Design and Construction
The Sharki measures 39'3" overall, with a 31'10" waterline, an 11'8" beam, and a 6'1" draft. She displaces 21,300 lb and carries 7,060 lb of lead ballast on a fin keel. The hull is solid fibreglass, and the rudder is hung on a skeg.
These figures describe a purpose-built offshore cruiser rather than a coastal weekender. Her displacement-to-length ratio of 294 puts her firmly in the heavy-displacement category. A ballast ratio of 33.2 contributes to good stability and the ability to stand up well to strong winds.
The capsize screening figure is 1.69, well below 2.0, the conventional threshold associated with boats designed with bluewater passage-making in mind. Her comfort ratio of 36.6 suggests reasonably sedate hull motion, which can make extended life aboard more tolerable during an ocean passage.
The centre cockpit places the helm amidships, helping to keep the watchkeeper dry on passage.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig divides the Sharki’s sail area among a 237 ft² mainsail, a 108 ft² mizzen, and a 474 ft² genoa. The resulting sail area is 818 ft² upwind and 1,001 ft² downwind. Rig dimensions are I 45'11", J 15'1", P 40'0", and E 13'9".
Splitting the canvas between the main and mizzen keeps individual sail weights manageable and lowers the centre of effort compared with one large hoist. The sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.9 puts the Sharki in the range of reasonably good performance for a boat of this weight. She isn’t a racer, but she’s capable of making her own way without relying on the engine.
The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder combine directional stability with protection for ocean sailing. The skeg helps shield the steering from the worst effects of a grounding or a knock from a following sea.
Accommodation and Cruising Range
The centre-cockpit layout is central to the Sharki’s liveaboard character. It separates the forward owner’s space from the aft guest and systems zones, an arrangement suited to a couple or small family on an extended cruise.
Here, the comfort ratio of 36.6 has a practical meaning: it describes a hull intended to roll and pitch within tolerable limits while people sleep, cook, and navigate aboard for weeks at a time.
Tankage also reflects that offshore purpose. The Sharki carries 200 gallons of water and 90 gallons of diesel, supporting a self-sufficient cruising routine rather than marina hopping.
Verdict
The Amel Sharki 39 is a thoroughly considered heavy-displacement ketch from the Amel–Carteau partnership’s late-1970s output. Built in modest numbers, she was engineered around a centre-cockpit offshore brief. Her stability, capsize screening, and comfort figures all point in the same direction: this is a boat intended to look after her crew on a long passage rather than win the start.
Pros
- Ballast ratio of 33.2 provides genuine wind-standing stability
- Capsize screening figure of 1.69 reflects a bluewater-oriented design
- Comfort ratio of 36.6 supports sedate, liveaboard-friendly motion
- Ketch rig divides the sail area into more manageable loads for shorthanded handling
Cons
- Heavy-displacement profile (D/L 294) limits light-air agility
- Modest production run of 195 means limited brokerage availability
