Design and Construction
The Carter 42 is built of solid fiberglass for both hull and deck, with a fin keel and lead ballast. The British maritime architect Dick Carter drew her as a large sailboat intended for serious use, and Maryola built her without the cored construction seen in some later production yachts. Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.30 and a wetted surface of roughly 548 square feet describe a hull with moderate beam and a substantial underwater profile. The immersion rate of about 1,909 pounds per inch means she sits heavily in the water and resists being pushed around by loading or seas, a trait that rewards careful provisioning but limits shallow access.
Rig and Handling
She is built with a masthead rig carrying 861 square feet of sail area, which the yachtdatabase review notes is more rig than only 31% of all similar sailboats — indicating the boat is slightly underrigged for her size anchor. That modest sail plan, paired with a displacement-length ratio above 258, suggests a boat that relies on her ballast and hull form rather than raw canvas to make passages. The fin keel draws about 7.2 to 7.5 feet depending on load, which the same review observes restricts her to major marinas. Her capsize ratio of 1.95 and comfort ratio of 27.15 place her among stable, passage-capable cruisers rather than twitchy racers.
Accommodations and Layout
The Carter 42 carries 45 gallons of diesel and 53 gallons of water, modest tankage that signals a boat configured for coastal cruising with periodic replenishment rather than long self-sufficient voyages. The 12.76-foot beam gives her interior a reasonable width for the era. Her about 7.5-knot hull speed, derived from the 31.5-foot waterline, sets the upper bound of her natural pace under sail.
The Verdict
The Carter 42 is a solidly built, moderately rigged offshore cruiser from the late-1970s Carter design stable, built in solid fiberglass by Maryola with a lead-ballasted fin keel and skeg rudder. She is a heavy, stable platform whose limited sail area and deep draft suit her to serious cruising in deepwater venues rather than gunkholing. Her conservative numbers argue for predictable behavior at sea.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with lead ballast at a 49.8% ratio
- Stable offshore profile with a 1.95 capsize ratio
- Generous beam for a 1977-design cruiser
Cons
- Slightly underrigged for her size per comparative review
- Deep 7.2–7.5 ft draft limits marina and anchorage access
- Modest 45-gal fuel and 53-gal water capacity
