Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch

BoatsPearson Yachts 424 Ketch

See her sail

The Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

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

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

Displacement / length 246

EasygoingPowered-up

13.1 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.1

TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

Draws less than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2628 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Pearson Yachts 424 KETCH is a 12.9-meter masthead ketch, designed by William H. Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts from 1981 to 1985.1:15 This heavy-displacement fiberglass cruiser, displacing 9525 kg, is known for its ocean-crossing capability and a hull featuring a fin with a skeg-hung rudder.2:25 It prioritizes stability and safety over speed, with a 34% ballast ratio and a 1.89 capsize screening formula.2:11 The 424 (aft cockpit) shares its hull with the 422 (center cockpit), both evolving from the Pearson 390 and 419.0:06 Below deck, the tri-cabin layout includes an aft cabin with a private head, a spacious saloon, and a forward V-berth.2:56 Many units originally had a Westerbeke 60 diesel, but owners frequently repower with Yanmar or Beta Marine engines.3:49 The ketch rig offers versatile sail handling, particularly for solo sailors, though the boat struggles with pointing ability when sailing to weather.7:04 Prospective buyers should inspect teak decks for leaks and core rot, as well as aging electrical and plumbing systems.5:13

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

36.4%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Ketch

Ratios

SA / displacement

13.1

Displacement / length

245.6

Comfort ratio

29.4

Capsize screening

1.89

Hull speed

7.8 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1564

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1981–1985

Units built

225

Designer

William H. Shaw

Builder

Pearson 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.

Baltic Yachts 4212.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1970s masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, sharing its hull design with the C&C 42 Custom

The WORST Listings I’ve Ever Seen (15 MASSIVE Sailboat Red Flags)2:22 from Be The Captain

Grand Soleil 40 (Polli)12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Matteo Polli-designed fractional sloop optimized for ORC competition with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Sailing Alone in Fog Without Losing Your Cool11:09 from The Mariner

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

Back on land after nearly 3 years - nasty surprise?? Shipyard part 1/20:47 from Eternal Sailing

Sirius 40 DS12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre fractional sloop built since 2015, offering a deep 2.3-metre draft for performance and stability

Sailing West in the English Channel Isn’t Easy Ep 493:51 from Sailing Northern Brees

Passport Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stan Huntingford-designed cutter featuring a skeg a skeg-mounted rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull for offshore work

REUNITED! These Brothers Sailed Around The World For 10 YEARS Together! Sailing Vessel Delos Ep. 4130:04 from Sailing SV Delos

X-yachts Xc-4212.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed performance cruiser balancing a deep bulb keel with a displacement-heavy hull for offshore stability

#9 | At Sea Reaction | ‘Encountering Storm Force 10’6:45 from The Mariner

The family

Boats like this

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

Pearson Yachts 424 CutterA versatile cutter with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, offering a stable 1.6-metre draft for blue water passages Pearson Yachts 422A center cockpit cruiser featuring a cutter rig and a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability Pearson Yachts 419A short-lived 1970s production run designed for the charter trade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal draft Pearson Yachts 365 KetchA William Shaw-designed masthead ketch built for comfortable cruising with a shallow draft and a skeg-mounted rudder Pearson Yachts 390A William Shaw-designed cutter built for the charter trade that served as the hull foundation for the 419, 424, and 422 Pearson Yachts 323A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability with a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft keel

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