BoatsWestsail 42

Westsail 42

Cutter · Long Keel · First built 1974

A William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability

Designed by William Crealock.

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

See her sail

The Westsail 42, on the water

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

Footage from DrakeParagon

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 44 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 44
CoastalBluewater

At 1.65 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.65
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 380
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.3
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

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

  • Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 315 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Westsail 42, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Westsail 42 is a William Crealock-designed cutter-rigged sailboat with a long keel, built from 1974 by Westsail Corp. and later Jomarco. It shares its hull mold with the aft-cockpit Westsail 43 and was offered with multiple rig options including ketch and yawl. The boat measures 13.1 meters LOA, with a 4.0-meter beam, 1.7-meter draft, and displaces 14,288 kg. Aboard *DrakeParagon*, the crew sailed their Westsail 42, *Paragon*, across the North Atlantic from Greenland to Ireland, through the Bay of Biscay to Spain, and along the French coast.10:35 They navigated Prince Christian Sound in Greenland, monitoring radar for icebergs, and later transited the Bay of Biscay, motor-sailing at 7 to 9.5 knots to outrun a storm.11:08 The crew upgraded their electrical system with 600-amp-hour lithium batteries, enabling an all-electric galley with induction cooktops and a pizza oven.1:43 They used a custom cockpit tether system for safety in rough seas and relied on a Hydrovane wind vane for steering, though they sometimes preferred the electric autopilot in chaotic conditions.18:45

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

DrakeParagonDrake and Monique cruise aboard their Westsail 42, Paragon, documenting technical boat maintenance, passage planning, and strategies for navigating coastal waters and orca-prone zones.

Seen 112 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Westsail 42 on video

This Broke...And I'm Okay With That? Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 10 | DrakeParagon SailingDrake and Monique anchor in strong current and rely on sensory cues after their wind instrument fails.DrakeParagonRamming Speed! - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 9 | DrakeParagon SailingThe crew of Paragon times their arrival at a narrow channel to coincide with slack tide.DrakeParagonOur Sailing Apps: Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 8 | DrakeParagon SailingThe crew uses Navily and PredictWind to plan a coastal route while avoiding orcas near Spain.DrakeParagonWhen Things Go Wrong! - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 7 | DrakeParagon SailingDrake repairs a failed Harken traveler car assembly after a cotter pin shears during a channel entry.DrakeParagonFirst Day Sailing Portugal - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 6 | DrakeParagon SailingA Westsail 42 times a flood-tide entry into Faro's 8-knot tidal channel while hugging shore to avoid orca attacks.DrakeParagonLand Ho! We Arrive in Portugal - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 5 | DrakeParagon SailingOrca-zone waypoints and a daylight deadline shape a Westsail 42's first landfall in Portugal.DrakeParagonCooking While Sailing Offshore - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 4 | DrakeParagon SailingA Westsail 42 crew manages offshore passage planning, shipping lane crossings, and onboard meal preparation while avoiding orcas.DrakeParagonA Day in the Life of Sailing Offshore - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 3 | DrakeParagon SailingNavigating a six-ship convoy in Mediterranean shipping lanes while sailing solo overnight on a Westsail 42.DrakeParagonPushing Through Orca Territory: Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 2 | DrakeParagon SailingDrake routes through Atlantic shipping lanes to avoid orca territory on a Vigo-to-Tunisia passage.DrakeParagonFirst Day and We're Pushing Off! Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 1 | DrakeParagon SailingA Westsail 42 routes 55 miles offshore from Spain to avoid orca attacks on the passage to Tunisia.DrakeParagonMo's Marina Tours: Puerto Deportivo de Moaña in Moaña, Spain | DrakeParagon SailingPuerto Deportivo de Moaña offers 400 berths, a chandlery, and a ferry four minutes from the dock.DrakeParagonCybertake S2 Pro Portable AC: Can It Cool Our 42ft Sailboat? | DrakeParagon SailingCybertake S2 Pro drops a Westsail 42 aft cabin from 24.5°C to 17.9°C in 10 minutes drawing 38–44 amps at 12V.DrakeParagon

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.

  • ReplacedHarkenin place of original traveler

    The speaker replaced an old, failed traveler with a new Harken traveler.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen July 202615:50

  • ReplacedGarmin

    The speaker needs to install a new Garmin GPS antenna because the old one is broken.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen February 2024watch

  • FailedPredictWind

    The PredictWind forecast predicted smaller seas than what was actually experienced, leading to a rolly ride.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen June 2026watch

  • FailedHydrovane

    The newly installed Hydrovane experienced significant vibration during motor sailing, raising concerns about its structural integrity.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen February 2024watch

  • FailedProfurl

    A proprietary bolt on the jib roller furler failed.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen December 201616:57

  • ComparedRocnaweighed against Fortress

    The speaker chose not to deploy the Rocna anchor due to its high value and the risk of losing it in rocky conditions.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen June 2020watch

  • InstalledRenogy

    Three new solar panels were added to the boats array.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen May 202614:06

  • InstalledIridium

    The speaker plans to activate an Iridium Go for offshore weather routing.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen February 202422:31

  • InstalledFortress

    The speaker fabricated a custom brace for the secondary anchor on the bowsprit.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen November 20168:40

  • WorkingNavily

    The speaker used the Navily app to check the capacity of an anchorage.

    aboard DrakeParagonseen February 2026watch

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Westsail 42 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
38.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.3
Displacement / length
379.8
Comfort ratio
44.2
Capsize screening
1.65
Hull speed
7.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1548
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1974
Units built
119
Designer
William Crealock
Builder
Westsail Corp, Jomarco

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.

Westsail 4313.08 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn 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
Mason 4413.39 mSame hull family0.3 m longerAn 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
Explorer 45 (Huntingford)13.79 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA long-keeled staysail ketch designed by Stan Huntingford for stable, comfortable blue-water passage making
After the storm BLISS | Tuamotu | Ep 112from Cruising Meraki • Sailing Family
Cabo Rico 42 Pilot14.17 mSame hull family1.1 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!
Vagabond 4714.20 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel, built for heavy-displacement offshore comfort since 1972
Day 14: The saloon is no longer scary 🫣 The visual transformation is brutal22:21from Piratas Aderiva
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
Full SAILBOAT TOUR [Baba 40, Bluewater, Deep Draft, Around the World Ocean Sailing Monohull]0:05from Adventureman Dan

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.

Westsail 43An aft-cockpit cruiser featuring a long keel and versatile rig options, including cutter, ketch, and yawl configurationsWestsail 32A fiberglass adaptation of William Atkin's Thistle design, this heavy-displacement cutter saw 834 hulls built.Westsail 28A heavy-displacement cutter with a long keel, refined through production updates to improve sail area and handlingWestsail 39A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a production history spanning three different names and international builds.Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 43A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop built for offshore comfort with a stable, skeg-mounted rudder configuration

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Westsail 42, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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