BoatsMason 43

Mason 43

Cutter · Fin Keel · 1978–1985

An Al Mason-designed cutter or ketch with a fin keel, built for offshore stability and comfort

Designed by Al Mason & Alvin Mason, built by TA Shing Yacht Building (Taiwan).

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

See her sail

The Mason 43, on the water

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

Footage from Be The Captain

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 narrow beam gives 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

At 1.68 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.68
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 366
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

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

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

Compared with 2456 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Mason 43, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Mason 43 is a cutter-rigged, fin-keeled sailboat designed by Al Mason and built by Ta Shing Yacht Building in Taiwan from 1978 to 1985. This model, also available as a ketch rig, has an LOA of 13.4 meters, a beam of 3.7 meters, a draft of 1.9 meters, and a displacement of 11,339 kg. Its design, S-105, features a sail area of 85.1 square meters. The Mason 43 is considered a proven hull design suitable for offshore passage-making, distinguishing it from coastal cruisers or former race boats like the Tripp 47, which may have structural issues.3:07 When evaluating a used Mason 43, particularly those over 40 years old, a complete audit of all systems, including refrigeration, plumbing, propane lines, and standing rigging, is necessary.4:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Mason 43 on video

What they go for

Market signal

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

1seen for sale
US$65,000Median asking

  • 1980 Mason 43 listed for $65,000 in Mexico, with a $30,000 price drop, making it half its usual price

    from Be The Captainseen April 2025watch

  • Listed for sale at 105 grand, noted as a good example of a classic boat

    from Be The Captainseen June 2025watch

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
33.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.8
Displacement / length
365.7
Comfort ratio
39.2
Capsize screening
1.68
Hull speed
7.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1368
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1978–1985
Units built
180
Designer
Al Mason, Alvin Mason
Builder
Ta Shing Yacht Building (TAIWAN)

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.

Swan 44 (S&S)13.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens design also sold as the PJ-44, this masthead sloop features a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff hull
Swann 44 MKII - The Performance Family Cruising Sailboatfrom Practical Sailor
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.
TEST: Pure 424:05from SEILmagasinet
Lafitte Yachts 4413.51 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for high-quality offshore cruising
Sailing Mexico to California: Couple Disappears on Sailboat - Ep 328 - Lady K Sailing6:18from Lady K Sailing
Westerly Marine Ltd. Ocean 4313.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop built for offshore comfort with a stable, skeg-mounted rudder configuration
Why did I buy this boat?18:37from Sailing Gently
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
We found our next houseboat in Newport, USA | Episode 82 - Chez Team5:25from Chez Team
Hunter Marine 450 Passage13.49 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 45-foot cruiser with a bulb-fin keel and spade rudder, engineered for stable, comfortable offshore passage-making
OFFSHORE SAILING & ISLAND HOPPING the MEDITERRANEAN - Ep 153from Sailing Jibsea

The family

Boats like this

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

Mason 44An updated long-keeled evolution of the Mason 43, offered as a masthead ketch or cutter for stable blue-water cruisingMason 53A versatile cutter with a fin keel and shoal draft option, designed for high-comfort offshore passagesMason 33A heavy-displacement long-keel masthead sloop designed by Al Mason for stable, comfortable offshore cruisingMorgan Yachts 43A 13-metre masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder and a 1.83-metre draft, designed for offshore stabilityTartan Marine 43A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring a traditional counter stern built from the tooling for the Tartan 41

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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