BoatsIsland Packet 40

Island Packet 40

Cutter · Long Keel · 1994–2000

A 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibility

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Island Packet 40, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Mike Hoffman

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 33 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 33
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.83
LightHeavy

259 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 259
EasygoingPowered-up

15.5 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.5
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Beamier than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 377 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 40 on video

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • ConsideredOrca

    The speaker initially dismissed the Orca app after downloading it, not seeing a need for another charting app.

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 20263:17

  • WorkingRocna

    The anchor on the boat is identified as a Rocna, implying it is a good choice.

    aboard Alfredo Contaldoseen July 202614:12

  • WorkingC-MAP

    The speaker uses CMAP charts on his existing chartplotters.

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 20262:38

  • WorkingNavionics

    The speaker uses Navionics charts on his existing chartplotters.

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 20262:39

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Island Packet 40 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
43.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.5
Displacement / length
259.0
Comfort ratio
32.6
Capsize screening
1.83
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1570
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1994–2000
Units built
139
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet Yachts

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.

Islander Yachts Freeport 4112.50 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA long-keeled staysail ketch derived from the Islander 40MS, featuring an interior redesign by Robert Perry
OPB: Islander Freeport 41 sailboat tour and sail to Catalina Island (Dec 2025)0:02from keeldragger
Cape George 3610.97 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement cutter with a long keel, designed by Atkin and Monk for offshore stability and steady passage-making
Sailing to an Uninhabited Northern Island.0:22from Sailing Magic Carpet
Tayana 3711.18 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed long-keel cutter with a heavy displacement and a production run of nearly 600 hulls
5 Small Sailboats Capable of Sailing the World!2:31from All About Sailing
Island Packet 4413.41 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water access
No One Wants This ISLAND PACKET 44! Ep 367 - Lady K Sailing0:52from Lady K Sailing
Morgan Yachts Out Island 4112.57 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA prolific long-keeled masthead sloop designed by Charles Morgan Jr. that became a staple of the global charter trade
Sailing KYAN II Episode 1from Sailing KYAN II a Morgan Out Island 41 Ketch
Allied Boat Co. Mistress 3912.09 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA heavy-displacement Arthur Edmunds ketch available in both aft and center cockpit configurations for stable cruising
Allied Boat Company: The Fiberglass Sailboat That Changed Everythingfrom Lady K Sailing

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.

Island Packet 44A 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water accessIsland Packet 45A 45-foot cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing substantial displacement with shoal-water accessibilityIsland Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-meter draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stabilityIsland Packet 37A 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchoragesIsland Packet 420A 13.59-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.52-meter draft and a heavy-displacement hull for offshore stabilityIsland Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-meter draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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