BoatsSpencer 42

Spencer 42

Masthead Sloop · Full Keel · 1965–1983

A John Brandlmayr-designed masthead sloop with a full keel, produced from 1965 to 1983 as both kits and custom builds

Designed by John Brandlmayr.

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

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 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.70
LightHeavy

314 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 314
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 42%

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

  • Draws more than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 333 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.8
Displacement / length
314.1
Comfort ratio
34.4
Capsize screening
1.70
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1215
Hull
Hull type
Full Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1965–1983
Units built
26
Designer
John Brandlmayr
Builder
Spencer Boats 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.

Island Packet 3711.76 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchorages
Downeaster 3811.58 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterA 1974-era cutter with a 35.4 comfort ratio, built for stable, long-distance voyaging on a heavy-displacement hull
Islander Yachts Freeport 4112.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA long-keeled staysail ketch derived from the Islander 40MS, featuring an interior redesign by Robert Perry
Whitby Boatworks 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Edward S. Brewer-designed long-keeled ketch built for offshore comfort and stability over a long production run
Bristol Yachts 4012.24 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA versatile masthead sloop available as a cutter or yawl, produced over sixteen years for steady, comfortable cruising
Cabo Rico 3811.58 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Tiburon 36, offering a heavy-displacement cutter platform for stable blue-water sailing

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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