Design and Construction
The Sharki's centre-cockpit ketch layout was a deliberate choice, not an afterthought. Designed by Henri Amel and Jacques Carteau, the hull is built from GRP with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder — a combination that delivers the responsiveness of a fin foil with the directional stability of a protected skeg. At 39 feet 3 inches on deck with a waterline of 31 feet 10 inches and a beam of 11 feet 8 inches, the proportions are conservative. Draft of 6 feet 1 inch is enough to give the fin real bite upwind without closing off too many anchorages.
The Displacement/Length Ratio of 294 places the Sharki squarely in heavy-displacement territory — a badge worn with pride by Amel owners who want a yacht that holds a course in a steep sea rather than skating across the top of it. That weight, 21,300 pounds all in with 7,060 pounds of ballast, translates directly into the comfort metrics Amel was chasing.
Stability and Seakeeping
The numbers here tell a coherent story. A Capsize Screening Formula of 1.69 sits comfortably below the 2.0 threshold that offshore safety guidelines consider borderline — a meaningful margin when you are several hundred miles from the nearest lee shore. The Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 33.2 is solid if not extreme, providing the kind of initial and secondary stiffness that keeps a heavily laden passage yacht on her feet when the wind gets up, without demanding the sort of ballast ratio that stiffens a boat into a violent hobby-horse motion.
The Comfort Ratio of 36.6 supports what Amel owners consistently report: a sedate, manageable motion in a swell. For crew sleeping off-watch on a three-week Atlantic crossing, this matters more than an extra knot of boat speed.
Rig and Sail Handling
The ketch rig was central to the Sharki's design intent. Upwind sail area of 818 square feet spread across a mainsail, mizzen, and generous genoa gives the boat useful power in light airs — a real-world concern for anyone crossing the doldrums or nursing along in the Mediterranean in summer. The SA/D ratio of 16.9 sits in the range described as producing reasonably good performance, meaning the Sharki is not a flier, but neither will she languish when the breeze drops below ten knots.
The ketch configuration pays off especially on downwind passages, where the mizzen can be used to balance the helm and reduce the load on the helm. Downwind sail area of 1,001 square feet gives a meaningful canvas spread when running trades. The divided rig also means each individual sail is smaller, reducing the physical effort required to reef or hand sail in deteriorating conditions — a practical advantage for shorthanded offshore crews.
Accommodation and Liveability
The centre-cockpit arrangement liberates the aft section of the hull for a proper aft cabin, a layout that became something of an Amel trademark. With a beam of 11 feet 8 inches carried well aft, the interior volume is generous for a 39-foot hull. The separation between the forward cabin and the aft owner's stateroom gives crews genuine privacy on extended passages — a quality that liveaboards rate highly.
The heavily displaced hull also enables real storage: the kind of locker space and tankage that a passage yacht needs to be genuinely self-sufficient. Amel's building philosophy always prioritised systems reliability and provisioning capacity alongside sailing performance, and the Sharki's underwater volume reflects that ethos.
Known Issues and Considerations
The Sharki's construction era means that any surviving hull is now entering its fifth decade. GRP construction of that period is generally durable, but osmotic blistering is a known risk on older fibreglass hulls of this age. Any survey should include a moisture reading of the hull and, if numbers are elevated, a proper assessment of blister depth and extent.
The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder configuration deserves careful inspection: keel-to-hull joint integrity and the condition of the skeg should be on every surveyor's checklist. The Perkins diesel that came in these boats was a robust, well-supported engine for its era, though parts supply has thinned over the decades and most owners have considered or completed an engine replacement by now.
Refit Priorities
A Sharki presented for offshore service today will almost certainly benefit from updated electronics and a rebuilt electrical system. Boats of this generation were wired for a fraction of the electrical load a modern liveaboard carries, and the battery banks, charging circuit, and shore-power systems rarely match current expectations without a thorough refit.
Rigging — standing and running — should be treated as a time-based replacement item regardless of visual condition on any hull this age. The ketch rig carries two masts, two sets of shrouds and forestays, and a mizzen backstay arrangement, all of which represent more attachment points to inspect. The skeg-hung rudder is a robust design but the bearings and pintles warrant measurement and replacement if there is any measurable play. Sails from the original era will have degraded beyond usefulness; a modern suite cut for the rig dimensions will transform performance.
The Verdict
The Amel Sharki 39 is an honest, thoughtfully engineered bluewater ketch built to carry two people safely and comfortably across oceans. Its heavy displacement and conservative design ratios make it a steadier passage yacht than the speed figures might suggest, and the centre-cockpit layout with a proper aft cabin represents a genuinely liveable arrangement for extended cruising. It is a boat that rewards patience with the passagemaking it was designed for.
Pros
- Capsize screening well below the bluewater safety threshold
- Sedate motion from a high comfort ratio suits long offshore passages
- Centre-cockpit layout with separate aft owner's cabin
- Divided ketch rig keeps individual sail sizes manageable for shorthanded crews
- Skeg-hung rudder offers directional stability and protection
Cons
- Heavy displacement limits pace in light airs
- Age of surviving hulls demands comprehensive surveys and realistic refit budgets
- Perkins engine parts are increasingly difficult to source
- Two-mast rig doubles the number of standing rigging components to inspect and maintain
- Limited production run means a smaller community of specialist knowledge
