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 Em & Nick

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.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Island PACKET 40 is a Robert K. Johnson-designed cutter-rigged sailboat built by Island Packet Yachts from 1994 to 2000, known for its long keel and bluewater capabilities. With an LOA of 12.2 meters, a beam of 3.9 meters, and a draft of 1.4 meters, it displaces 10,341 kg. Crews often choose the Island PACKET 40 for long-term cruising and offshore passages, with some owners, like Em & Nick, purchasing the model with circumnavigation in mind.1:03 Aboard *Em & Nick*, first-time boat owners found that even a well-surveyed 30-year-old Island PACKET 40 required significant investment, including a $20,000–$40,000 electrical overhaul and a $5,000–$10,000 transmission repair within the first three months. *Lady K Sailing* also experienced mechanical failures, including a transmission breakdown ten days after purchase, leading to six months on the hard for an electrical refit and termite damage repair.13:13 Owners frequently upgrade the electrical systems, with *Mike Hoffman* detailing a 1996 model with a 600-Ah LiFePO4 house bank and 1,000 watts of solar, and *Lady K Sailing* installing an 800-amp-hour lithium battery bank and 1,600 watts of solar.0:11 Crews like *Maryland School of Sailing* use the boat for training, practicing squall management techniques such as double-reefing the mainsail and heaving-to.0:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 12 times across 7 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 40 on video

We're moving onto our sailboat (boat life ep.1)New owners prepare a 1995 Island Packet 40 for an offshore training passage from Saint Petersburg, Florida.Em & NickSurviving Summer SquallsAn Island Packet 40 manages 50-knot summer squalls by maintaining sail control and monitoring radar from the west.Maryland School of SailingTeamwork and SeamanshipA 66-foot sailboat lost control in the Gulf Stream after the skipper failed to reef early.Maryland School of SailingSpeedo CalibrationNavigator's paddlewheel read 15% high; a Chester River calibration run corrected it to a factor of 0.855.Maryland School of SailingTheir First Sailboat Is an Island Packet 40New owners of an Island Packet 40 prepare for Bahamas cruising with a full Victron electrical refit.Lady K Sailing1996 Island Packet 40 Sailboat For Sale $160k - St Augustine FloridaThe 1996 Island Packet 40 Ms Weezy features a 2024 Yanmar 4JH5E engine and extensive electrical system upgrades.Mike HoffmanThe Performance Sailboat from Island Packet: Blue Jacket 40 Boat ReviewThe Blue Jacket 40 combines Island Packet construction with a performance-oriented hull, spade rudder, and Solent rig.Practical Sailor$200,000 SAILBOAT SHOWDOWN - Ep 210 - Lady K SailingA $200,000 budget secures vessels ranging from a Bruce Roberts 53 to a Catalina 355.Lady K SailingFrom Sicily to the Balearics by way of Sardinia ⛵ 460 miles by sailboat with Maurizio EP. 1An Island Packet 40 heaves-to overnight to safely time an arrival at Porto Giunco, Sardinia.Alfredo ContaldoWe bought a sailboat!Nick and Emma purchase a 1995 Island Packet 40 in Saint Petersburg, Florida, for future ocean cruising.Em & NickHate Heeling? These Sailboats Stay More UprightThe Pearson Yachts 385 and Hallberg-Rassy 40 offer high ballast ratios that minimize heeling for sensitive crews.Practical SailorEP#343 Colin Denker Returns Post Hawaii PassageSolo sailor Colin Denker discusses his 2,000-mile passage from San Francisco to Hawaii aboard a small sailboat.Sailing Into Oblivion

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.

  • ReplacedStarlinkin place of Gen 3 Starlink

    The speaker previously owned a Gen 1 Starlink that was modified for their van.

    aboard Em & Nickseen March 202612:13

  • InstalledVictron

    The couple is installing a full Victron electrical system.

    aboard Lady K Sailingseen September 202612:09

  • ConsideredOrca

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

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 20263:17

  • WorkingNavionics

    The speaker recommends using ActiveCaptain bubbles on Navionics for anchorage information.

    aboard Lady K Sailingseen September 202616:53

  • WorkingActiveCaptain

    The speaker recommends using ActiveCaptain bubbles on Navionics for anchorage information.

    aboard Lady K Sailingseen September 202616:52

  • 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

  • WorkingIridium

    The owner used this device to download weather data and communicate via email.

    aboard Maryland School of Sailingseen February 20251:09

  • WorkingPredictWind

    The owner downloaded weather information using this service.

    aboard Maryland School of Sailingseen February 2025watch

  • WorkingHarken

    The speaker notes the mainsail behaved admirably on the Harken battcar track.

    aboard Practical Sailorseen September 202412:03

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

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1channel weighed buying one
US$390,000Median asking

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

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.

Island Packet Sp Cruiser12.52 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Robert K. Johnson-designed motorsailer featuring a shoal-draft long keel and a protected rudder on a skeg
The 3 Worst Sailboats of All Time8:42from Lady K Sailing
Island Packet 3811.58 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability
The WORST Listings I’ve Ever Seen (15 MASSIVE Sailboat Red Flags)15:39from Be The Captain
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
Sailing Solo to Hen Rock, Catalina Island (September 2023)15:53from keeldragger
Whitby Boatworks 4212.80 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn Edward S. Brewer-designed long-keeled ketch built for offshore comfort and stability over a long production run
Discover the Legendary Whitby 42 Sailboat – Full Tour & Review0:50from Practical Sailor
Hans Christian 3612.80 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter with a long keel, designed by Bob Perry for offshore stability and traditional cruising
Salt & Tar: Story of Us #2 - For the Love of Wooden Boats3:23from Salt & Tar
Island Packet 3711.76 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchorages
What Happened to Island Packet Yachts?from All About Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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-metre draft, balancing substantial displacement with shoal-water accessibilityIsland Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre 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-metre blue-water cutter with a 1.52-metre draft and a heavy-displacement hull for offshore stabilityIsland Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-metre draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Island Packet 40, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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