BoatsSoutherly 420

Southerly 420

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · First built 2010

A Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430

Designed by Rob Humphreys, built by Northshore Yachts Ltd.

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

See her sail

The Southerly 420, on the water

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

Footage from Distant Shores TV

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 0.84 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 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 240
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.4
TenderStiff

30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 30%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Southerly 420, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Southerly 420 is a 12.9-meter fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed by Rob Humphreys and built by Northshore Yachts Ltd. from 2010 onward. Its variable draft, ranging from 0.8 meters to 2.7 meters, allows access to shallow anchorages and enables beaching.1:36 Aboard *Distant Shores TV*, Paul and Sheryl Shard used a Southerly 42 to navigate the shallow, coral-strewn Crooked Acklands group in The Bahamas, demonstrating how its variable-draft keel allowed them to beach the boat in one foot of water.1:02 The Southerly 420 features a center cockpit with a solid windshield and a Solent rig, comprising a self-tacking jib and a large genoa, often with electric winches.1:45 The interior typically includes two cabins, a linear galley, and a raised chart table, with an owner’s cabin aft that often has an ensuite and dedicated engine access.11:15 A 2013 Southerly 420, *Blue Dolphin*, underwent a refit that included a new Seldén mast and boom, new rigging, and a full sail inventory replacement after a rig failure.4:11 The Southerly 420 later became the Southerly 430.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 8 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Southerly 420 on video

Buying a Sailboat - Looking for Distant Shores IV | EP 198Paul and Sheryl Shard evaluate aluminum designs and shallow-draft requirements for their new boat, Distant Shores IV.Distant Shores TVEpisode V8 - Launching the 42.m4vPaul and Sheryl Shard conduct sea trials and begin a long-distance voyage on their new Southerly 42.Distant Shores TVBeaching a Southerly 42A Southerly 42 uses a variable-draft keel to beach in one foot of water in The Bahamas.Distant Shores TVSoutherly 420 “OVO” Yacht for Sale | Comprehensively Specified | Tour with Alan McIlroyThe 2026 Southerly 420 OVO features a variable draft swing keel and a carbon Selden Solent rig.Berthon International[OFF MARKET] Southerly 420 “BLUE DOLPHIN” Yacht for Sale | The Famous Swing KeelThe 2013 Southerly 420 Blue Dolphin features a 2025 refit including a new Seldén mast and rigging.Berthon InternationalSailing Annapolis Boat ShowPaul and Sheryl Shard tour the Southerly 540 and attend seminars at the Annapolis Sailboat Show.Distant Shores TVHow to Sail Your Boat Across an Ocean - SeminarExperienced cruisers compare monohulls and catamarans for Atlantic crossings, emphasizing vessel preparation, crew size, and power management.Distant Shores TV

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 420 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
29.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.4
Displacement / length
239.8
Comfort ratio
33.8
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
8.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1722
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2010
Designer
Rob Humphreys
Builder
Northshore Yachts Ltd

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.

Southerly 42RST12.86 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Alden Yachts 44 MII13.46 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn 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 familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration
Grounding on Aluminium Yachts 🔧 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER0:12from BoatHowTo
Southerly 135 MK 113.41 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Dick Carter-designed masthead sloop featuring a versatile swing keel for deep-water performance and shoal-draft access
[OFF MARKET] Southerly 135 (YAHOOO) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International Yacht Brokersfrom Berthon International
Cherubini Yachts 4413.41 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA long-lived design offered through 2008 with a choice of cutter, schooner, or staysail ketch rigs
[OFF MARKET] Cherubini 44 Cutter (METEOR) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International (2)from Berthon International
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Ep 34 Interview with Brent0:49from Sailing Into Oblivion

The family

Boats like this

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

Southerly 430A 12.86-metre evolution of the 420, pairing a deep 2.72-metre maximum draft with dual rudders for precise controlSoutherly Yachts 42/420A versatile Solent-rigged cruiser featuring a swing keel that allows for deep-water performance and shoal-draft accessSoutherly Yachts 470A 14.35-metre fractional sloop featuring a self-tacking jib and a swing keel for deep-water performance in shoal areasSoutherly 42RSTA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a swing keel and dual rudders for versatile shoal-water cruisingSoutherly 38A 2008-launched fractional sloop with a 2.59-metre maximum draft that was later rebranded as the Southerly 390

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Southerly 420, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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