Design and Construction
The hull carries a 29-foot waterline inside 41.5 feet overall, displacing 17,220 pounds with 7,100 pounds of lead ballast and a capsizescreening figure of 1.78. Allied laid the hull in solid hand-laid fiberglass with extra bilge thickness, and the hull-to-deck joint used an outward-turned flange through-bolted on five-inch centers, glassed inside and capped by an aluminum rubrail. The result is a heavily constructed boat the reviewing broker described as impervious to grounding, reefs, and whale attacks. The centerboard draws 4’2″ up or 8’4″ down, and at some point in production the board switched from aluminum to bronze or vice versa.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop with 763 square feet of sail and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.3, she is moderately powered for her weight. The spade rudder and centerboard let her pivot in tight harbours with the board raised, and the 7.22-knot hull speed is reachable in a fresh reach. The slim beam and long ends reward skilled helmsmanship rather than brute power.
Accommodations
Below the aft cockpit, the saloon table lowers to extend sleeping, and a V-berth fills the forepeak. Pre-1979 interiors used woodgrain Formica veneer; later boats carried natural wood finishes.
Known Issues
The centerboard is the weak point. Because the board material changed from aluminum to bronze (or reverse) mid-run, a hull may carry a bronze board prone to trunk wear or an aluminum one susceptible to corrosion in a damp trunk. The trunk is a confined, often-wet space where grit accelerates wear.
Refits and Ownership
At liquidation the molds were dumped on a farm in upstate New York and may still be there. In 1981 the yard built Dauphine, the only XL-2 with a fixed keel of 5’11”.
The Verdict
The XL-2 42 is a purist's CCA cruiser: narrow, heavy, and honestly built. She rewards a sailor who values sea-kindly motion and shoal draft over volume, and who can live with centerboard upkeep.
Pros
- Sparkman & Stephens CCA-era hull with long overhangs and slim beam
- Solid fiberglass construction with heavy lead ballast and tough joint
- Centerboard gives 4'2" shoal draft yet 8'4" deep-board stability
- Built to Allied's "cross an ocean" standard
Cons
- Centerboard material switched aluminum/bronze mid-run, unknown which
- Slim beam limits interior volume
- Only one fixed-keel variant exists; trunk wear is a care item
