Design and Construction
Perry mated a traditional-style deck to a modified fin and skeg underbody, a successful formula for cruising boats. Below the waterline a relatively deep forefoot trails into a powerful fin keel, and the rudder is skeg hung, with generous keels and robust skeg-hung rudders giving the hull quiet authority. Two keels were offered: standard draft of 5 feet 9 inches and a shoal version slicing six inches off the bottom. The hull is solid fiberglass, heavily laid up with layers of 24-ounce roving, 1.5-ounce mat, and polyester resin. Notably, the Passport 40 predated the switch to blister-preventing vinylester resins, yet blisters do not seem to be much of a problem even on boats that have toiled for years in the tropics. Iron ballast is encapsulated in the keel cavity, and the structure is further reinforced by stout transverse floors beneath the teak-and-holly cabin sole and longitudinal stringers. The hull-and-deck joint is through-bolted on an inward flange and incorporates a raised bulwark, while bulkheads and furniture facings are securely fiberglassed to the hull.
Early boats had marine plywood cored decks, later replaced by Airex foam coring. Most examples carried thick five-eighths-inch teak side decks applied with abundant Thiokol, though some later models came with molded nonskid. Stanchion bases are vertically mounted for strength, and a great deal of external teak — handrails, coachroof eyebrows, and a lovely caprail — dresses the topsides. Deck hatches began as Atkins and Hoyle before Lewmar units appeared later in the production run.
Rig and Handling
A sloop rig was standard, with almost all boats later fitted with a staysail stay, usually of the removable type. Total working sail area is 771 square feet, and the original design objective was to let the boat be sailed under main alone and easily handled singlehanded. The primary winches sit far enough aft that the helmsman can trim the headsail without leaving the wheel, and all other sail controls lead aft through a beefy coaming that forms a perfect base for a dodger. The mainsheet and traveler sit just forward of the coaming, clearing cockpit space while retaining good purchase on the boom. The sailplan allows the boat to make way in light going but really thrives when the wind picks up, and it does not make much leeway. Easing the traveler usually eliminates weather helm, and for a cruising boat it is reasonably close winded. Owners consistently describe the ride as soft and the handling as predictable, swift, and nimble, with fast passages considered routine.
Accommodations
The interior is simply lovely, with exceptional teak joinerwork and superb woodwork from solid teak staving on the bulkheads to rounded joints shaped into handholds in the galley and nav station. The rich satin-varnished teak makes for a fairly dark saloon, but one draped around a U- or L-shaped settee and a lovely table; some boats mount the table on the galley bulkhead so it folds up for a roomier space. About half the fleet came with a head-forward layout followed by a Pullman berth, the other half with a traditional V-berth and a head with separate shower. All boats have a double quarter cabin aft, and thick four-inch cushions were standard. The forward cabin offers a forward-facing double berth to port, and either saloon settee serves as a sea berth. The large galley invariably includes two deep stainless sinks, a well-insulated top-loading icebox or refrigeration, and a propane stove and oven, with enough brace points to work at sea.
Known Issues
The principal material concern traces to the deck coring. Early boats used marine plywood, and although later hulls moved to Airex foam, the teak side decks of five-eighths-inch thickness laid over those cores with Thiokol were a recurring path for water intrusion as the adhesive aged. Combined with the plywood-cored early decks, this is the structural weak point to understand on a given hull. The original black iron fuel tanks were encased in fiberglass to prevent corrosion and held 105 gallons; that encapsulation can hide external rust and slow diesel weeping where moisture reaches the welds. Otherwise, the polyester-resin hull's blister record is encouragingly clean even in tropical service, and the through-bolted hull-deck joint with raised bulwark has proven durable.
Refits and Ownership
The old reliable Perkins 4108 diesel was the original engine, and boats with U-shaped settees usually retain it because of clearance beneath the table; L-shaped settee boats received later Yanmar engines. Parts remain widely available for the 4108 and it is an easy engine to service, with terrific access from the cockpit. Under power, 1,800 to 2,000 RPM delivers 5 to 6 knots depending on conditions. A three-bladed prop was standard. The standard 36-inch Epson destroyer wheel seems a bit undersized, and individual engine controls require reaching through the wheel to manipulate. A husky stainless stemhead fitting with single anchor roller and a manual windlass were standard, as were huge 10-inch mooring cleats.
The Verdict
The Passport 40 is a world-class cruising boat, equal parts rugged voyager and elegant yacht, whose sweet-sailing hull and Perry underbody have earned a lasting reputation. It asks the buyer to understand deck-core age and original tank encapsulation, but rewards with superb joinery, easy singlehanded capability, and a near-ideal seagoing cockpit.
Pros
- Nimble, easily handled hull that performs well in trade winds and makes little leeway
- Exceptional teak joinerwork and a genuinely lovely, well-thought-out interior
- Terrific engine access with widely supported Perkins 4108 power
- Clean blister history despite pre-vinylester polyester construction
Cons
- Early plywood-cored decks and teak side decks invite water intrusion as bedding ages
- Original black iron fuel tanks can rust and weep invisibly inside fiberglass encapsulation
- Standard 36-inch wheel feels undersized and engine controls are awkward to reach
