At 18,078 pounds, with 8,999 pounds of lead ballast, she has a ballast-displacement ratio of 49.8 percent. That puts her firmly in the serious offshore-cruiser camp rather than at the lightweight-racer end of Carter’s portfolio. Her fin keel and skeg-hung rudder reflect late-1970s performance-cruiser thinking. The design also comes from the Carter Offshore office, where a roster of notable designers worked during that decade.
Design and Construction
British maritime architect Dick Carter drew the Carter 42 as a large sailboat intended for serious use. Maryola built both the hull and deck in solid fiberglass, rather than using the cored construction found in some later production yachts. The boat has a fin keel with lead ballast and a skeg-hung rudder.
Her length-to-beam ratio is 3.30, and her wetted surface is roughly 548 square feet. Those figures describe a moderately beamy hull with a substantial underwater profile.
An immersion rate of about 1,909 pounds per inch means the boat sits heavily in the water and resists being pushed around by loading or seas. That trait rewards careful provisioning but limits access to shallow water.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead rig carries 861 square feet of sail. The Yacht Database review notes that this is more sail area than only 31% of comparable sailboats, indicating that the Carter 42 is slightly underrigged for her size.
Paired with a displacement-length ratio above 258, that modest sail plan suggests a boat that relies more on ballast and hull form than raw canvas to make passages. Her hull speed is about 7.5 knots, based on the 31.5-foot waterline, setting the upper bound of her natural pace under sail.
The fin keel draws about 7.2 to 7.5 feet, depending on load. The same review observes that this restricts her to major marinas. A capsize ratio of 1.95 and a comfort ratio of 27.15 place the Carter 42 among stable, passage-capable cruisers rather than twitchy racers.
Accommodations and Tankage
The 12.76-foot beam gives the interior reasonable width for a cruiser designed in 1977.
Tankage is modest: 45 gallons of diesel and 53 gallons of water. Those capacities suggest a boat configured for coastal cruising with periodic replenishment rather than long, self-sufficient voyages.
Verdict
The Carter 42 is a solidly built, moderately rigged offshore cruiser from Carter’s late-1970s design stable. Maryola built her in solid fiberglass, with a lead-ballasted fin keel and skeg-hung rudder.
She is a heavy, stable platform whose limited sail area and deep draft are better suited to serious cruising in deepwater venues than to gunkholing. Her conservative numbers argue for predictable behavior at sea.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck
- Lead ballast and a 49.8% ballast-displacement ratio
- Stable offshore profile, with a 1.95 capsize ratio
- Generous beam for a cruiser designed in 1977
Cons
- Slightly underrigged for her size, according to a comparative review
- Deep 7.2–7.5 ft draft limits marina and anchorage access
- Modest 45-gal fuel and 53-gal water capacity
