Albin Nimbus 42 Buyer's Guide
The Albin Nimbus 42 on the used market is a solid-fiberglass Swedish cutter designed by F. Michael Kaufman and Robert A. Ladd in the early 1980s and built by Albin Marin AB. She appeals to shoppers who want a beamy, heavily ballasted 41-footer with a fin keel and a practical cutter rig rather than a lightly built racer.
Layouts on the Used Market
Because the Nimbus 42 was produced with a single hull-and-deck molding in solid fiberglass, used examples share the same fundamental platform: a 12.5-foot beam on a 41.4-foot hull yielding a length-to-beam ratio of 3.32, which makes the boat more spacious than half of similar designs. Headroom is above average for the class. The fin keel draft varies with load between 1.77 and 1.87 meters, so most marinas are accessible. Buyers should expect a lead-ballasted hull with a ballast ratio higher than 88 percent of comparable sailboats and a good indicator of stiffness under sail.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Current summaries for this model are not itemized, so equipment should be judged per boat. The original cutter rig uses a 38.6-meter mainsail halyard and matching jib, genoa, and spinnaker halyards of 12 mm diameter, with 14 mm sheets for jib, genoa, and mainsheet. A buyer upgrading sail handling may look at a larger genoa, since the SA/D rises from 17.7 on the reference sail to 21.2 with a 135 percent genoa, improving light-air speed past 54 percent of similar boats.
What to Inspect
A standard used-boat survey focused on hull integrity, deck fastenings, and rigging wear is appropriate. The solid fiberglass hull and deck avoid core-related decay, but the wetted surface of about 44 square meters should be checked for osmotic blistering as with any solid-GRP hull of the era.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability is not described in available summaries. For a shopper, the Nimbus 42 is a sensible used cutter with strong ballast, good volume, and moderate-racer capability.
- Verify hull and deck are solid fiberglass with no core issues
- Confirm keel bolt integrity on the fin keel
- Inspect rigging against the 38.6 m halyard and 14 mm sheet spec
- Assess comfort and headroom relative to your cruising needs
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Albin Nimbus 42. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $32,500 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson and Caine 42 / Moorings 4200 (2001-2004) | 41.4' | $ 539,000 | 161 | 50 |
| First First 42 | 42.92' | $ 49,500 | 24 | 7 |
| Sabre 42 | 41.75' | $ 89,000 | 21 | 7 |
| Palmer Johnson J/42 | 42' | $ 151,950 | 18 | 4 |
| Valiant 42 | 42' | $ 299,999 | 18 | 4 |
| Tartan 42 | 42' | $ 89,000 | 13 | 11 |
| Comfortina 42 | 42.19' | $ 196,942 | 11 | 4 |
| Oyster Yachts 42 | 41.83' | $ 201,604 | 7 | 2 |
| Baltic 42 | 42.43' | $ 77,624 | 6 | 1 |