Smith, a former Sparkman & Stephens designer, had shaped the Cascade line for Yacht Constructors since the early 1960s. The 42 HS represents a late-1980s expression of that long collaboration.
Design and Construction
The Cascade 42 HS measures 42.5 feet overall and 34 feet on the waterline, with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.54. Its substantial, beamy hull displaces 19,000 pounds and carries 6,180 pounds of lead ballast, for a ballast ratio of 33 percent.
Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass, without cores. The fin keel draws about 6 feet to 6.3 feet, depending on load, which keeps the boat out of all but major marinas.
The figures place the boat firmly among stable, moderate-displacement cruisers. Its capsize screening value is 1.80, while the Motion Comfort Ratio is 29.1. A displacement-length ratio of 216 points to a heavy, seakindly vessel rather than a light racer.
Rig and Handling
The 42 HS carries a cutter rig with 800 square feet of sail area. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.98 is modest enough to suggest a steady offshore cruiser more than a sprint performer. The theoretical displacement-hull speed is 7.8 knots.
The listed control lines are sized for practical cruising. Jib and genoa sheets are 42.5 feet long and 0.55 inch in diameter, the mainsheet is 106.2 feet at the same diameter, and the spinnaker sheets are 93.5 feet.
The bottom has about 462 square feet of wetted surface, a meaningful figure when planning antifouling work. The immersion rate is about 1,422 pounds per inch, so changes in load translate predictably into trim.
Accommodations
The high-sided treatment that defines the HS raised the freeboard by a foot or more over the standard Cascade 42. Together with the 12-foot beam, that change was expressly intended to increase interior volume.
The added width and freeboard gave this late-1980s design more livable space below without altering the original hull’s seaworthy fundamentals.
Maintenance and Ownership
The solid hull and deck laminates are straightforward to maintain. The cutter rig’s standard, documented sheet dimensions also simplify running or replacing control lines.
The available sources don’t detail the boat’s production span or completion history.
Verdict
The Cascade 42 HS is a deliberately evolved cruiser: Smith’s late-1980s update of his 1964 design, with more beam and freeboard for additional volume while retaining the solid, hand-laid hull and the moderate, stable proportions that define the Cascade line.
It’s a serious, comfortable, offshore-capable vessel for a buyer who values ballast, beam, and a proven designer’s hand over speed.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck, without the risk of core rot
- High freeboard and a 12-foot beam for greater interior volume
- Stable figures: 1.80 capsize screening value, 29.1 Motion Comfort Ratio, and 33 percent ballast ratio
- Cutter rig with documented, practical sheet dimensions
Cons
- Draft of 6 feet to 6.3 feet limits marina access
- Heavy displacement and a modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.98 indicate sluggish acceleration
- Production span and completion history aren’t detailed in the sources
