Design and Construction
Scott Sprague took the chief designer's role at Hans Christian after Harwood Ives' departure, and the Christina 43 reflects the later design direction of the marque under his leadership. The hull and deck are both solid fiberglass, and a 378-liter stainless steel tank carries the diesel. Her ballast ratio comes in at 36 percent against a displacement that places the DL-ratio at 317, while the length-to-beam ratio is 3.23 on a 13.36-foot beam. The keel is a fin type drawing 6.50 to 6.80 feet by load fin keel draws between 6.50 and 6.80 feet, and the wetted surface measures about 48m2 (516 ft2). The immersion rate of roughly 1,628 pounds per inch tells you how heavily she sits and how much she trims with stores. A capsize screening value of 1.70 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 39.9 place her firmly in the stable, seakindly cruiser bracket rather than the lively racer end of the spectrum.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig carries a measured set of running rigging: jib and genoa sheets are estimated at 43 feet with 5/8-inch diameter, the mainsheet runs 107.5 feet, and the spinnaker sheet 94.6 feet, all at the same 5/8-inch spec. Those lengths matter when re-rigging or replacing worn lines on a boat. Under power, the Christina 43 may be fitted with a Yanmar 4JH2-TE diesel developing 57 horsepower through a shaft drive. The calculated maximum speed is about 6.0 knots, while the theoretical hull-speed limit for a displacement hull of this length is 7.9 knots, a gap that underscores her volume and ballast rather than any sprint capability.
Accommodations
Below, the Christina 43 is laid out with three cabins and six berths around a teak interior, a material choice consistent with cruising boats of the period. The galley is part of the standard arrangement. Fresh water is carried at 150 US gallons with a separate 34-gallon waste-water capacity, generous figures that support extended independent cruising. The teak joinery and the cabin count speak to a boat built for liveaboard use and a crew of several, not a minimalist racer-cruiser.
The Verdict
The Christina 43 is a purpose-built offshore cruiser with the numbers and certification to back the claim: a CE Class A ocean rating, a comfortable motion profile, and tankage sized for long passages. She is a heavy, beamy, solidly constructed fiberglass cruiser whose design pedigree traces to Sprague's tenure at Hans Christian. The trade-off is modest speed under sail and a deep fin keel that demands careful anchoring.
Pros
- CE Class A (Ocean) certification for offshore use
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with stainless steel fuel tank
- Generous 150-gallon fresh and 34-gallon waste water capacity
- Stable seakeeping indicated by 1.70 capsize screening and 39.9 comfort ratio
Cons
- Calculated max speed of only 6.0 knots under power
- Fin keel draft of 6.50–6.80 ft limits shallow anchorage access
- Heavy displacement (DL-ratio 317) favors passage-making over responsiveness
