BoatsBlock Island 40

Block Island 40

Masthead Yawl · Keel/centreboard · First built 1957

One of the earliest production fiberglass boats of its size, this keel-centerboard yawl debuted in 1957

Designed by William H. Tripp Jr, built by Beetle Boat Co.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draftDraws 1.19 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

1.71 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.71
LightHeavy

451 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 451
EasygoingPowered-up

13.7 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.7
TenderStiff

24% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 24%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
23.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Yawl
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.7
Displacement / length
450.8
Comfort ratio
39.0
Capsize screening
1.71
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1155
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1957
Designer
William H. Tripp Jr
Builder
Beetle Boat Co, American Boat Building

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Henry R. Hinckley Bermuda 40-112.42 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA long-running production classic with 203 hulls built between 1959 and 1991, featuring a versatile keel-centerboard.
Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-meter masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-meter draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed
Allied Boat Co. Inc. Seabreeze 3510.52 mSame hull family1.7 m shorterA MacLear and Harris-designed masthead sloop featuring a versatile keel-centerboard configuration for shoal-draft cruising
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centerboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration
Pearson Yachts 3510.67 mSame hull family1.5 m shorterBoasting the longest production run of any Pearson model, this keel/centerboard sloop remained largely unchanged for 14 years

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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