Hans Christian 43
Staysail Ketch · Long Keel · 1974–1992
A 12.99-meter staysail ketch with a long keel and high comfort ratio, built from 1974 to 1992 for steady offshore work
Designed by Harwood Ives & George H. Stadel Jr.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Long Keel
See her sail
The Hans Christian 43, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Life is Like Sailing
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
LivelyComfort 38Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.76Bluewater
LightD/L 281Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 14.4Powered-up
TenderBallast 39%Stiff
A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.
- Heavier than ~86% of boats her size on file
- Draws more than ~83% of boats her size on file
- Beamier than ~92% of boats her size on file
Compared with 330 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.
Seen 6 times across 2 channels of the fleet.
On the water
The Hans Christian 43 on video
Who's been looking
Market signal
Crews the fleet has filmed weighing this model up — no sale seen, and no asking price.
1channel looked into buying
Inspected for possible purchase by a client during a boat-buying consult
from Lady K Sailingseen June 2026watch
From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.4
Displacement / length
281.5
Comfort ratio
38.2
Capsize screening
1.76
Hull speed
8.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1820
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1974–1992
Units built
130
Designer
Harwood Ives, George H. Stadel Jr
Builder
Hans Christian
Boats like this, on the water
More boats like her, on the water
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.
Island Packet 43914.33 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA modern 2021-launched cutter with a heavy-displacement hull and a 1.52-meter draft for stable, deep-water cruising
Cape George 3811.58 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA 1985 cutter with a 1.58-meter draft and high comfort ratio, designed by Atkin and Lange for steady offshore work
Baba 4012.14 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA 13-ton cutter with a 41.5 comfort ratio, built between 1980 and 1982 for steady, long-distance passage making
Dolphin 47 (Alden)14.30 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA heavy-displacement staysail ketch from the board of John G. Alden, built for comfortable, stable blue-water cruising
Island Packet 4413.41 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water access
Westsail 4213.08 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability
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.
Hans Christian 45A staysail ketch with a long keel and high comfort ratio, configured for steady, traditional offshore passage-makingHans Christian Christina 43A Scott Sprague-designed cutter with a high comfort ratio and skeg-mounted rudder, built for heavy-weather cruisingHans Christian Christina 40A fin-keeled cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a more modern underwater profile for the Hans Christian fleetHans Christian 48A 14.5-meter cutter with a long keel and high comfort ratio, later produced as the Traditional 48 in ThailandHans Christian 41A heavy-displacement cutter designed by Scott Sprague, later produced as the Traditional 41 in ThailandHans Christian 39 PilothouseA Harwood Ives-designed cutter with a long keel and pilothouse, sharing the proven hull of the HC 38 MKII
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