Design and Construction
The hull and deck are fiberglass. Gibert Marine's practice in the late 1980s and early 1990s paired solid fiberglass hull laminates with balsa-cored decks, consistent with the 402's build period.
Two iron-keel options were offered. The deep keel draws about 6.56 to 6.86 feet, depending on load, while the shallow keel draws about 4.92 to 5.22 feet. The deep-keel version is limited to major marinas, while the shoaler variant can enter most harbors.
The 402 measures 40.68 feet overall, with a 12.63-foot beam and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.06. That makes her beamy for her length. Displacement is near 16,534 pounds, and the ballast-to-displacement ratio is 35 percent.
Rig and Handling
The 402 carries a masthead-sloop rig and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 21.05. Wetted surface is roughly 473 square feet.
Her sail-handling rigging follows period norms. The specified jib and genoa sheets are 39 feet long and 14 mm in diameter; the mainsheet is 97.5 feet long with the same diameter. Spinnaker sheets are 85.8 feet.
A displacement-length ratio of 215 puts the 402 among moderate racers rather than heavy cruisers, and her theoretical hull speed is 7.6 knots. Her capsize screening value is 2.00, and the motion comfort ratio is 24.9. These figures describe a boat tuned for settled-angle stability rather than offshore survival margins. The immersion rate is near 1,441 pounds per inch.
The Verdict
The Gib'Sea 402 is a limited-production Joubert-Nivelt design from Gibert Marine's independent years. Her two keel drafts allow a buyer to choose between deep-water stability and marina access. A moderate-racer displacement-length ratio and beamy proportions point to a cruiser with some turn of speed, though her stability and comfort indices are modest for bluewater ambitions.
Pros
- Fewer than 100 built, making her a rarity among 40-foot cruisers
- Choice of iron keels with meaningfully different draft profiles
- Masthead rig with period-standard sheet specifications
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.00 and comfort ratio of 24.9 suggest limited offshore margin
- Deep-keel draft restricts her to major marinas
