BoatsNiagara 42

Niagara 42

Cutter · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1984

A stretched evolution of the Aurora 40, this cutter features a fin keel and spade rudder for balanced offshore handling

Designed by Mark Ellis Design & Hinterhoeller.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

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 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.89
LightHeavy

257 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 257
EasygoingPowered-up

18.6 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.6
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.6
Displacement / length
257.5
Comfort ratio
29.2
Capsize screening
1.89
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1481
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1984
Units built
20
Designer
Mark Ellis Design, Hinterhoeller
Builder
Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Pearson Yachts 41912.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-lived 1970s production run designed for the charter trade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal draft
Moody 41912.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Dixon-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore stability and available as a centerboarder
Moody 4212.74 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch offered with a centre cockpit and an optional inside steering station for all-weather cruising
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.8-metre cruiser featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, designed for offshore stability and speed
Sabre Yachts 4212.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run production cruiser from the late eighties, featuring a 41% ballast ratio for stability in a 12.7-metre hull
Valiant Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed offshore cutter featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a heavy displacement hull for blue-water stability

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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