BoatsWesterly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43

Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1997

A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop built for offshore comfort with a stable, skeg-mounted rudder configuration

Designed by Ron Holland.

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

See her sail

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Gently

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 37 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 37
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.78
LightHeavy

287 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 287
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

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

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~75% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2535 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43 is a Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop, built by Westerly Marine Ltd. and Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. from 1997 to the present, known for its robust construction suitable for long-distance cruising. With an LOA of 13.3 m, a beam of 4.2 m, a draft of 1.8 m, and a displacement of 13,499 kg, it features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg. Aboard *Sailing Gently*, the Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43 is identified as one of the most capable and comfortable cruisers for extended voyages, offering superior handling and interior space compared to similarly sized catamarans. Its displacement hull and center cockpit design are praised for providing protection in heavy seas and allowing for spacious aft cabins.4:02 The Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43 is considered a proven, cost-effective platform for circumnavigation when properly upgraded, alongside boats like the Moody 36 and Elizabethan 31.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
Displacement / length
286.7
Comfort ratio
36.7
Capsize screening
1.78
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1765
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1997
Units built
10
Designer
Ron Holland
Builder
Westerly Marine Ltd

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.

Najad Yachts 440-113.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA heavy-displacement cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, designed for stable, comfortable offshore passage-making
Regina 4313.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.26-metre masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a 1.8-metre draft for versatile coastal cruising
Hallberg-Rassy 42 (Frers)13.22 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for blue-water cruising, featuring a stable fin keel and a 181-unit production run.
Jeanneau Sun Magic 4413.34 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-volume charter veteran also marketed as the Atlantic 44, built for stable cruising with a 2.12-metre fin keel
Columbia 4313.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a high ballast ratio and a masthead rig, built for offshore performance
Nicholson 4413.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn extended Nicholson 42 featuring a modified deck molding that creates a convenient walk-through to the aft cabin

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.

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