Design and Construction
The 40's backbone is a long full keel with encapsulated lead ballast, which means there are no keel bolts to worry about, and the rudder hangs on the trailing edge of that keel. The hull is a solid laminate of polyester resin and glass, while the deck is typically balsa-cored for stiffness and weight savings, and the cabin trunk windows are usually through-bolted rather than merely bonded. Gozzard's philosophy centered on a "character" boat that married traditional styling with modern fiberglass construction, and the 40 carries wood trim and plentiful warm teak below. At 21,000 pounds displacement with 8,200 pounds of lead ballast and a 12-foot beam, the boat's high comfort ratio and 39 percent ballast-displacement figure underpin a safe, predictable motion.
Rig and Handling
Most examples left the yard as staysail ketches, a configuration chosen to break the sail area into smaller, manageable parts—the yankee, staysail, mainsail, and mizzen—which makes the rig a genuine asset for short-handed crews. The clipper bow and long bowsprit are not mere decoration; they balance the sail plan against the heavy hull. Under sail she is a stately performer who struggles in soft breezes yet excels on a reach, with upwind angles rarely tighter than 45 to 50 degrees. The staysail ketch proves particularly effective in heavy weather, where dropping the mainsail and jib leaves her sailing comfortably under staysail and mizzen alone. At anchor, the mizzen serves as a riding sail to hold the bow into the wind. With a clean hull and a standard 40 to 50 horsepower diesel, she cruises at 6 to 6.5 knots under power, though she typically walks to one side when reversing due to prop wash.
Accommodations
Below, the cabin layout is distinctly different from many contemporaries, with a midships galley and no vee berths in the aft arrangement described by Sherwood. Sleeping space is provided for six: two double berths aft with optional raisable privacy panels between them, plus a U-shaped settee in the main cabin whose drop-down table converts to a double. The galley sits port side forward as a U-shaped, secure workspace designed for use at sea, equipped with a two-burner propane stove, electric refrigerator, and sink with deep basins and strong provision storage. A navigation station is aft of the galley to port, and the head just aft of the forepeak includes a shower. Ventilation is generous—ten opening ports, four hatches, a large skylight aft of the main mast, and ports or hatches in each aft cabin. The forepeak itself houses sail and anchor lockers reachable from the deck.
Refits and Ownership
Owners stepping up to a 40 should plan for the upkeep that traditional styling demands: exterior teak requires diligent care, and the multiple chainplates—often bonded and laminated into the hull structure—deserve inspection during any survey. The boat's 100-gallon fuel and 120-gallon water capacities support extended cruising, and the small cockpit for her length reinforces her bluewater rather than day-sailing intent.
The Verdict
The Bayfield 40 is a rugged, full-keeled staysail ketch that prioritizes balance and ease of handling over raw speed. She is a predictable and safe platform for offshore work, with a shallow 4-foot-11-inch draft that makes her legendary for Bahamas and Caribbean exploring. Her divided sail plan, secure galley, and voluminous storage suit a cruising couple or small family undertaking long passages, while the traditional aesthetic rewards owners who embrace teak maintenance and rig complexity.
Pros
- Encapsulated lead ballast in a long keel means no keel bolts to monitor
- Staysail ketch rig divides sail area for manageable short-handed handling
- Shallow draft and heavy-weather stability suited to coastal and ocean voyaging
- Secure U-shaped galley and strong ventilation for liveaboard comfort
Cons
- Sluggish in light winds with modest upwind pointing
- Significant exterior teak upkeep and complex standing rigging
- Relatively small cockpit for a 45-foot hull
