BoatsHughes 40

Hughes 40

Masthead Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1975

A masthead ketch with a shallow 1.42m draft and heavy displacement, built to Sparkman & Stephens design #2134

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 41 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 41
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 420
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 11.3
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

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

  • Heavier than ~92% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~94% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2742 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
32.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
11.3
Displacement / length
419.6
Comfort ratio
41.1
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
7.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1468
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
Hughes, North Star, Aura Yachts Inc

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.

Moody 40 (Dixon)12.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run 1990s cruiser featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, optimized for a balance of coastal performance
Hans Christian Christina 4012.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA fin-keeled cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a more modern underwater profile for the Hans Christian fleet
Colvic Craft Victor 4012.19 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA John A. Bennett-designed masthead ketch also known as the Blackwater 40, built for steady, comfortable passage-making
Valiant Yachts 40-212.16 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed cutter built for offshore passage-making, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, heavy hull
Dufour Yachts 405 Grand Large12.17 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-meter cruiser featuring a 2.03m fin keel and a balanced displacement-to-ballast ratio for stable coastal passages
Hunter Marine 40.5 Legend12.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA B&R rigged cruiser featuring a shoal-draft wing keel designed for stable, comfortable coastal passage making

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

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