BoatsSoutherly 135 MK 1

Southerly 135 MK 1

Masthead Sloop · Swing Keel · 1983–1987

A Dick Carter-designed masthead sloop featuring a versatile swing keel for deep-water performance and shoal-draft access

Designed by Dick Carter, built by Northshore Yachts.

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

See her sail

The Southerly 135 MK 1, on the water

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

Footage from Berthon International

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draughtDraws 0.76 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.96
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 261
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

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

  • Beamier than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 240 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Southerly 135 MK 1, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Southerly 135 Mk 1 is a 13.4-meter Masthead Sloop designed by Dick Carter and built by Northshore Yachts between 1983 and 1987. This blue water cruiser features a swing keel, allowing its draft to adjust from 2.3 meters to a few feet for shallow anchorages.0:46 Aboard the Southerly 135 named *Yahoo*, a cutter rig includes twin furlers and an in-mast furling mainsail, complemented by a Hydrovane self-steering system.1:44 The vessel's power systems include two lithium-ion batteries, Victron chargers, solar panels on the bimini and spray hood, a wind generator, and a diesel generator.7:55 Its electronics suite, replaced within two years, features a full Raymarine navigation array, autopilot, and VHF.3:43 Interior amenities include air conditioning, heating, a water maker, a washing machine, a raised galley, and two en-suite cabins, with the master aft cabin featuring an island berth.8:03

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

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.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Southerly 135 MK 1 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

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
42.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
Displacement / length
261.2
Comfort ratio
28.8
Capsize screening
1.96
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1691
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1983–1987
Units built
6
Designer
Dick Carter
Builder
Northshore 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.

Alden Yachts 44 MII13.46 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn evolution of the Alden 44 featuring a modified rudder, repositioned propeller, and updated interior layout
Jesse Terry // Sailing & Racing a Classic Wooden Boat3:20from 59° North Sailing
Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration
Sailing Insights: How Jon Amtrup sails all year round! ⛵️❄️7:31from SEILmagasinet
Irwin Yacht 43 (1971)13.26 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 13.26-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.44-metre draft and keel-centreboard configuration for offshore stability
BOAT TOUR - 1988 43' Irwin MKIII CC9:02from Sailing Into the Mystic
Southerly 42RST12.86 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a swing keel and dual rudders for versatile shoal-water cruising
[OFF MARKET] Southerly 42RST “SAVING GRACE II” Yacht for Sale | Quiet Confidencefrom Berthon International
Southerly 42012.86 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430
Sailing Annapolis Boat Show9:39from Distant Shores TV
Allures 39.912.65 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA masthead sloop with a swing keel and 2.75-metre draft, built by Allures since 2013 for offshore versatility
⚓ Annapolis Sailboat Show 2025 Full Tour, Boats, Gear & Sailing Inspiration! ⚓ Ep 343 Lady K Sailing3:01from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Southerly 135 MK 2A Rob Humphreys-designed masthead sloop featuring a swing keel for versatile access to shoal watersSoutherly 100A Dick Carter-designed masthead sloop featuring a swing keel that allows for versatile shoal-water explorationSoutherly 145Extended with a bowsprit and stern to carry a masthead ketch rig, this swing-keel cruiser offers versatile sail plansSoutherly 105The first swing keel Southerly, this Dick Carter-designed masthead sloop offers versatile shoal-draft cruisingSoutherly 115A versatile swing-keel cruiser evolving from Dick Carter's original design to the twin-rudder Humphreys MIII version

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Southerly 135 MK 1, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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