BoatsValiant Yachts 40-2

Valiant Yachts 40-2

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1981–1992

A Robert Perry-designed cutter built for offshore passage-making, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, heavy hull

Designed by Robert H. Perry, built by Uniflite.

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

See her sail

The Valiant Yachts 40-2, on the water

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

Footage from keeldragger

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 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 256
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.5
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

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

  • Heavier than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2814 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Valiant Yachts 40-2, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Valiant Yachts 40-2 is a Robert H. Perry-designed cutter-rigged sailboat, built from 1981 to 1992, with 200 hulls produced. It has a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, measures 12.2 m LOA, 3.8 m beam, 1.8 m draft, and displaces 10205 kg. Aboard *Keeldragger*, the Valiant 40-2 has sailed coastal passages in Southern California, including transits to Catalina Island and between Dana Point, Newport Beach, and Long Beach.watch The crew of *Keeldragger* has used Starlink for internet connectivity at anchor and relies on B&G Triton II instruments and a B&G Vulcan 12 chart plotter, utilizing radar in offshore mode and the sail steer display for apparent wind angles. *Keeldragger*'s crew manages cabin humidity with 12-volt CPU fans and uses a Mantis bridle to reduce shock loads on the anchor chain.5:38 Aboard *Brick House*, a Valiant 40-2 completed a third circumnavigation with Rebecca and Patrick Childress. *Keeldragger*'s crew has addressed engine issues, including clearing a fuel line blockage and monitoring engine performance to prevent overheating.10:00

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

keeldraggerA solo sailor documents coastal passages, technical boat maintenance, and navigation strategies aboard a Valiant 40 throughout Southern California and Mexico.Sailing Brick House, Osprey, RVing & a Tiny Home! Following the completion of a 16-year circumnavigation, Rebecca Childress documents her transition to full-time RV living, focusing on vehicle maintenance, upgrades, and travel.

Seen 94 times across 9 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Valiant Yachts 40-2 on video

Single-handed sail to Two Harbors, Catalina Island (June 2026)Two Harbors anchorage delivers two rolly nights; the east end is rougher than the west.keeldraggerSolo Sail to Avalon, Catalina Island (April 2026)A solo sailor uses the Orca app for routing during a round-trip passage to Catalina Island.keeldraggerSailing Solo To White Cove, Catalina Island (March 2026)A Valiant Yachts 40-2 navigates light winds and patchy fog during a solo passage to Catalina Island.keeldraggerDitching my outboard for Trolling Motor + WattCycle Lithium Battery (March 2026)A WattCycle 100 Ah lithium battery and Newport 55 trolling motor replaced a repeatedly failing Yamaha 2.5 hp outboard.keeldraggerMission Change - Redondo Beach and Catalina Harbor (March 2026)A Valiant Yachts 40-2 navigates Southern California coastal passages using Orca navigation tools and PredictWind routing.keeldraggerOPB: Catalina Morgan 440 Tour - sv Blue Aweigh (March 2026)Tour of a Catalina Morgan 440 with Victron lithium system, Yanmar turbo diesel, and new Garmin electronics.keeldraggerSailing to French Polynesia - Plotting My Course (Feb 2026)Time departures to the El Norte taper and use a weather router for the ITCZ crossing.keeldraggerHow I use sailing instruments and data while course routing and real-time passagemaking (Jan 2026)A cruiser explains how to integrate real-time instrument data and weather routing for efficient, safe passage planning.keeldraggerAvalon, Catalina Island: Fog, Sea Sickness, and Island Fun (Dec 2025)Fog closes to an eighth of a mile on the Catalina crossing, forcing radar navigation into Avalon.keeldraggerSailing Solo to White Cove - It's been a year! (Oct 2025)A Valiant Yachts 40-2 owner manages autopilot mechanical failures and raw water pump maintenance during a Catalina passage.keeldraggerSailing to Ensenada, Mexico for some boat work (August 2025)A broken raw water impeller and autopilot failure force engine repairs and manual steering during a coastal passage.keeldraggerSailing from Hawaii to California - The Long Voyage Home (July 2025)A crew navigates the North Pacific High using PredictWind and a Hydrovane while sailing from Hilo to California.keeldragger

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.

  • ReplacedDyneemain place of hydraulic adjustable back stay

    A new lashed Dyneema backstay was installed to replace a frequently failing hydraulic system.

    aboard keeldraggerseen September 202417:03

  • ReplacedHydrovanein place of old one

    The new Hydrovane replaced a 2006-era unit due to a need for a larger rudder and stronger shaft.

    aboard keeldraggerseen July 20240:11

  • ReplacedRaymarinein place of BNG Triton 2 instrument displays

    The speaker is replacing old instrument displays with new ones.

    aboard keeldraggerseen January 20241:37

  • ReplacedVolvo Pentain place of Beta 35

    The old engine was removed to make way for a new one

    aboard keeldraggerseen October 20228:40

  • FailedGoPro

    The sailor realized a GoPro camera was not recording during a maneuver.

    aboard keeldraggerseen June 202415:39

  • ComparedNavionicsweighed against Navionics chart on my chart plotter

    The speaker notes a discrepancy between the mobile app and the chart plotter regarding fish farming operations.

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 202513:37

  • ComparedWindyweighed against PredictWind

    The speaker uses Windy for visual weather but prefers PredictWind.

    aboard keeldraggerseen May 20241:58

  • InstalledGarmin

    All new electronics, including the chart plotter, are Garmin.

    aboard keeldraggerseen March 202610:13

  • InstalledSimrad

    A new radar was installed on the boat

    aboard Flight Level Zeroseen February 2024watch

  • InstalledVulcan

    The speaker is installing a new chart plotter at the helm.

    aboard keeldraggerseen January 20241:27

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Valiant Yachts 40-2 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

4seen for sale
1seen sold
2channels weighed buying one
US$87,500Median asking
US$55,000–US$120,000Asking range

For sale

Sold

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
34.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.5
Displacement / length
255.6
Comfort ratio
34.3
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1498
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1981–1992
Designer
Robert H. Perry
Builder
Uniflite, Valiant 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.

Hans Christian Christina 4012.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Scott Sprague-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for steady, comfortable blue-water passages
Sailing to and Exploring Remote Islands on Australia's East Coast NSWfrom Garrett’s Adventure
Colvic Craft Victor 4012.19 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA John A. Bennett-designed masthead ketch also known as the Blackwater 40, built for steady, comfortable passage-making
From wreck to liveaboard exploration vessel, Colvic Victor 40 Blackwater edition.0:30from Reversing Entropy
Dufour Yachts 405 Grand Large12.17 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre cruiser featuring a 2.03m fin keel and a balanced displacement-to-ballast ratio for stable coastal passages
Dufour 405from SVN solovelanet
Najad Yachts 400/40512.20 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Judel-Vrolijk designed cruiser featuring a stable fin keel and a refined hull shared across the 400 and 405 series
[OFF MARKET] Najad 405 (BRINDABELLA), with Alan McIlroy - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Hunter Marine 40.5 Legend12.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA B&R rigged cruiser featuring a shoal-draft wing keel designed for stable, comfortable coastal passage making
Back on the Water in Texas! Buc-ee’s, Broken Brakes & Baby’s First Sail VLOG 280 4K16:23from Sailing Sunday
Beneteau 4012.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2007 Berret-Racoupeau design with a 1.9m draft, also marketed internationally as the Oceanis 40 and Moorings 41.3
Lithium Batteries on Boats: A Real World Example of a Lithium Battery Install0:45from Cruising Maya

The family

Boats like this

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

Valiant Yachts 40 (101-199)A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built as a robust cruiser for offshore passagesValiant Yachts 40 (200-235)A heavy-displacement cutter produced in both Washington and Texas, known for its transition from Uniflite to semi-customValiant 40 PHA Robert Perry-designed offshore cruiser featuring a reconfigured deck and mast position for improved balanceValiant Yachts 42A Robert Perry-designed offshore cutter featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a heavy displacement hull for blue-water stabilityValiant 47A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore passage-making and later evolved into the 50Valiant Yachts 39A Robert Perry-designed cutter evolved from the Valiant 37 with an updated deck, coach roof, and bowsprit

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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