Island Packet 40

BoatsIsland Packet 40

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 Mike Hoffman

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 12.2-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts between 1994 and 2000. It features a long keel, a 3.9-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and a displacement of 10,341 kg. The design incorporates a full-foil keel using NACA airfoil sections, providing stability and a gentle motion while maintaining a shallow draft. Aboard *Gigia*, an Island PACKET 40, the crew maintained a 6-to-7-knot pace during a 210-nautical-mile passage from Sicily to Sardinia, demonstrating the boat's stability in light winds and its ability to motor-sail efficiently.6:59 The vessel's robust construction includes a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass hull and keel molding, with no keel bolts. The Island PACKET 40 is considered a heavy-displacement cruiser with a conservative sail plan, offering a steady motion and resistance to heeling, as noted by *Practical Sailor*. A 1996 model, *Ms Weezy*, underwent extensive updates between 2018 and 2026, including a 2024 Yanmar 4JH5E engine, a 600-Ah Lifeline LiFePO4 house bank, and 1,000 watts of solar, preparing it for blue-water cruising.0:26

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 4 times across 4 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 40 on video

$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 Sailing

From 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 Contaldo

Hate Heeling? These Sailboats Stay More UprightThe Pearson Yachts 385 and Hallberg-Rassy 40 offer high ballast ratios that minimize heeling for sensitive crews.Practical Sailor

EP#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

Discover the Legendary Whitby 42 Sailboat – Full Tour & ReviewThe Whitby 42 offers significant interior volume for cruisers but requires careful inspection of structural core integrity.Practical Sailor

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.

ConsideredOrca
The speaker initially dismissed the Orca app after downloading it, not seeing a need for another charting app.
aboard keeldraggerseen March 20263:17
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
WorkingNavionics
The speaker uses Navionics charts on his existing chartplotters.
aboard keeldraggerseen March 20262:39

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Island Packet 40 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

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.

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)15:53 from 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 & Review0:50 from Practical Sailor

Tayana 3711.18 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed long-keel cutter with a heavy displacement and a production run of nearly 600 hulls

This $59,900 Sailboat Is READY to Sail Away Today! - Ep 359 - Lady K Sailing0:48 from Lady K Sailing

Shannon Yachts 3811.51 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterThe inaugural model from Shannon Yachts, this long-keeled cutter was produced with optional pilot house configurations

The BEST Sailboat EVER?? Episode 164 - Shannon Sailboats - Lady K Sailing4:45 from Lady K Sailing

Morgan Yachts Out Island 4112.57 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA prolific long-keeled masthead sloop designed by Charles Morgan Jr. that became a staple of the global charter trade

The Real Cruising Sailboat - Morgan - Episode 115 - Lady K Sailing6:25 from Lady K Sailing

Hans Christian 38T11.56 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA traditional cutter with a long keel and high comfort ratio, built between 1976 and 1989 for steady offshore cruising

the BRUTAL take down of a Hans Christian 38T - Ep 237 - Lady K Sailing0:53 from Lady K 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 access Island Packet 45A 45-foot cutter with a 1.47-metre draft, balancing substantial displacement with shoal-water accessibility Island Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability Island Packet 37A 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchorages Island Packet 420A 13.59-metre blue-water cutter with a 1.52-metre draft and a heavy-displacement hull for offshore stability Island 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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