Design and Construction
William Tripp Jr. shaped the Bermuda 40 as a 1958 refinement of his Block Island 40, and the evolution shows in restrained but meaningful ways: the sheer is slightly flatter, the transom more vertical and broader, and the bow less spoon-shaped than that predecessor. The Mark III, introduced in 1972, received a main mast over four feet taller with its position shifted aft nearly two feet, changes that raised the center of effort and added sail area enough to require nearly 1,000 pounds of additional ballast. The hull remains a solid fiberglass cloth-and-resin laminate on most boats, with newer examples reportedly using some Kevlar fabric, while the Mark III decks were built first with balsa and later with PVC foam core after earlier solid laminates. Hull and deck meet on an inward flange that is nearly twice as thick and twice as wide as comparably sized boats, and fastener holes are drilled slightly undersized then tapped for machine screws — a construction discipline that speaks to the marque's standards in the early 1970s.
Rig and Handling
The Bermuda 40-3 is a masthead yawl with a reported 681 square feet of sail area, split between a 426-square-foot foretriangle and a 254-square-foot main, on a 49-foot I measurement and 42.4-foot P. Her long overhangs, broad bilges, shallow draft, and centerboard configuration do not make her particularly fast upwind, but off the wind her performance is very good, and the full keel with centerboard makes her easy to balance and comfortable on beam and broad reaches. With the board up she draws 4.3 feet; lowered, 8.6. The average range of positive stability index measured across 11 similar IMS-rule boats was 116.5 degrees, a figure that places her among conventionally seaworthy cruisers of her type.
Accommodations
Practical Sailor lists the 40-3 at 20,000 pounds displacement with 6,500 pounds of lead ballast and an 11.75-foot beam over a 28.83-foot waterline. The cockpit is very large and comfortable, and the decks are wide, uncluttered, and well laid out. Accommodations are comfortable for four people, and because Hinckley granted clients considerable latitude in layout, finishes, and furnishings, individual boats differ slightly from one to the next rather than conforming to a single production interior.
Power and Equipment
Until 1992 the B-40 line was powered by Westerbeke diesels ranging from 35 to 46 horsepower, with later boats moving to a 51 hp Yanmar. The Mark III's raised mast and shifted rig distinguish her mechanically from the earlier Marks, but the essential auxiliary profile is consistent across the generation span relevant to a 1971-onward hull.
The Verdict
The Bermuda 40-3 is a thoughtfully evolved cruiser whose centerboard full-keel arrangement trades upwind sharpness for offwind ease and shallow-water access, wrapped in a heavily built flange-joined hull. She suits a couple or small family prioritizing balance, custom interior character, and bluewater manners over racing pace.
Pros
- Inward flange hull-to-deck joint nearly twice as thick and wide as peers
- Easy to balance and comfortable off the wind with centerboard raised or lowered
- Customizable interior with comfortable four-person accommodations
- Solid laminate hull with later Kevlar reinforcement reported
Cons
- Not particularly fast upwind due to long overhangs, broad bilges, shallow draft
- Mark III's taller mast and aft-shifted rig needed nearly 1,000 lb added ballast
- Deck core shifted from balsa to PVC across production, a variable for survey
