BoatsCaliber Yachts 40

Caliber Yachts 40

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1992

A 12.47-metre cutter with a 44% ballast ratio, engineered for offshore stability and long-range self-sufficiency

Designed by Michael McCreary.

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

See her sail

The Caliber Yachts 40, on the water

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

Footage from The On Deck Channel

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 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 281
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.

  • Heavier than ~75% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2721 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Caliber Yachts 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Caliber Yachts 40 is a cutter-rigged cruising sailboat designed by Michael McCreary and built by Caliber Yachts since 1992. It has a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, measures 12.5 m LOA, 3.9 m beam, 1.5 m draft, and displaces 9797 kg. Aboard a Caliber 40 in Saint Petersburg, United States, technicians installed a mast-mounted whisker pole system, including a T-track, adjustable pole, and a car-and-traveler, designed for single-handed downwind deployment.5:29 They applied Tef-Gel to fasteners to prevent galvanic corrosion between stainless steel and the aluminum mast.8:00 The crew also demonstrated removing a forestay on the cutter, noting the inner forestay provided primary support while a temporary Dyneema halyard added stability.14:30

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 Caliber Yachts 40 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
Displacement / length
280.9
Comfort ratio
32.4
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1471
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1992
Designer
Michael McCreary
Builder
Caliber 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.

Caliber Yachts 40 LRC12.47 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1995-launched cutter with a 44% ballast ratio and a 1.55m draft, engineered for long-range offshore self-sufficiency
This “Bulletproof” Cruiser Has a Serious Weak Spot Caliber 40 LRC SEfrom Practical Sailor
Swan 41112.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop developed from the Swan 41, featuring a deep-draft fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
[OFF MARKET] Nautor Swan 411 (KISWALA) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int.0:49from Berthon International
Huisman 4112.52 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens cutter built by Huisman, featuring a stiff 50% ballast ratio for offshore stability
[OFF MARKET] We revisit Huisman 65 Custom TS MY (HUSH), with Hugh Rayner - Yacht for Sale - Berthon0:08from Berthon International
Dufour Yachts 4112.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1971 masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, offered in both sloop and ketch configurations for versatile cruising
SEILmagasinet-TV episode 3/20240:29from SEILmagasinet
Hallberg-Rassy 4012.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and a partial skeg rudder
Hallberg Rassy 40 - A Yacht Delivery from Santander to Bruinisse0:35from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Hanse Yachts 41812.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2017 successor to the 415, offering a shallow keel option and an optional 57 hp engine for versatile cruising
WE GAVE THEM THEIR CHARTER FOR FREE!from 45 Degrees Sailing

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