyster Heritage 37 cruising yacht  ...

Southerly 115 Mk1

Colvic Countess 37

Shearwater 39

Island Packet 38

Island Packet 380

Pearson 39-2

Many thanks to Crystal and Rob Bleecher for this pic of their Pearson 39-2 cruising yacht.

Many thanks to Barry Bateman for this great pic of 'New World' , his Valiant 40 cruising yacht. 

Westerly Conway 36

'Weohgi' , a ketch-rigged Westerly Conway 36 cruising yacht, winter-sailing off the south coast of England. Many thanks to owner Geoffrey Mills for the pic.

Reefed down, 'Transcendence' - a Cascade 36 sloop - is making good progress into a short chop. Many thanks to owner Michael McLaughlin for the pic.

Tradewind 35

Thank you, Han van der Stap, for submitting this pic of your stunning yacht 'SysterSol' . As you say, she is "a beautiful Swedish boat, sure and fast, for long distance cruising."

Allied Princess 36

Many thanks to David Humphreys for submitting this great pic of  'Gabriel', his ketch-rigged Allied Princess 36 Mk2. The Mk2 version was introduced in 1980, unlike its predecessor, sporting a bowsprit. Both versions were available as either ketch or cutter rigs.

David tells us that 'Gabriel'  (hull #130) has been well maintained and up-graded since her commissioning in 1980. She's based in Annapolis MD and spends her days sailing to local destinations with a few over-nighters.

Pacific Seacraft 37

Next ~ Cruising Yachts 40-45ft LOA >>>>

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Oceanis 30.1

Oceanis 34.1, oceanis 37.1, oceanis 40.1, oceanis 46.1, oceanis 51.1.

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Specifications

Following in the wake of her elder sister the Oceanis 46.1, this 40-foot cruiser, with  a new hull design by Marc Lombard , offers unrivaled  deck volume and interior space , with zero concessions to performance. The Oceanis 40.1 is  available in different layouts, drafts and rig options , adapting to the most demanding sailor’s cruising requirements and satisfying their need for comfort and pleasure under sail.

NAVAL ARCHITECT : Marc Lombard

INTERIOR & DECK DESIGN : Nauta Design

Exterior design

How can you enjoy life at anchor as much as while sailing? With the innovative flared hull design of the Oceanis 40.1, BENETEAU has broken new ground but made no concessions. The result is a hull that has true speed potential and is stiff under sail. Above the waterline, her deck plan and ultra-spacious interior by  Nauta Design  is unheard-of on a boat this size. You cannot help feeling that you are aboard a 45 foot cruiser!

Interior Design

With your choice of either a  walnut or white oak , the styling of the interior by Italian designer Nauta is remarkably bright and excels in the skillful arrangement of the living spaces. She is available with two, three, or four cabins, and a  C-shaped galley  to the starboard that offers an abundance of storage and a spacious countertop. On the port side, there is a large salon with a table, complete with a removable bench. A chart table at the foot of the companionway provides ample working space. Everything is modular, so that everyone can live the way they want and enjoy sailing wherever the wind takes them.

40 FEET OF SPACE!

The philosophy of the Oceanis 40.1 is to make sailing and mooring pleasurable. The strengths of this cruiser, studied in detail by the architect Marc Lombard and the BENETEAU design office, are unrivalled interior space, a huge deck plan, and the ability to clock up miles when you are cruising.

LIFE AT ANCHOR

The ergonomics and easy maneuvering in the cockpit make life onboard simple. Nothing interferes with the joy of life at anchor. Feel like splashing around the boat in an idyllic creek? The transom easily converts to an extensive swim platform, similar in size to the ones you find on the largest Oceanis cruising yachts. Having access to the sea is an integral part of life on a sailing yacht, and this model is one of a kind. 

SEEKING EXCITEMENT UNDER SAIL…

As there is no one way to sail, and because everyone takes their cruising at their own pace, the Oceanis 40.1 comes in several versions. Sailors keen on performance can choose the First Line Pack, with a taller mast and a deeper draft. Alternatively, the in-mast furling system and self-tacking jib will make maneuvering easier when shorthanded. A classic mast for a semi-full batten mainsail is also available.

HEAVENS ABOVE, SO MUCH SPACE!

The hatches and the many hull and coachroof portholes, two of which face towards the cockpit, fill the boat with natural light and ventilation, making her exceptionally bright. The Oceanis 40.1 comes in 4 different versions with two, three, and four cabins to accommodate everyone’s idea of a holiday on board. Couples and large families will feel at home. The owner version has a cabin with an ensuite shower and head, and a bed easily accessible from either side. The four-cabin layout has two forward berths with bunk beds.

Equipped With SEANAPPS

The easiest way to keep your boat safe and ready to cruise anytime.

The new Seanapps  app is the ultimate solution to help you indulge your passion for boating. With the touch of your finger, you can easily connect, monitor and order services for your boat – from routine maintenance, to requesting a wash or fuel or having us complete a repair.

Virtual tour

The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

Length Overall

Beam overall

Light displacement

Air Draft Max

Fuel Capacity

Water Capacity

Max. engine power

Cabin Number

CE Certification

A10 / B10 / C12

• CE Certification A10/ B10/C12 (12 passengers on board).
• Large benches seating six guests, with a fold away table.
• Two steering wheel stations each with a comfortable seat.
• First Line version: extra-long mast and bigger draft.
• Standard version: in-mast furling system and self-tacking jib.
• Large locker in 2 sections in the cockpit floor.

2 cabins & 1 head

• U-shaped salon seat
• C-shaped fitted galley: fridge, sink, 2-ring hob, oven, storage and worktop.
• Master cabin with double bed positioned on the boat center line.
• Aft cabin with double berths.
• Shower room with shower compartment and marine toilet.
• Several hull portholes and coach roof port lights make the space naturally bright.

3 cabins & 1 head

• U-shaped salon seat.
• Master cabin with double bed positioned on the boat’s centreline.
• Two aft cabins with double berths.
• Shower room with shower compartment, washbasin cabinet and marine toilet.

3 cabins & 2 heads

• Two shower rooms with shower compartment and marine toilet.

HARKEN HARDWARE

Press Reviews

Boat Review - The layout on the  new Beneteau 40.1  is excellent for ease of sailhandling, notes Ewenson.  Read More

Yachting Art

Boat Review - All about the coming BENETEAU Oceanis 40.1. Read More

Cruising World

Virtual Q&A - Cruising World recently sat down with Beneteau to get the inside scoop on the brand new cruiser. Read More

BOAT REVIEW: The boat is the new BENETEAU Oceanis 40.1, and it seems to be having as much fun as the crew. Read More

All Oceanis news

Nautic boat show 2022 : Spotlight on remarkable sustainable innovations at BENETEAU

BENETEAU has decided to follow the path of innovation to reduce the environmental impact of sailing. Practical yet ground-breaking innovations that were visible on the First 44e and the Oceanis 30.1e sailing yachts world premiered at the Nautic Boat Show in Paris.

Activities to Enjoy on Your Next Sailing Yacht or Powerboat Trip

Oceanis 40.1 and Oceanis Yacht 54: The New Wave of Oceanis Cruising Yachts by BENETEAU

Customer care.

Buying a BENETEAU doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We have teams of experts to guide you through the entire process – everything from sea trials, financing, and customization to after-sale commissioning, service, and maintenance. We are proud to have one of the largest, most highly-regarded dealer networks in the world. We’re ready to provide you with the assistance and expertise needed to launch you and your BENETEAU on a lifetime of happy, rewarding, and memorable voyages.

Other models in the range

9.53 m / 31’3’’

2.99 m / 9’10’’

10.77 m / 35’4’’

3.57 m / 11’9’’

11.93 m / 39’2’’

3.92 m / 12’10’’

14.6 m / 47’11’’

4.5 m / 14’9’’

15.94 m / 52’4’’

4.8 m / 15’9’’

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Secondhand boat buying guide: four 40ft flybridge yachts reviewed

A 40ft flybridge is a great cruiser with enough space and clever layout. We review four secondhand boats on the market now: Jeanneau Velasco 43, Oyster Powerline 390, Princess 414 and Fairline Phantom 40

If you had to come up with the perfect type and size of family boat for UK waters, the 40ft flybridge cruiser would be right up there, a theory backed up by the sheer number in south coast marinas from Brighton to Falmouth. Big enough to go properly offshore, twin engines will give Channel-crossing confidence as well as manoeuvrability in harbours, where their relatively compact size makes handling manageable for two people. The layout works well too, with an open-air helm for good weather and an indoor driving position for days full of liquid sunshine. The ‘patio’ doors and a large windowed saloon make them perfect floating apartments while most have a family-friendly two cabin layout. Add in relative affordability and it’s easy to see the appeal. So this week we bring you four prime examples, from a well loved old Princess via a quirky Oyster Powerline through to an alternative Jeanneau hybrid design to a ‘staple diet’ Fairline.

Jeanneau Velasco 43

Jeanneau seems to have a model range for every niche but it hasn’t stopped them inventing a new one to fill. Launched in 2013 initially as the 43 Voyager before a sudden name change to Velasco, this concept is a cross between a long distance trawler and a fast port-hopping flybridge cruiser.

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There is plenty of trawler thinking on the inside. From fundamental things like the trawler-style galley forward on the main deck and the sliding door next to the helm through to more subtle hints at long distance cruising such as the massive storage voids beneath the main deck floor, one big enough to house a washing machine. On the lower deck it’s a two-cabin, two- heads layout. The guest cabin, with its two single berths infilling to create a double, is pushed back, which leaves space for a large ensuite master cabin forward.

The most obvious nod to the trawler-esque thinking is the forward sloping windscreen rather than the usual sleeker raked back look. With thin mullions it offers terrific visibility and it gives the boat a distinctive, purposeful look. Interestingly, Jeanneau has reverted to a swept back screen for its latest version, now called the Velasco 43F. Likewise, the mast-like radar support on the flybridge has been ditched in favour of a conventional arch.

Performance

Bucking the trend again, there are no Volvo motors on the options list, just a default choice of twin Cummins QSB6.7L producing 380hp and running through vee drives for a top speed of 27 knots.

That cruiser/trawler hybrid concept is more than just styling and marketing puff. The hull of the Velasco is also modified with fuller forward sections, a shallow keel and a small bow bulb to allow efficient comfortable long distance cruising as well as running well at planing speeds. It’s largely successful at doing so too, although it can ship a fair bit of water at planing speeds in choppy seas.

At a glance…

Built: 2013 Price: £279,950 LOA: 44f t11in (13.7m) Beam: 13ft 6in (4.1m) Draught: 3ft 7in (1.1m) Displacement: 10.1 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,200 litres Engines: Twin Cummins QSB 6.7 380hp diesels For Sale: Burton Waters Sales

Oyster Powerline 390

Famous for its high end sailing yachts, Oyster dabbled with the motor boat market in 2005, building the elegant ‘gentleman’s motor yacht’ LD43 until 2011. What’s less well known is that this wasn’t Oyster’s first foray into motor boats. In 1989 the company brought out a very conventional looking 40ft flybridge cruiser called the Powerline 390. It was intended to be the first of a range of flybridge cruisers, but was the only Powerline model, due partly to the 1990s recession.

Oyster didn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel with this boat so the layout is entirely conventional. There’s a master cabin in the bow, a guest cabin with twin bunks to starboard and the galley opposite on the lower deck with the lower helm and saloon up on the main deck. Finish is good, as you’d hope from Oyster, with a light ash veneer, and the company’s yacht builder roots show through in things like the fiddled horizontal surfaces and large chart table at the helm.

Maximum geek points if you spotted Humber 38 underpinnings. In fact Oyster adopted that boat’s John Bennett-designed hull when Humber moved on to launch its aft cabin Humber 40, but fitted its own deck and superstructure. And it’s undeniably a handsome-looking boat for its era, with more curves than were typically the norm back in the 1980s. The flybridge is accessed by a ladder and the transom has a semi transom door formed by a cutaway.

Twin Cummins 6BTAs were the engines of choice for the Powerline 390, in either 250hp or 300hp guise. This boat has the latter, which should push the top speed to 30 knots.

Unusually for a full planing boat, the hull has a keel that extends to nine inches at its maximum, offering some protection to the sterngear and helps it track straight at low speed in strong beam winds. It’s a solid feeling boat and a relatively quiet one too.

Built: 1991 Price: £85,000 LOA: 39ft 7in (12.1m) Beam: 13ft 8in (4.2m) Draught: 3ft 0in (0.9m) Displacement: 10 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,090 litres Engines: Twin Cummins 6BTA 300hp diesels For Sale: TBS Boats

Princess 414

Old boats generally offer a huge amount of bang for buck, but that’s because they’re, well, old. Old electrics, old upholstery, old carpet, old navigation equipment. Not this one though, because all of that was replaced during a 2016 refit that even saw new tanks installed and the engines removed and overhauled by a Volvo Penta main dealer. Total cost? More than the current asking price…

The only aft cabin boat of our quartet this month, the interior stretches from end to end. And bear in mind that this was a 41ft boat when they were measured to the transom, not to the end of an extended bathing platform! As a result, the accommodation is palatial. A huge ensuite master cabin dominates the rear section beneath the aft deck, a large saloon sits amidships and further forward there’s a big dinette opposite the galley plus a guest cabin with centreline double berth in the bow.

The payoff for that aft cabin layout is a raised aft deck. More exposed than an aft cockpit and lacking the shelter of a flybridge overhang, it’s still big and does have one particularly useful feature. Where virtually all flybridge boats of this era had ladders to scale in order to reach the flybridge, on this boat it’s a couple of steps — easy to negotiate and it connects these two areas well.

The other trade-off with older boats is less powerful engines than we’re used to these days. But in this case the boat has a pair of entirely reasonable Volvo Penta TAMD 60C 255hp motors. No, you won’t be hitting the magic 30 knots, but it should top-out toward the mid twenties and cruise in the high ‘teens, perfect for a classy old lady.

One of the last of the John Bennett hulls before Princess switched to Bernard Olesinski, it’s a conventional planing hull with a modified deep-vee hull that combines deep forward sections with a flatter aft profile for seakeeping and speed.

Built: 1989 Price: £99,500 LOA: 41ft 2in (14.7m) Beam: 13ft 0in (4.0m) Draught: 3ft 0in (0.9m) Displacement: 9 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,182 litres Engines: Twin Volvo Penta TAMD 60C 255hp diesels For Sale:   Global Yacht Brokers

Fairline Phantom 40

The early noughties was considered by many to be a golden era for Fairline boats, and the really good news is that the exemplary build quality echoed through the range from the flagship Squadron 78 downwards. So even buyers of 40-foot flybridge boats like this one benefit from fantastic attention to detail.

Nowhere is that more obvious than inside, where the high quality wood has a superyacht level of finish to it and that attention to detail includes a sturdy handrail recessed into the saloon headlining. The layout is the usual master forward, twin cabin to starboard with both having decent sized ensuites (the guest cabin accessing the day heads). There’s also a folding sofa bed cunningly hidden beneath the saloon settee taking sleeping capacity to an occasional six.

Again, pretty unadventurous but even so, beautifully appointed, the deck area of the Phantom 40 simply works well. Bathing platform and cockpit are teak laid as standard, side decks are 10 inches wide and protected by strong, high rails and the flybridge offers triple seats at the helm and a huge dinette aft.

When it was launched in 2003, Fairline fitted a pair of Volvo Penta TAMD 63 engines in either L (316hp) or P (370hp) specification, with twin Caterpillar 3126 units of 355hp or 385hp as an option, which offered top speeds in the high 20 knots. Later boats (like this one) moved on to the D series that Volvo Penta brought out in 2005, which in the case of the 435hp versions fitted to this boat, lift the top end beyond 30 knots.

Like everything else on this boat, the hull design is entirely predictable, being a Bernard Olesinski design, but like everything else, all the better for it. It extends beneath the bathing platform for maximum planing surface area aft and features semi-tunnelled propellers for a straighter, more efficient shaft angle and lower engines.

Built: 2009 Price: £229,000 LOA: 41ft 2in (12.53m) Beam: 13ft 0in (4.0m) Draught: 3ft 3in (1.0m) Displacement: 11.6tonnes Fuel Capacity: 990 litres Engines: Twin Volvo Penta D6-435 435hp diesels For Sale:   Global Yacht Brokers

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

43 of the best bluewater sailboat designs of all time

• January 5, 2022

How do you choose the right yacht for you? We highlight the very best bluewater sailboat designs for every type of cruising

Which yacht is the best for bluewater boating? This question generates even more debate among sailors than questions about what’s the coolest yacht , or the best for racing. Whereas racing designs are measured against each other, cruising sailors get very limited opportunities to experience different yachts in real oceangoing conditions, so what is the best bluewater sailboat?

Here, we bring you our top choices from decades of designs and launches. Over the years, the Yachting World team has sailed these boats, tested them or judged them for European Yacht of the Year awards, and we have sifted through the many to curate a selection that we believe should be on your wishlist.

Making the right choice may come down to how you foresee your yacht being used after it has crossed an ocean or completed a passage: will you be living at anchor or cruising along the coast? If so, your guiding requirements will be space, cabin size, ease of launching a tender and anchoring closer to shore, and whether it can comfortably accommodate non-expert-sailor guests.

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All of these considerations have generated the inexorable rise of the bluewater catamaran – monohulls can’t easily compete on these points. We have a full separate feature on the best bluewater multihulls of all time and here we mostly focus on monohulls. The only exceptions to that rule are two multihulls which made it into our best bluewater sailboats of 2022 list.

As so much of making the right choice is selecting the right boat for the venture in mind, we have separated out our edit into categories: best for comfort; for families; for performance; and for expedition or high latitudes sailing .

Best bluewater sailboats of 2022

The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.

It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.

Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.

Allures 51.9 price: €766,000

The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.

Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.

Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.

Ovni 370 price: €282,080

There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.

The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.

Windelo 50 price: €795,000

Best bluewater sailboat of 2022 – Outremer 55

I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.

Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.

At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.

Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home  – passagemaking where you really cover miles.

Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”

Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.

Outremer 55 price: €1.35m

Best bluewater sailboats for comfort

This is the successor to the legendary Super Maramu, a ketch design that for several decades defined easy downwind handling and fostered a cult following for the French yard. Nearly a decade old, the Amel 55 is the bridge between those world-girdling stalwarts and Amel’s more recent and totally re-imagined sloop designs, the Amel 50 and 60.

The 55 boasts all the serious features Amel aficionados loved and valued: a skeg-hung rudder, solidly built hull, watertight bulkheads, solid guardrails and rampart bulwarks. And, most noticeable, the solid doghouse in which the helmsman sits in perfect shelter at the wheel.

This is a design to live on comfortably for long periods and the list of standard features just goes on and on: passarelle; proper sea berths with lee cloths; electric furling main and genoa; and a multitude of practical items that go right down to a dishwasher and crockery.

There’s no getting around the fact these designs do look rather dated now, and through the development of easier sail handling systems the ketch rig has fallen out of fashion, but the Amel is nothing short of a phenomenon, and if you’ve never even peeked on board one, you really have missed a treat.

Photo: Sander van der Borch

Contest 50CS

A centre cockpit cruiser with true longevity, the Contest 50CS was launched by Conyplex back in 2003 and is still being built by the family-owned Dutch company, now in updated and restyled form.

With a fully balanced rudder, large wheel and modern underwater sections, the Contest 50CS is a surprisingly good performer for a boat that has a dry weight of 17.5 tonnes. Many were fitted with in-mast furling, which clearly curtails that performance, but even without, this boat is set up for a small crew.

Electric winches and mainsheet traveller are all easy to reach from the helm. On our test of the Contest 50CS, we saw for ourselves how two people can gybe downwind under spinnaker without undue drama. Upwind, a 105% genoa is so easy to tack it flatters even the weediest crewmember.

Down below, the finish level of the joinery work is up there among the best and the interior is full of clever touches, again updated and modernised since the early models. Never the cheapest bluewater sailing yacht around, the Contest 50CS has remained in demand as a brokerage buy. She is a reassuringly sure-footed, easily handled, very well built yacht that for all those reasons has stood the test of time.

This is a yacht that would be well capable of helping you extend your cruising grounds, almost without realising it.

Read more about the Contest 50CS and the new Contest 49CS

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Hallberg-Rassy 48 Mk II

For many, the Swedish Hallberg-Rassy yard makes the quintessential bluewater cruiser for couples. With their distinctive blue cove line, these designs are famous for their seakindly behaviour, solid-as-a-rock build and beautifully finished, traditional interiors.

To some eyes, Hallberg-Rassys aren’t quite cool enough, but it’s been company owner Magnus Rassy’s confidence in the formula and belief in incremental ‘step-by-step’ evolution that has been such an exceptional guarantor of reliable quality, reputation and resale value.

The centre cockpit Hallberg-Rassy 48 epitomises the concept of comfort at sea and, like all the Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassys since the 1990s, is surprisingly fleet upwind as well as steady downwind. The 48 is perfectly able to be handled by a couple (as we found a few years back in the Pacific), and could with no great effort crack out 200-mile days.

The Hallberg-Rassy 48 was launched nearly a decade ago, but the Mk II from 2014 is our pick, updated with a more modern profile, larger windows and hull portlights that flood the saloon and aft cabin with light. With a large chart table, secure linear galley, heaps of stowage and space for bluewater extras such as machinery and gear, this yacht pretty much ticks all the boxes.

Discovery 55

First launched in 2000, the Discovery 55 has stood the test of time. Designed by Ron Holland, it hit a sweet spot in size that appealed to couples and families with world girdling plans.

Elegantly styled and well balanced, the 55 is also a practical design, with a deep and secure cockpit, comfortable seating, a self-tacking jib, dedicated stowage for the liferaft , a decent sugar scoop transom that’s useful for swimming or dinghy access, and very comfortable accommodation below. In short, it is a design that has been well thought out by those who’ve been there, got the bruises, stubbed their toes and vowed to change things in the future if they ever got the chance.

Throughout the accommodation there are plenty of examples of good detailing, from the proliferation of handholds and grabrails, to deep sinks in the galley offering immediate stowage when under way and the stand up/sit down showers. Stowage is good, too, with plenty of sensibly sized lockers in easily accessible positions.

The Discovery 55 has practical ideas and nifty details aplenty. She’s not, and never was, a breakthrough in modern luxury cruising but she is pretty, comfortable to sail and live on, and well mannered.

Photo: Latitudes Picture Library

You can’t get much more Cornish than a Rustler. The hulls of this Stephen Jones design are hand-moulded and fitted out in Falmouth – and few are more ruggedly built than this traditional, up-for-anything offshore cruiser.

She boasts an encapsulated lead keel, eliminating keel bolts and creating a sump for generous fuel and water tankage, while a chunky skeg protects the rudder. She is designed for good directional stability and load carrying ability. These are all features that lend this yacht confidence as it shoulders aside the rough stuff.

Most of those built have had a cutter rig, a flexible arrangement that makes sense for long passages in all sea and weather conditions. Down below, the galley and saloon berths are comfortable and sensible for living in port and at sea, with joinery that Rustler’s builders are rightly proud of.

As modern yachts have got wider, higher and fatter, the Rustler 42 is an exception. This is an exceptionally well-mannered seagoing yacht in the traditional vein, with elegant lines and pleasing overhangs, yet also surprisingly powerful. And although now over 20 years old, timeless looks and qualities mean this design makes her look ever more like a perennial, a modern classic.

The definitive crossover size, the point at which a yacht can be handled by a couple but is just large enough to have a professional skipper and be chartered, sits at around the 60ft mark. At 58ft 8in, the Oyster 575 fitted perfectly into this growing market when launched in 2010. It went on to be one of the most popular models from the yard, and is only now being superseded by the newer Rob Humphreys-designed Oyster 565 (just launched this spring).

Built in various configurations with either a deep keel, shoal draught keel or centreboard with twin rudders, owners could trade off better performance against easy access to shallower coves and anchorages. The deep-bodied hull, also by Rob Humphreys, is known for its easy motion at sea.

Some of the Oyster 575’s best features include its hallmark coachroof windows style and centre cockpit – almost everyone will know at first glance this is an Oyster – and superb interior finish. If she has a flaw, it is arguably the high cockpit, but the flip side is the galley headroom and passageway berth to the large aft stateroom.

This design also has a host of practical features for long-distance cruising, such as high guardrails, dedicated liferaft stowage, a vast lazarette for swallowing sails, tender, fenders etc, and a penthouse engine room.

Privilege Serie 5

A true luxury catamaran which, fully fitted out, will top €1m, this deserves to be seen alongside the likes of the Oyster 575, Gunfleet 58 and Hallberg-Rassy 55. It boasts a large cockpit and living area, and a light and spacious saloon with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, masses of refrigeration and a big galley.

Standout features are finish quality and solid build in a yacht designed to take a high payload, a secure walkaround deck and all-round views from the helm station. The new Privilege 510 that will replace this launches in February 2020.

Gunfleet 43

It was with this Tony Castro design that Richard Matthews, founder of Oyster Yachts, launched a brand new rival brand in 2012, the smallest of a range stretching to the flagship Gunfleet 74. The combination of short overhangs and centre cockpit at this size do make the Gunfleet 43 look modern if a little boxy, but time and subsequent design trends have been kind to her lines, and the build quality is excellent. The saloon, galley and aft cabin space is exceptional on a yacht of this size.

Photo: David Harding

Conceived as a belt-and-braces cruiser, the Kraken 50 launched last year. Its unique points lie underwater in the guise of a full skeg-hung rudder and so-called ‘Zero Keel’, an encapsulated long keel with lead ballast.

Kraken Yachts is the brainchild of British businessman and highly experienced cruiser Dick Beaumont, who is adamant that safety should be foremost in cruising yacht design and build. “There is no such thing as ‘one yacht for all purposes’… You cannot have the best of all worlds, whatever the salesman tells you,” he says.

Read our full review of the Kraken 50 .

Wauquiez Centurion 57

Few yachts can claim to be both an exciting Med-style design and a serious and practical northern European offshore cruiser, but the Wauquiez Centurion 57 tries to blend both. She slightly misses if you judge solely by either criterion, but is pretty and practical enough to suit her purpose.

A very pleasant, well-considered yacht, she is impressively built and finished with a warm and comfortable interior. More versatile than radical, she could be used for sailing across the Atlantic in comfort and raced with equal enjoyment at Antigua Sailing Week .

A modern classic if ever there was one. A medium to heavy displacement yacht, stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Pretty, traditional lines and layout below.

Photo: Voyage of Swell

Well-proven US legacy design dating back to the mid-1960s that once conquered the Transpac Race . Still admired as pretty, with slight spoon bow and overhanging transom.

Capable medium displacement cruiser, ideal size and good accommodation for couples or family cruising, and much less costly than similar luxury brands.

Photo: Peter Szamer

Swedish-built aft cockpit cruiser, smaller than many here, but a well-built and finished, super-durable pocket ocean cruiser.

Tartan 3700

Designed as a performance cruiser there are nimbler alternatives now, but this is still an extremely pretty yacht.

Broker ’ s choice

Discovery 55 Brizo

This yacht has already circumnavigated the globe and is ‘prepared for her next adventure,’ says broker Berthon. Price: £535,000 + VAT

Oyster 575 Ayesha

‘Stunning, and perfectly equipped for bluewater cruising,’ says broker Ancasta International. Price: £845,000 (tax not paid)

Oyster 575 Pearls of Nautilus

Nearly new and with a high spec, this Oyster Brokerage yacht features American white oak joinery and white leather upholstery and has a shoal draught keel. Price: $1.49m

Best bluewater yachts for performance

The Frers-designed Swan 54 may not be the newest hull shape but heralded Swan’s latest generation of displacement bluewater cruisers when launched four years ago. With raked stem, deep V hull form, lower freeboard and slight curve to the topsides she has a more timeless aesthetic than many modern slab-sided high volume yachts, and with that a seakindly motion in waves. If you plan to cover many miles to weather, this is probably the yacht you want to be on.

Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

Besides Swan’s superlative build quality, the 54 brings many true bluewater features, including a dedicated sail locker. There’s also a cockpit locker that functions as a utility cabin, with potential to hold your generator and washing machine, or be a workshop space.

The sloping transom opens out to reveal a 2.5m bathing platform, and although the cabins are not huge there is copious stowage space. Down below the top-notch oak joinery is well thought through with deep fiddles, and there is a substantial nav station. But the Swan 54 wins for handling above all, with well laid-out sail controls that can be easily managed between a couple, while offering real sailing enjoyment to the helmsman.

Photo: Graham Snook

The Performance Cruiser winner at the 2019 European Yacht of the Year awards, the Arcona 435 is all about the sailing experience. She has genuine potential as a cruiser-racer, but her strengths are as an enjoyable cruiser rather than a full-blown liveaboard bluewater boat.

Build quality is excellent, there is the option of a carbon hull and deck, and elegant lines and a plumb bow give the Arcona 435 good looks as well as excellent performance in light airs. Besides slick sail handling systems, there are well thought-out features for cruising, such as ample built-in rope bins and an optional semi-closed stern with stowage and swim platform.

Outremer 51

If you want the space and stability of a cat but still prioritise sailing performance, Outremer has built a reputation on building catamarans with true bluewater characteristics that have cruised the planet for the past 30 years.

Lighter and slimmer-hulled than most cruising cats, the Outremer 51 is all about sailing at faster speeds, more easily. The lower volume hulls and higher bridgedeck make for a better motion in waves, while owners report that being able to maintain a decent pace even under reduced canvas makes for stress-free passages. Deep daggerboards also give good upwind performance.

With bucket seats and tiller steering options, the Outremer 51 rewards sailors who want to spend time steering, while they’re famously well set up for handling with one person on deck. The compromise comes with the interior space – even with a relatively minimalist style, there is less cabin space and stowage volume than on the bulkier cats, but the Outremer 51 still packs in plenty of practical features.

The Xc45 was the first cruising yacht X-Yachts ever built, and designed to give the same X-Yachts sailing experience for sailors who’d spent years racing 30/40-footer X- and IMX designs, but in a cruising package.

Launched over 10 years ago, the Xc45 has been revisited a few times to increase the stowage and modernise some of the styling, but the key features remain the same, including substantial tanks set low for a low centre of gravity, and X-Yachts’ trademark steel keel grid structure. She has fairly traditional styling and layout, matched with solid build quality.

A soft bilge and V-shaped hull gives a kindly motion in waves, and the cockpit is secure, if narrow by modern standards.

A three or four cabin catamaran that’s fleet of foot with high bridgedeck clearance for comfortable motion at sea. With tall daggerboards and carbon construction in some high load areas, Catana cats are light and quick to accelerate.

Sweden Yachts 45

An established bluewater design that also features in plenty of offshore races. Some examples are specced with carbon rig and retractable bowsprits. All have a self-tacking jib for ease. Expect sweeping areas of teak above decks and a traditionally wooded interior with hanging wet locker.

A vintage performer, first launched in 1981, the 51 was the first Frers-designed Swan and marked a new era of iconic cruiser-racers. Some 36 of the Swan 51 were built, many still actively racing and cruising nearly 40 years on. Classic lines and a split cockpit make this a boat for helming, not sunbathing.

Photo: Julien Girardot / EYOTY

The JPK 45 comes from a French racing stable, combining race-winning design heritage with cruising amenities. What you see is what you get – there are no superfluous headliners or floorboards, but there are plenty of ocean sailing details, like inboard winches for safe trimming. The JPK 45 also has a brilliantly designed cockpit with an optional doghouse creating all-weather shelter, twin wheels and superb clutch and rope bin arrangement.

Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

For sailors who don’t mind exchanging a few creature comforts for downwind planing performance, the Pogo 50 offers double-digit surfing speeds for exhilarating tradewind sailing. There’s an open transom, tiller steering and no backstay or runners. The Pogo 50 also has a swing keel, to nose into shallow anchorages.

Seawind 1600

Seawinds are relatively unknown in Europe, but these bluewater cats are very popular in Australia. As would be expected from a Reichel-Pugh design, this 52-footer combines striking good looks and high performance, with fine entry bows and comparatively low freeboard. Rudders are foam cored lifting designs in cassettes, which offer straightforward access in case of repairs, while daggerboards are housed under the deck.

Best bluewater sailboats for families

It’s unsurprising that, for many families, it’s a catamaran that meets their requirements best of increased space – both living space and separate cabins for privacy-seeking teenagers, additional crew or visiting family – as well as stable and predictable handling.

Photo: Nicholas Claris

Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories has been the Lagoon 450, which, together with boats like the Fountaine Pajot 44, helped drive up the popularity of catamaran cruising by making it affordable and accessible. They have sold in huge numbers – over 1,000 Lagoon 450s have been built since its launch in 2010.

The VPLP-designed 450 was originally launched with a flybridge with a near central helming position and upper level lounging areas (450F). The later ‘sport top’ option (450S) offered a starboard helm station and lower boom (and hence lower centre of gravity for reduced pitching). The 450S also gained a hull chine to create additional volume above the waterline. The Lagoon features forward lounging and aft cockpit areas for additional outdoor living space.

Besides being a big hit among charter operators, Lagoons have proven themselves over thousands of bluewater miles – there were seven Lagoon 450s in last year’s ARC alone. In what remains a competitive sector of the market, Lagoon has recently launched a new 46, with a larger self-tacking jib and mast moved aft, and more lounging areas.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Fountaine Pajot Helia 44

The FP Helia 44 is lighter, lower volume, and has a lower freeboard than the Lagoon, weighing in at 10.8 tonnes unloaded (compared to 15 for the 450). The helm station is on a mezzanine level two steps up from the bridgedeck, with a bench seat behind. A later ‘Evolution’ version was designed for liveaboard cruisers, featuring beefed up dinghy davits and an improved saloon space.

Available in three or four cabin layouts, the Helia 44 was also popular with charter owners as well as families. The new 45 promises additional volume, and an optional hydraulically lowered ‘beach club’ swim platform.

Photo: Arnaud De Buyzer / graphikup.com

The French RM 1370 might be less well known than the big brand names, but offers something a little bit different for anyone who wants a relatively voluminous cruising yacht. Designed by Marc Lombard, and beautifully built from plywood/epoxy, the RM is stiff and responsive, and sails superbly.

The RM yachts have a more individual look – in part down to the painted finish, which encourages many owners to personalise their yachts, but also thanks to their distinctive lines with reverse sheer and dreadnought bow. The cockpit is well laid out with the primary winches inboard for a secure trimming position. The interior is light, airy and modern, although the open transom won’t appeal to everyone.

For those wanting a monohull, the Hanse 575 hits a similar sweet spot to the popular multis, maximising accommodation for a realistic price, yet with responsive performance.

The Hanse offers a vast amount of living space thanks to the ‘loft design’ concept of having all the living areas on a single level, which gives a real feeling of spaciousness with no raised saloon or steps to accommodation. The trade-off for such lofty head height is a substantial freeboard – it towers above the pontoon, while, below, a stepladder is provided to reach some hatches.

Galley options include drawer fridge-freezers, microwave and coffee machine, and the full size nav station can double up as an office or study space.

But while the Hanse 575 is a seriously large boat, its popularity is also down to the fact that it is genuinely able to be handled by a couple. It was innovative in its deck layout: with a self-tacking jib and mainsheet winches immediately to hand next to the helm, one person could both steer and trim.

Direct steering gives a feeling of control and some tangible sailing fun, while the waterline length makes for rapid passage times. In 2016 the German yard launched the newer Hanse 588 model, having already sold 175 of the 575s in just four years.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Jeanneau 54

Jeanneau leads the way among production builders for versatile all-rounder yachts that balance sail performance and handling, ergonomics, liveaboard functionality and good looks. The Jeanneau 54 , part of the range designed by Philippe Briand with interior by Andrew Winch, melds the best of the larger and smaller models and is available in a vast array of layout options from two cabins/two heads right up to five cabins and three heads.

We’ve tested the Jeanneau 54 in a gale and very light winds, and it acquitted itself handsomely in both extremes. The primary and mainsheet winches are to hand next to the wheel, and the cockpit is spacious, protected and child-friendly. An electric folding swim and sun deck makes for quick fun in the water.

Nautitech Open 46

This was the first Nautitech catamaran to be built under the ownership of Bavaria, designed with an open-plan bridgedeck and cockpit for free-flowing living space. But with good pace for eating up bluewater miles, and aft twin helms rather than a flybridge, the Nautitech Open 46 also appeals to monohull sailors who prefer a more direct sailing experience.

Made by Robertson and Caine, who produce catamarans under a dual identity as both Leopard and the Sunsail/Moorings charter cats, the Leopard 45 is set to be another big seller. Reflecting its charter DNA, the Leopard 45 is voluminous, with stepped hulls for reduced waterline, and a separate forward cockpit.

Built in South Africa, they are robustly tested off the Cape and constructed ruggedly enough to handle heavy weather sailing as well as the demands of chartering.

Photo: Olivier Blanchet

If space is king then three hulls might be even better than two. The Neel 51 is rare as a cruising trimaran with enough space for proper liveaboard sailing. The galley and saloon are in the large central hull, together with an owner’s cabin on one level for a unique sensation of living above the water. Guest or family cabins lie in the outer hulls for privacy and there is a cavernous full height engine room under the cabin sole.

Performance is notably higher than an equivalent cruising cat, particularly in light winds, with a single rudder giving a truly direct feel in the helm, although manoeuvring a 50ft trimaran may daunt many sailors.

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

A brilliant new model from Beneteau, this Finot Conq design has a modern stepped hull, which offers exhilarating and confidence-inspiring handling in big breezes, and slippery performance in lighter winds.

The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 was the standout performer at this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards, and, in replacing the popular Oceanis 45, looks set to be another bestseller. Interior space is well used with a double island berth in the forepeak. An additional inboard unit creates a secure galley area, but tank capacity is moderate for long periods aboard.

Beneteau Oceanis 473

A popular model that offers beam and height in a functional layout, although, as with many boats of this age (she was launched in 2002), the mainsheet is not within reach of the helmsman.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49

The Philippe Briand-designed Sun Odyssey range has a solid reputation as family production cruisers. Like the 473, the Sun Odyssey 49 was popular for charter so there are plenty of four-cabin models on the market.

Nautitech 441

The hull design dates back to 1995, but was relaunched in 2012. Though the saloon interior has dated, the 441 has solid practical features, such as a rainwater run-off collection gutter around the coachroof.

Atlantic 42

Chris White-designed cats feature a pilothouse and forward waist-high working cockpit with helm position, as well as an inside wheel at the nav station. The Atlantic 42 offers limited accommodation by modern cat standards but a very different sailing experience.

Best bluewater sailing yachts for expeditions

Bestevaer 56.

All of the yachts in our ‘expedition’ category are aluminium-hulled designs suitable for high latitude sailing, and all are exceptional yachts. But the Bestevaer 56 is a spectacular amount of boat to take on a true adventure. Each Bestevaer is a near-custom build with plenty of bespoke options for owners to customise the layout and where they fall on the scale of rugged off-grid adventurer to 4×4-style luxury fit out.

The Bestevaer range began when renowned naval architect Gerard Dijkstra chose to design his own personal yacht for liveaboard adventure cruising, a 53-footer. The concept drew plenty of interest from bluewater sailors wanting to make longer expeditions and Bestevaers are now available in a range of sizes, with the 56-footer proving a popular mid-range length.

The well-known Bestevaer 56 Tranquilo  (pictured above) has a deep, secure cockpit, voluminous tanks (700lt water and over 1,100lt fuel) and a lifting keel plus water ballast, with classically styled teak clad decks and pilot house. Other owners have opted for functional bare aluminium hull and deck, some choose a doghouse and others a pilothouse.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The Boreal 52 also offers Land Rover-esque practicality, with utilitarian bare aluminium hulls and a distinctive double-level doghouse/coachroof arrangement for added protection in all weathers. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, thanks to the mainsheet position on top of the doghouse, although for visibility in close manoeuvring the helmsman will want to step up onto the aft deck.

Twin daggerboards, a lifting centreboard and long skeg on which she can settle make this a true go-anywhere expedition yacht. The metres of chain required for adventurous anchoring is stowed in a special locker by the mast to keep the weight central. Down below has been thought through with equally practical touches, including plenty of bracing points and lighting that switches on to red light first to protect your night vision.

Photo: Morris Adant / Garcia Yachts

Garcia Exploration 45

The Garcia Exploration 45 comes with real experience behind her – she was created in association with Jimmy Cornell, based on his many hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater cruising, to go anywhere from high latitudes to the tropics.

Arguably less of a looker than the Bestevaer, the Garcia Exploration 45 features a rounded aluminium hull, centreboard with deep skeg and twin daggerboards. The considerable anchor chain weight has again been brought aft, this time via a special conduit to a watertight locker in front of the centreboard.

This is a yacht designed to be lived on for extended periods with ample storage, and panoramic portlights to give a near 360° view of whichever extraordinary landscape you are exploring. Safety features include a watertight companionway door to keep extreme weather out and through-hull fittings placed above the waterline. When former Vendée Globe skipper Pete Goss went cruising , this was the boat he chose to do it in.

Photo: svnaima.com

A truly well-proven expedition design, some 1,500 Ovnis have been built and many sailed to some of the most far-flung corners of the world. (Jimmy Cornell sailed his Aventura some 30,000 miles, including two Drake Passage crossings, one in 50 knots of wind).

Futuna Exploration 54

Another aluminium design with a swinging centreboard and a solid enclosed pilothouse with protected cockpit area. There’s a chunky bowsprit and substantial transom arch to house all manner of electronics and power generation.

Previous boats have been spec’d for North West Passage crossings with additional heating and engine power, although there’s a carbon rig option for those that want a touch of the black stuff. The tanks are capacious, with 1,000lt capability for both fresh water and fuel.

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Home » Blog » Bluewater sailboats » The best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

The best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: August 17, 2023

What are the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet?

Last year we analyzed 2,000 offshore designs to bring you a list of the most popular bluewater sailboats .

However, most people are searching for a boat in a particular size class. So, we decided to do a double-click and look at the best sailboats under 40 feet for offshore sailing.

If you’re interested in an even smaller boat, there are plenty of great options under 30 feet in our list of the best small sailboats for sailing around the world .

The characteristics that make a sailboat a bluewater sailboat are a hotly debated topic, so we wanted to use real-world data and find out what cruisers are using to cross oceans and sail around the world.

We looked at 2,000 boats that entered the Pacific Puddle Jump  (PPJ) over the last 12 years. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the PPJ, it’s a rally that crosses the Pacific ocean.  We took part in 2017 and had a ball!

Also, if you’re looking to buy one of the bluewater boats on this list, you might want to check out our post on the best places to buy used boats and how to find free or cheap boats for sale .

Just be aware that a bluewater boat isn’t necessarily offshore-ready. Our top five picks are all older boats and will undoubtedly require work.

Every cruiser we know made substantial repairs and additions before going offshore: adding watermakers , life rafts, solar panels, and more.

Also, always have a boat inspected by a professional and accredited marine surveyor before buying it or taking it offshore.

So, without further preamble, here are the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet.

The best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet

1. the westsail 32.

The Westsail 32 is one of the most iconic bluewater cruisers. Built by the Westsail Corporation in the 1970s, this plucky, small sailboat has developed a cult following over the decades. Since 2009, 19 have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rallies.

The Westsail 32 is known for its sturdy construction, seaworthiness, and classic looks. In fact, it set the standard for what a real bluewater cruiser should look like. In 1973, the Westsail 32 was featured in Time magazine and inspired many Americans to go cruising.

Though popular, this boat has earned the unenviable nickname “ Wetsnail 32″, a reference to its poor ability to windward and sluggish performance. But Westsail 32 owners don’t care that they won’t be winning any races.

What the boat lacks in speed it makes up for in classic looks and excellent offshore cruising characteristics. Many owners have crossed oceans and circumnavigated the globe in their Westsail 32s.

2. Tayana 37

The Tayana 37 is a wildly popular Bob Perry design. It first rolled off the production line in 1976 and there are now several hundred of them sailing the world’s oceans.

Above the waterline, the Tayana 37 boasts beautiful traditional lines. However, Perry wanted to avoid the unenviable (read: sluggish) performance characteristics, associated with double-enders.

So, he designed the Tayana 37 with a cut-away long keel and moderate displacement, maintaining the classic look, while achieving reasonable performance.

The Tayana 37 has a devoted following of offshore enthusiasts. Since 2009, 12 Tayana 37s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rallies.

Read more about the Tayana 37 in this Practical Sailor review .

3. Hans Christian 38T

The Hans Christian 38T is a full-keeled, heavy displacement bluewater boat with a long bowsprit and a clipper bow, giving it a distinctive appearance. It was first introduced in 1976 and was produced until the early 1990s.

If you hadn’t already guessed, the “T” in the name stands for “Traditional”. Like many boats on this list, it takes a cue from Crealock’s famous Westsail 32 which sparked a craze in the 1970s and 80s for Scandinavian-style doubled-enders.

It’s gained a reputation as a capable and seaworthy cruising yacht. Many owners have crossed oceans and completed circumnavigations in Hans Christian 38Ts.

By our count, eight Hans Christian 38Ts have participated in Pacific Puddle Jump rallies over the last 12 years.

4. Island Packet 380

I’ve always considered Island Packets the Rolls-Royce of the bluewater boat world. Their distinctive cream-colored topsides make them easy to spot and their robust bluewater construction makes them the envy of many far-flung anchorages.

Designed by Bob Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts in Florida, the Island Packet 380 was first introduced in 1998. 169 were built before 2004, over which time it gained a reputation as a capable and comfortable offshore cruiser.

Having been built in the ’90s and early 2000s, this is a relatively newer boat. In many ways, it offers the best of both worlds, a classic-looking boat with all the modern cruising conveniences.

The Island Packet 380 design prioritizes safety and stability. It also has several offshore features including standard twin bow rollers, a divided anchor locker, and ample storage for cruising gear.

Life below deck is comfortable too. With a 13-foot (4 meter) beam there’s plenty of room for liveaboard amenities.

The Island Packet 380 is a popular choice for long-distance cruising and offshore passages. Since 2009, six Island Packet 380s have set out to cross the Pacific in PPJ rallies.

Read more about the Island Packet 380 in this review by Yachting Monthly .

5. Ingrid 38

The Ingrid 38 is a double-ended sailboat that was originally designed for wood construction in 1938.

In 1971, Bluewater Boat Co. began building a fiberglass version. The design proved hugely popular and more than 140 were built.

With a full keep and heavy displacement, the Ingrid 38 epitomizes the traditional bluewater cruiser. Yet, it remains a well-loved design today. Since 2009, six Ingrid 38s have set out to cross the Pacific in PPJ rallies.

Description

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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40 Best Sailboats

• By Cruising World Editors
• Updated: April 18, 2019

Sailors are certainly passionate about their boats, and if you doubt that bold statement, try posting an article dubbed “ 40 Best Sailboats ” and see what happens.

Barely had the list gone live, when one reader responded, “Where do I begin? So many glaring omissions!” Like scores of others, he listed a number of sailboats and brands that we were too stupid to think of, but unlike some, he did sign off on a somewhat upbeat note: “If it weren’t for the presence of the Bermuda 40 in Cruising World’s list, I wouldn’t even have bothered to vote.”

By vote, he means that he, like hundreds of other readers, took the time to click through to an accompanying page where we asked you to help us reshuffle our alphabetical listing of noteworthy production sailboats so that we could rank them instead by popularity. So we ask you to keep in mind that this list of the best sailboats was created by our readers.

The quest to building this list all began with such a simple question, one that’s probably been posed at one time or another in any bar where sailors meet to raise a glass or two: If you had to pick, what’re the best sailboats ever built?

In no time, a dozen or more from a variety of sailboat manufacturers were on the table and the debate was on. And so, having fun with it, we decided to put the same question to a handful of CW ‘s friends: writers and sailors and designers and builders whose opinions we value. Their favorites poured in and soon an inkling of a list began to take shape. To corral things a bit and avoid going all the way back to Joshua Slocum and his venerable Spray —Hell, to Noah and his infamous Ark —we decided to focus our concentration on production monohull sailboats, which literally opened up the sport to anyone who wanted to get out on the water. And since CW is on the verge or turning 40, we decided that would be a nice round number at which to draw the line and usher in our coming ruby anniversary.

If you enjoy scrolling through this list, which includes all types of sailboats, then perhaps you would also be interested in browsing our list of the Best Cruising Sailboats . Check it out and, of course, feel free to add your favorite boat, too. Here at Cruising World , we like nothing better than talking about boats, and it turns out, so do you.

40. Moore 24

39. Pearson Vanguard

38. Dufour Arpege 30

37. Alerion Express 28

36. Mason 43/44

35. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43DS

34. Nor’Sea 27

33. Freedom 40

32. Beneteau Sense 50

31. Nonsuch 30

30. Swan 44

29. C&C Landfall 38

28. Gulfstar 50

27. Sabre 36

26. Pearson Triton

25. Islander 36

24. Gozzard 36

23. Bristol 40

22. Tartan 34

21. Morgan Out Island 41

20. Hylas 49

19. Contessa 26

18. Whitby 42

17. Columbia 50

16. Morris 36

15. Hunter 356

13. Beneteau 423

12. Westsail 32

10. Alberg 30

9. Island Packet 38

8. Passport 40

7. Tayana 37

6. Peterson 44

5. Pacific Seacraft 37

4. Hallberg-Rassy 42

3. Catalina 30

2. Hinckley Bermuda 40

1. Valiant 40

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Boat Test: 2024 Formula 457 CCS

• By Randy Vance
• March 29, 2024

When I pressed the throttles on the 457 CCS, it didn’t rear up like a ­Lippizan, but rather surged forward like a Kentucky Derby thoroughbred out of the starting gate. Formula’s proprietary double-stepped hull kept the bow down as it stretched forward in a long, loping gate, the two-speed transmissions of the Merc V-12 Verados proving their worth. In turns, sharp and hard-over, the 457 CCS held its ground, carved them smoothly, and without the chine tripping or spinning out. The outboards themselves held their ground, sensing with electronic magic the added load that turns cause. They fed in more power to keep the speed steady through the arc. In port, joystick steering and a bow thruster made docking the 47-footer (LOA with ­engines) a breeze. Even an amateur can do it with confidence.

We weren’t surprised by its performance—every Formula that our test team has ever touched over the years has offered a high-performance ­experience thanks largely to the FAS 3 Tech design and engineering.

In fact, FAS 3 Tech is the technology below deck on the 457. Instead of stringers and bulkheads laid into the hull and storage buckets glued in place, Formula builds a one-piece stringer grid that melds to the hull in a single piece, and includes all fish boxes, dry-storage compartments and machinery access to the bilge, plus ample wire chases for a nearly unlimited array of accessories. The boat is filled with gadgets such as inductive cellphone-charging brackets, electric adjustable seats, bow cocktail table and a full assembly of navigation equipment—just for starters. Once the grid is bonded to the hull, the two pieces become one. The deck is then bonded in, and three become one. Formula perfected this technique decades ago, when competitors were still using wood stringers and ­transoms.

Another exceedingly well-built center-­console is Pursuit’s Sport 428. Pursuit was an early starter in the sport-model realm, bringing the 280 Sport to market in 2008 and the 310 ST in 2011. Pursuit met the needs of fishermen with broader interests than just wetting a line. The style became so popular, Pursuit expanded it with several models, including the 428. Soon the company rebadged the entire line as “Sport,” but all bristle with a fishing backbone while catering to diving and cruising fans. The S428 ($1,339,935 with quad Yamaha XTO 425s) ­offers a platform more on par with Formula’s far-fishier 457 CCF, sistership to this 457 CCS. The Pursuit has dual-row helm seating with a deck galley to double as a rigging station and mezzanine seating that faces the cockpit. For at-anchor R&R, there is a starboard-side fold-down terrace in the gunwale, and for diving and easy dockside entry, a portside boarding door. ­Formula ­offers port and starboard transom doors to a spacious platform too. ­Pursuit’s 428 is just 43 feet, 9 inches with a 13-foot beam compared with the nearly 46 feet length overall and 13-foot-9-inch beam of the Formula. Size, plus the fact that the Formula is powered by Mercury’s new V-12 600 hp outboards versus the four Yamaha 425s on the Pursuit, accounts for much of the $600,000 ­difference in base price between the two.

Both competitors drench passengers in ­luxury seating with a dual lounge ahead of the console and wraparound seating at the bow.

Interior and Accessories

Formula’s length and beam make for a roomy cabin below deck that includes a double berth that converts from a C-shaped lounge, and it’s nestled into a cheerily lit (with recessed LED lighting and overhead and forward portlights) arrangement with a large head compartment with shower, and an abbreviated galley with microwave, coffee maker and fridge. The topside galley also has plentiful drawer storage, a fridge, and there’s a grill on the transom hiding beneath its own hatch, expanding galley features.

There are rod holders, and in place of a livewell in the CCS, there is a cooler. But when fishing is on the agenda, the equipment is there to help ­ensure angling convenience and success.

In addition to enormous deck compartments, there are compartments in all of the coamings for boat hooks, rods and gaffs if you do fish. They tilt outward from beneath the gunwales and tuck back in flush with them, to keep the passageway clear. Lines, fenders and life jackets are accommodated as well. A transom lazarette, or “boot,” can stow more mooring gear, but aboard our tester, this housed a Seabob water scooter—a Formula option painted to match.

It’s important to note that this boat is not only part of a series, and sibling to the even-more-fishing-oriented 457 CCF, but also either version of the boat is eligible for a program called FormulaFlex. FormulaFlex is an exclusive plan offering boat buyers individual personalization in key areas such as graphics, upholstery and electronics. Many of these preferential changes can be had at no additional charge. If a charge is required for a buyer’s request, you participate in FormulaFlex MyWay, allowing you to choose paid-for changes or options. The point is not so much the charge of a fee for the change as it is Formula’s willingness to make changes to ­accommodate buyers’ ­desires in the first place.

Read Next: Formula 387 CCF

While we can wax on about the deck plan, it’s better to report what our test truly revealed. The Formula 457 CCS is indeed akin to a thoroughbred, delivering a combination of performance, luxury, versatility and great opportunities for owner personalization.

How We Tested

• Engines: Triple 600 hp Mercury V-12 Verados
• Drive/Props: Outboard/29-inch-pitch stainless-steel contra-rotating propsets
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:2.5 Fuel Load: 650 gal. Water on Board: 50 gal. Crew Weight: 800 lb.

High Points

• Tempered-glass windshield raises on electric actuators; can be fully open while running.
• Standard Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer, bow thruster, and 18,000 Btu air conditioning in the cockpit.
• FormulaFlex and FormulaFlex MyWay programs offer great personalization. 
• Cabin berth has ample room to stretch out, but vertical space allows feet-first entry only.
• The diesel generator is safer than gasoline power, but it requires a second fuel tank. 

Pricing and Specs

Speed, efficiency, operation.

Formula Boats – Decatur, Indiana; formulaboats.com

• More: 2024 , 40-50ft , boat tests , Boats , Center Consoles , Cruising Boats , formula , May 2024 , outboards

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Baltimore Port: What impact will bridge collapse have on shipping?

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Current status of cargo ships inside port, cruise ships, london metal exchange warehouses, bunker fuel.

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Reporting by Josephine Mason, Nick Carey, Helen Reid, Jonathan Saul, Nigel Hunt, Marwa Rashad, Scott DiSavino, Shariq Khan and Eric Onstad; Compiled by Josephine Mason and Nina Chestney; Editing by Nick Macfie and Nick Zieminski

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Russia mulls labelling Pugacheva, queen of Soviet pop, a 'foreign agent'

Russian prosecutors have asked the justice ministry to consider labelling Alla Pugacheva, the queen of Soviet pop music, as a "foreign agent", a move that would officially designate Russia's most famous star a foe of the Kremlin.

Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, in the latest barrage targeting the country's already damaged power infrastructure.

Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House. 

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“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April. 

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on March 23 , will return to Norfolk instead on April 4. "Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements," a spokesperson said in an email.

The ship's April 4 and 12 cruises will leave from Norfolk, too. "Our guests booked to sail with us will receive compensation due to the necessary adjustments made to their vacations," the spokesperson added. "After returning from the April 12 cruise, Vision will head to the Bahamas for its previously scheduled maintenance."

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

More From Forbes

First look inside the new four seasons yacht.

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The new Four Seasons yacht will set sail in 2026.

Four Seasons has long set the gold standard for luxury accommodations on land and is renowned for its exquisite hotels that offer unparalleled comfort and service. Now, this legacy of luxury is extending its reach to the seas. In a groundbreaking move, Four Seasons Yachts , in collaboration with Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings Ltd and the esteemed Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, is introducing an ambitious venture into luxury sea travel. Scheduled to set sail in 2026, this initiative promises an experience that transcends traditional cruising, offering voyages across the mesmerizing waters of the Caribbean and the historic coasts of the Mediterranean.

Alejandro Reynal, President and CEO of Four Seasons, expressed enthusiasm about bringing the brand's hallmark of guest-centered luxury to the high seas. According to Reynal, this expansion into yachting is a natural extension of Four Seasons' commitment to providing personalized, elegant, and comfortable experiences. The aim is clear: to redefine luxury hospitality, but this time, against the backdrop of the world's most stunning seascapes.

The suites are breathtaking.

The inaugural season of Four Seasons Yachts is poised to offer something truly special. With ten unique voyages planned, travelers will have the opportunity to explore over 130 distinct destinations across more than 30 countries and territories. Each itinerary has been meticulously crafted, allowing guests the flexibility to design their own sea adventure. From the lively atmospheres of Caribbean islands like Saint Barthélemy and Martinique to the cultural richness of Mediterranean gems, including the Greek Isles and Croatia, these voyages promise a blend of well-loved destinations and hidden treasures.

The spacious cabins have incredible views.

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Accommodations aboard the yacht are set to be a marvel in themselves. Ninety-five suites, conceived by the creative minds of Fredrik Johannson at Tillberg Design of Sweden and Creative Director Prosper Assouline, are designed to be sanctuaries of tranquility at sea. Each suite, envisioned with elegant interiors, expansive views, and a residential feel, aims to provide guests with a sense of being at home away from home. Among these, the Funnel and Loft Suites stand out for their sheer luxury and space. They offer unique features such as splash pools, outdoor showers, and breathtaking panoramic views, setting a new benchmark for luxury accommodations on water.

The pool deck features a bar and lounge chairs.

Beyond the exquisite suites, the yacht will feature various amenities designed to cater to every guest's needs. With eleven dining options, a comprehensive spa and wellness center, a state-of-the-art marina, and an innovative pool area capable of hosting events, the yacht ensures a variety of experiences that enrich the journey.

“We’re building a stunning seafaring venture that will be enjoyed as a yacht experience rather than a cruise experience," says Thatcher Brown, chief commercial officer and head of joint operations at luxury shipping specialist Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, the joint owner/operator of the Four Seasons Yachts brand. "The intrinsic value of Four Seasons brand leadership in luxury hospitality combined with the passionate pioneering spirit and expertise of the project team is manifested in the creation of truly special Four Seasons Yachts experiences."

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