Endeavour 42 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Valentijn's 42 is a walk-through center-cockpit monohull of 42'3" overall, 33'4" on the waterline, and 13'0" beam, displacing roughly 25,000 pounds with 9,000 pounds of internal lead ballast locked inside an integrally molded fin keel. The hull is a sandwich of one-inch end-grain balsa core above the waterline set between polyester resin and fiberglass woven roving with multi-directional chopped strand fiber; below the static waterline no core is used. The deck and cockpit are a single molded unit in the same composite, with plywood coring in the cabin top, deck, and cockpit sole for stiffness. A teak-and-holly floor is bonded over a plywood sole screwed to floor timbers that are themselves bonded in with woven roving. The rudder is a solid high-density foam blade with a stainless-steel post molded integrally and driven by a pedestal system of stainless cables on a radial quadrant.

Rig and Handling

The mast is stepped through the cabin roof onto the keel, with all spars in extruded 6061-T6 aluminum. Valentijn gave the 42 a tall rig and pulled the chainplates inboard, and those changes—along with the balsa-cored topsides—were deliberate moves to sharpen performance. Writing in Practical Sailor, test sailors found her able to beat to windward with a bit of authority. She balances well in 12 knots or less, but past roughly 15 degrees of heel weather helm appears, and tacking angles ran 45 degrees or worse in one passage. Off the wind her favorite heading is just aft of the beam, where test sailors saw 7.4 knots in 17-knot trades. Under conservative sail from Sarasota to Havana in 8 to 17 knots she averaged 6.3 knots, and reefed at night still held 5.5 to 6. A 62-horsepower Perkins 4-154 (later Yanmar 4JH) turns a 1.25-inch stainless shaft and 17 x 16 bronze three-blade prop; willing use of the engine yields 6.5 knots while burning 1.5 to 2 gallons per hour, though the 75-gallon tank limits powered range to about 300 miles.

Accommodations

The walk-through layout lets you reach the aft cabin without going on deck, and the engine sits directly beneath the cockpit with access through doors from the galley and aft head—unusually good serviceability. Forward is a spacious V-berth with a five-foot hanging locker and three drawers; the guest head to port has two doors. The saloon carries a starboard settee that converts to a double and a circular port dinette. A small navigation station occupies the starboard aft corner. The galley lies in the port passageway with a large top-loading icebox and freezer, gimbaled stove, and double sink, though storage is a bit tight. Aft, an island queen berth stateroom has its own head, two hanging lockers, and six drawers. Multiple Bomar ports and Atkins and Hoyle hatches make the boat very well ventilated and suited to the tropics.

Known Issues

Two door assemblies in the forward end—the guest-head doors and the forward cabin door—tend to jam as rigging and mast loads transfer through that structure. Leaks at the mast partners and shroud chainplates are common complaints. The fuel tank, a marine-grade aluminum unit set in the keel cavity beneath the engine, is exposed to condensation and trapped water; replacing it requires removing the engine. The standard galley freezer is oversized and the insulation is only builders grade.

The Verdict

The Endeavour 42 is a pure cruiser with a displacement-to-length ratio above 300, not a bluewater racer, but Valentijn's taller rig and inboard shrouds gave it respectable windward manners for its type. The walk-through hull delivers standout engine access and a ventilated, roomy three-cabin layout, while the balsa-cored topsides and integrated keel reflect a considered late-Eighties build.

Pros