McCurdy & Rhodes Hinckley 43 Buyer's Guide
The Hinckley 43 (McCurdy & Rhodes) is a 1990-origin cruising sailboat built by Hinckley Yachts in the United States, developed from the earlier McCurdy & Rhodes Sou'wester 42/43. On the used market she presents as a solid-fiberglass centerboard cruiser with a Westerbeke diesel and a six-berth interior — a boat whose defining feature, the retractable centerboard, is also the first thing a buyer should learn to evaluate. The fin keel with retractable centerboard gives 9.10 feet of draft with the board down and 5.00 feet retracted, letting a shoal-draft example reach anchorages closed to fixed-keel sisterships. Below, the layout sleeps six with a bow V-berth, a main-cabin U-settee around a drop table, a straight settee berth, and an aft single to starboard, while a U-galley to port and a nav station to starboard frame the companionway. The 115-gallon fuel and 148-gallon water tanks support extended cruising without constant filling.
What to Inspect
The centerboard trunk and its pivot are the primary watchpoints on a specific hull. With the board retracted the draft drops to 5 feet, but the trunk penetrates the hull and the pivot hardware carries load every time the board moves; look for stained fiberglass around the trunk, softness underfoot near the pivot, or rust tracks that signal water trapped against the steel centerboard or worn seals. Work the board up and down if possible and note any grinding, hesitation, or water weeping from the trunk. A clean trunk and a sound spade rudder leave the buyer with a straightforward glass cruiser.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
A used Hinckley 43 (McCurdy & Rhodes) is a finite, out-of-production boat, so a viewing is the moment to confirm condition rather than negotiate on volume.
- Inspect the centerboard trunk for stains or softness
- Cycle the board and listen for grinding or weeping
- Check the spade rudder stock for play at the helm
- Confirm the Westerbeke 46 hp starts and holds cooling
- Verify the 115 gal fuel and 148 gal water tanks are sound
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallberg-Rassy 43 Mk I | 44.52' | $ 375,000 | 34 | 10 |
| Dufour Classic 43 | 43' | $ 61,592 | 29 | 3 |
| Hans Christian 43 | 42.62' | $ 154,500 | 24 | 9 |
| Slocum 43 | 42.5' | $ 98,500 | 20 | 4 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 174,286 | 12 | 3 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 79,794 | 10 | 0 |