Design Lineage and Hull Form
Tripp’s 1958 redesign refined the Block Island 40 in measured ways: the sheer became slightly flatter, the transom more vertical and broader, and the bow a touch less spoon-shaped. These changes gave the boat a more settled profile without abandoning the long overhangs and broad bilges the rating rule encouraged.
The 40-2 measures 40 feet 11 inches overall, with an 11-foot-9-inch beam and a displacement of 20,000 pounds. Its centerboard configuration carries 7,000 pounds of lead ballast.
Around 1968, the 40-2 received an airfoil-shaped centerboard in place of the earlier flat plate. The mast was also raised slightly, adding roughly 20 square feet of sail area. With the board up, minimum draft is 4.5 feet; lowered, it increases to 8.75 feet. That range allows the boat to skim shoal waters while still carrying substantial draft offshore.
Construction
Most Bermuda 40 hulls use a solid laminate of fiberglass cloth and resin, although newer boats reportedly incorporate some Kevlar fabric into the shell. The original decks were also solid fiberglass and resin. After 1972, the Mark III generation moved first to balsa cores and later to PVC foam cores to reduce weight.
The hull and deck meet at an inward flange nearly twice as thick and twice as wide as those on comparably sized boats—a structural margin that reflects Hinckley’s conservative engineering. Fastener holes were drilled slightly undersized and then tapped for machine screws, a detail that preserves thread integrity across decades of service.
Rig, Sail Plan, and Handling
The 40-2 is yawl-rigged and carries 657 square feet of sail area. The 1968 mast raise added a useful amount of canvas without changing the boat’s basic character.
Upwind speed isn’t the design’s strength. Its long overhangs, broad bilges, shallow draft, and centerboards make it sluggish when beating to weather. Off the wind, however, it is very good. The full keel and centerboard make the boat easy to balance and comfortable on beam and broad reaches.
The Mark III, introduced in 1972, carried its main mast more than four feet taller and nearly two feet farther aft. The resulting increase in sail area and higher center of effort required nearly 1,000 pounds of additional ballast to keep the boat upright.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
Below, the Bermuda 40 provides comfortable accommodations for four people. Hinckley allowed each client considerable latitude in layout, finishes, and furnishings, so no two interiors are quite alike.
The cockpit is very large and comfortable. Around it, the decks are wide, uncluttered, and well laid out for short-handed cruising.
Stability and Seakeeping
Under the IMS rule, measurements from 11 boats produced an average range of positive stability index of 116.5 degrees. That figure places the Bermuda 40 among the more self-righting cruisers of its era and supports its reputation as a dependable offshore platform rather than a sprightly inshore boat.
Power and Equipment
Until 1992, the B-40 used Westerbeke diesels producing 35 to 46 hp; later models received a 51 hp Yanmar. The single engine is modest by modern standards but suits a boat intended to make passages primarily under sail.
The Verdict
The Bermuda 40-2 is a thoughtfully developed cruiser that trades upwind pace for good offwind manners, shoal-draft flexibility, and a heavily built hull-to-deck joint. Its custom interiors and large cockpit suit owners who value individuality and room to move, while its stability figures point to a serious bluewater temperament.
Pros
- The airfoil centerboard and raised mast improved the 1968 40-2’s sail plan without upsetting its balance.
- The hull-to-deck flange is nearly twice the width and thickness of those on comparable boats, with tapped fastener holes intended to preserve the joints.
- The average range of positive stability index was 116.5 degrees across the 11 boats measured under the IMS rule.
- The boat has a large cockpit, wide and uncluttered decks, and comfortable accommodations for four.
Cons
- The long overhangs, broad bilges, shallow draft, and centerboard make the boat distinctly slow upwind.
- On the later Mark III, the taller mast and its move aft required nearly 1,000 pounds of additional ballast, complicating the generational change.
