BoatsIslander 40 MS

Islander 40 MS

Masthead Ketch · Long Keel · First built 1970

A long-keeled masthead ketch designed by Charles Davies, later re-introduced as the Freeport 41

Designed by Charles Davies.

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

See her sail

The Islander 40 MS, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Solé

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 narrow beam gives 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.74
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 364
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 11.7
TenderStiff

21% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 21%

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

  • Heavier than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~79% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 306 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Islander 40 MS, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Islander 40 MS is a masthead ketch sailboat designed by Charles Davies, built by Islander and Tradewind Yachts from 1970 to the present. It features a long keel, measures 13.4 meters LOA, has a 4.0-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 12,700 kg. The model was re-introduced as the Freeport 41, possibly in 1972. Aboard *Solé*, a crew delivering the vessel *KeelDrager* from Ensenada, Mexico, to San Pedro, California, encountered a jammed self-tailing winch, which they cleared manually.25:51 During the same transit, the crew experienced VHF radio and AIS signal failures near an explosives dumping area, necessitating the use of a handheld VHF radio for communication with a warship.23:13

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
21.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
11.7
Displacement / length
364.1
Comfort ratio
38.9
Capsize screening
1.74
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1529
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1970
Designer
Charles Davies
Builder
Islander, Tradewind 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.

Cabo Rico 42 Pilot14.17 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 2005 pilothouse evolution of the Paine-designed cutter, featuring a long keel and a high comfort ratio for stable offshore
Cabo Rico 42 - Sailing Reunion1:26from Hold Fast!
Mason 4413.39 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn updated long-keeled evolution of the Mason 43, offered as a masthead ketch or cutter for stable blue-water cruising
A CHEAP Bluewater Cruiser Built in Taiwan? Ep 289 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Morgan Yachts 4513.92 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA long-keeled masthead sloop with a high comfort ratio, built by Charles Morgan Jr. between 1966 and 1970
Travelling the Intracoastal Waterway0:05from Maryland School of Sailing
Explorer 45 (Huntingford)13.79 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA long-keeled staysail ketch designed by Stan Huntingford for stable, comfortable blue-water passage making
WE CAN'T CHECK INTO THE COUNTRY?! | Marquesas, French Polynesia | Ep 105from Cruising Meraki • Sailing Family
Westsail 4313.08 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterAn aft-cockpit cruiser featuring a long keel and versatile rig options, including cutter, ketch, and yawl configurations
🚗 Oh, glorious tool road trip!11:10from Sail Life
Westsail 4213.08 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability
🚩 RED FLAGS: How I Spot the Lemon Boats on Yacht World 🚩0:56from Be The Captain

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.

Islander Yachts Freeport 41A long-keeled staysail ketch derived from the Islander 40MS, featuring an interior redesign by Robert PerryIslander Yachts 40A Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a deep fin keel and a balanced spade rudderIslander Yachts 37 MSA cutter-rigged motorsailer variant of the Bruce King hull, offering a 1.8-metre draft and a 33% ballast ratioIslander Yachts 37A 1966 Bruce King design featuring a masthead rig and a 35% ballast ratio for balanced coastal performanceIslander Yachts 38 CA 1983 evolution of the Freeport 36, featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for stable coastal cruisingIslander 44A Bill Lapworth-designed hull reconfigured by Islander into a long-keeled cruiser with a diverse production history

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