Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass without a core. The deck is also solid fiberglass rather than cored. At 19,000 pounds displacement with 6,180 pounds of lead ballast, the boat carries a 33-percent ballast ratio and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.54, giving a substantial, beamy hull of 42.5 feet overall and 34 feet on the waterline. The fin keel draws about 6 feet to 6.3 feet depending on load, which keeps the boat out of all but major marinas anchor. The capsize screening value of 1.80 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 29.1 place her firmly in the stable, moderate-displacement cruiser class, while a displacement-length ratio of 216 marks her as a heavy, seakindly vessel rather than a light racer.
Rig and Handling
The 42 HS is rigged as a cutter with 800 square feet of sail area and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.98 — modest enough to suggest a steady offshore cruiser more than a sprint performer. The theoretical displacement-hull speed is 7.8 knots. Her listed control lines follow practical cruising dimensions: jib and genoa sheets of 42.5 feet at 0.55-inch diameter, a mainsheet of 106.2 feet at the same diameter, and spinnaker sheets of 93.5 feet anchor. The wetted surface of the bottom is about 462 square feet, a meaningful area for antifouling planning. Immersion rate is about 1,422 pounds per inch, so load changes translate predictably into trim.
Accommodations
The high-side treatment that defines the HS — freeboard raised a foot or more over the standard 42 — was expressly to increase interior volume, and the 12-foot beam supports that goal. The boat is described plainly as a large sailboat, and the added freeboard and width are the means by which the late-eighties design gained livable space below without altering the original hull’s seaworthy fundamentals.
Refits and Ownership
The solid hull and deck laminate are straightforward to maintain, and the cutter rig with standard sheet dimensions simplifies running or replacing control lines.
The Verdict
The Cascade 42 HS is a deliberately evolved cruiser: Smith’s late-eighties update of his 1964 design, given more beam and freeboard for volume while keeping the solid hand-laid hull and moderate, stable proportions that define the Cascade line. She is a serious, comfortable offshore-capable vessel for the buyer who values ballast, beam, and a proven designer’s hand over speed.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck without core rot risk
- High freeboard and 12-foot beam for increased interior volume
- Stable profile: capsize screen 1.80, comfort ratio 29.1, 33% ballast ratio
- Cutter rig with documented, practical sheet dimensions
Cons
- 6 to 6.3 foot draft limits marina access
- Heavy displacement and modest SA/D (17.98) indicate sluggish acceleration
- Production span and completion history not detailed in sources
