Design and Construction
The Fuji 40's hull is thick, hand-laid fiberglass carried up to the toerail, and her ballast is encapsulated iron rather than lead bolted externally. At 8,000 pounds of ballast against 27,065 pounds displacement, the ballast-to-displacement ratio sits at.30, a figure consistent with a stiff, settled cruiser. Decks are foam-cored, and the continuous teak toerail runs the full length. Throughout the interior, cabinetry is built from teak and makore hardwoods, and the fit and finish are exemplary; on hull number four, doors and drawers still fit nicely and glided smoothly after 34 years of service. With a displacement-to-length ratio of 406 and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 13.8, she is demonstrably a heavy, moderately canvased boat.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop with 776 square feet of 100-percent sail area, the Fuji 40 needs a fresh breeze to reach her 7.4-knot hull speed, and she is not a light-air performer. The mainsheet traveler sits just aft of the companionway, which is handy for the helmsman adjusting mainsail trim while sailing but often an obstacle for crew moving below. When under power or at anchor, a port-side boom crutch keeps the companionway clear. Writing in Cruising World, one longtime owner described his Fuji 40 as rock steady and stable under sail, easy to trim to a course and left to hold that course for a minute without veering off or heading up with the helm unattended anchor. In rougher weather she plows through steep chop without being tossed around or halting, and she stays dry underway with spray rarely reaching the crew thanks to her distinctive high freeboard.
Accommodations
Moving aft from the bow, the boat presents a conventional cruising plan: an anchor locker, V-berth, head, hanging locker, settee berths, and a centerline table with leaves that fold away, continuing back to the galley and navigation area. The aft cabin is a large space with a generous double berth to port, a single to starboard, drawers and a seat between them, and standing headroom. Headroom everywhere is generous, reaching up to 6 feet 10 inches, and the roomy interior noted by period reviewers is borne out by these dimensions. The original boat carried eight plastic deadlights, later a frequent owner upgrade to stainless-steel opening ports for ventilation.
Known Issues
Engine access is excellent forward and aft but poor on either side, a constraint any buyer servicing the auxiliary should note. The deck lacks efficient scuppers: water escapes only through three half-inch drains per side that discharge a few inches below the sheer, so deck drainage is limited. One owner noted that his wife, standing 5 feet 4 inches, is unable to reach the brace that holds the center hatch open, a minor access limitation rather than a structural fault.
Refits and Ownership
Owners have addressed a few weak points through targeted upgrades. Beyond the deadlight swap for ventilation, the bow pulpit was strengthened with added horizontal and vertical supports, and the gate stanchions and stern pulpit were braced to the teak toerail. The original auxiliary was a 40-horsepower Westerbeke, and the 50-gallon fuel and 100-gallon water capacities support extended cruising. With only a dozen-plus hulls built, the Fuji 40 remains a comparatively rare S&S cruiser.
The Verdict
The Fuji 40 is a heavily built, sea-kindly cruiser with exemplary interior joinery and a genuinely roomy two-cabin layout. Her handling is steady and forgiving, and her dry ride reflects a purposeful hull form. Limited deck drainage and one-sided engine access are the main caveats, along with a need for breeze to show her best pace.
Pros
- Rock steady and course-keeping under sail with the helm briefly unattended
- Exemplary teak and makore cabinetry that endures decades
- Roomy aft cabin and generous headroom to 6 feet 10 inches
- Dry underway from high freeboard
Cons
- Poor engine access on either side
- Deck lacks efficient scuppers; limited half-inch drains only
- Requires fresh breeze to reach hull speed
