BoatsVagabond 42

Vagabond 42

Staysail Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1978–1990

A George H. Stadel Jr. designed staysail ketch, also marketed as the Westwind 42, built for heavy-displacement cruising

Designed by George H. Stadel Jr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

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 moderate beam gives 45 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 45
CoastalBluewater

At 1.62 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.62
LightHeavy

363 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 363
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 12.2
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

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

  • Heavier than ~94% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2639 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
37.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
12.2
Displacement / length
363.5
Comfort ratio
45.4
Capsize screening
1.62
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1559
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1978–1990
Designer
George H. Stadel Jr
Builder
Vagabond, Blue Water Yacht Builders (TAIWAN)

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.

Tayana Vancouver 4212.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA heavy-displacement cutter with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for stable offshore passage-making since 1979
Pacific Seacraft 4012.85 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Crealock-designed cutter built for offshore stability with a conservative capsize screening of 1.73
Rustler Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.8-metre cutter with a 40% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and long-range blue water autonomy
Endeavour 4212.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Johan Valentijn-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, built for stable, comfortable offshore cruising
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
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

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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