Design and Construction
The hull and deck are solid fiberglass, while the fin keel is iron. Against a displacement of roughly 3,400 pounds, the keel provides a ballast ratio of 48 percent.
With a beam of 7.87 feet, the Maxi 68 has a length-to-beam ratio of 2.83. That’s narrow without being pinched. Combined with a displacement-to-length figure of 205, these proportions place her among moderate racers rather than featherweight daysailers.
Wetted surface is about 172 square feet. An immersion rate of 535 pounds per inch means she sits heavily for her size: load her for a weekend and she sinks noticeably, though without changing attitude dramatically. Her capsize screening value of 2.06 indicates that the boat would not be accepted for ocean racing. That reflects the design brief: sheltered-water and coastal cruising rather than offshore adventure.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Maxi 68 carries a fractional sloop rig. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 14.5 using the ISO reference sail, rising to 17.2 with a 135 percent genoa. Even with that overlapping headsail, she carries more rig than only 34 percent of comparable sailboats, so reviewers classify her as slightly underrigged. That’s enough to keep her docile in a breeze, but she isn’t a boat that will leap onto a plane.
The theoretical hull speed is 5.9 knots, and the Relative Speed Performance index is 31. Both figures are consistent with a moderate-displacement hull that rewards steady wind rather than gusts.
Depending on load, the fin keel draws between 4.2 and 4.5 feet, allowing the boat to tuck into shallow marinas that deeper-keel boats avoid. Docking and maneuvering typically depend on a purpose-mounted outboard of 3 to 4 horsepower or an electric motor producing 72 to 86 pounds of thrust, rather than a built-in inboard.
Accommodations and Comfort
Below, the Maxi 68 has four berths, a layout suited to a young family or two couples on a short cruise. The cabin is a pragmatic 1970s space, meant to be sailed hard and dried out easily.
A Motion Comfort Ratio of 16.5 to 17.2 suggests a settled motion in a chop. That quality comes from the boat’s moderate displacement and sufficiently beamy hull form rather than any elaborate suspension of live loads.
The Verdict
The Maxi 68 comes from Petterson’s early Maxi years: a solid-fiberglass, iron-keeled coastal cruiser with predictable numbers and a forgiving rig. She’s neither a racing rocket nor an offshore voyager, but her relatively shallow draft, modest propulsion needs, and comfort-oriented motion make her a sensible used-classic candidate for lake and inshore sailing.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck, with an iron fin keel and 48 percent ballast ratio
- A draft of 4.2–4.5 feet, shallow enough for access to many marinas
- Modest propulsion needs: a 3–4 hp outboard or an electric motor producing 72–86 pounds of thrust
- Comfortable motion for her size, with a Motion Comfort Ratio of 16.5–17.2
Cons
- Slightly underrigged against her peers, carrying more rig than only 34 percent of comparable boats
- A capsize screening value of 2.06, which excludes acceptance for ocean racing
- No inboard propulsion as standard; maneuvering depends on an outboard
