Built in South Africa from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, the design was conceived as a no-nonsense passagemaker with an emphasis on strength and seakindliness. It remains a recognizable bluewater monohull, though production was limited: the builder’s database records about 20 hulls, while one owner reports that roughly 25 were built.
Design and Construction
The ShearWater 39’s defining feature is the deliberate contrast between its heritage styling and purposeful modern hull. The clipper bow has pronounced flare in the forward sections, a short bowsprit, and a strong sheer. Aft, there’s a radiused transom with marked tumblehome and a transom-hung rudder.
Below the waterline, the boat carries a NACA-foil fin keel with external bolt-on lead ballast, along with a shallow forefoot. Its U-shaped bow sections present more curvature to the water when heeled than V-shaped sections would, reducing pounding.
The hull uses a solid glass laminate below the waterline, with substantial reinforcement around the keel and mast step. The deck and topsides typically use cored construction to control weight. Chainplates are usually stainless-steel flat bar, mounted internally and bolted to glassed-in knees or frames rather than bonded into the hull. This arrangement allows inspection and eventual replacement.
Builders offered the design in GRP, aluminum, or cold-moulded timber. The original aluminum prototype was drawn for a two-metre-tall client; production GRP boats have reduced headroom of 1.925 m. Most hulls were moulded in South Africa by Jacobs Brothers and, later, Shearwater Marine. A few were sold for owner completion, so fit-out quality varies from boat to boat.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The boat is fundamentally an aft-cockpit masthead cutter with a long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. Its powerful double-spreader cutter rig uses standing intermediate or running backstays to support the inner forestay. A few owners sail their boats as masthead sloops by omitting the inner forestay.
The cutter rig allows a crew to shorten sail in stages. Together, the long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder provide a steady, predictable helm rather than lively fingertip response.
That underwater profile is particularly useful offshore. Downwind, the hull tracks well, while the keel and skeg reduce the tendency to broach. The hull form doesn’t encourage surfing as a flatter, lighter boat might. Upwind, the fine entry and flared bow provide good wave penetration while helping to keep the deck dry. V-shaped stern sections and the shallow forefoot aid control downwind.
Displacement is roughly 22,000 lb, although sources differ from the database figure of 21,605 lb. With a ballast ratio near 40 percent, the ShearWater 39 sits firmly in the heavy-displacement camp, favouring comfort and load-carrying ability over speed. A motion comfort ratio near 35 points to gentle passage behaviour. Owners such as Rod Turner-Smith of Sheer Tenacity report that the boat is good on all points of sail, naturally fast, and a real passage maker.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
Below, the ShearWater 39 feels like a proper seagoing boat rather than a floating apartment. Beneath its squared-off cabin, layouts range from a conventional two-cabin arrangement to a more open saloon with a large technical space aft.
Layout A provides privacy for two couples, or space for a family of five or six with a varied quarter-berth arrangement. Layout B has a full-width owner’s aft cabin with direct access to the cockpit. Forward, the forecabin contains a V-berth and good locker space. A separate heads compartment sits just aft, while the saloon has opposing settees arranged around a central table.
Near the companionway, the L-shaped galley includes a large ice box or freeze locker, twin sinks, and a work surface over the engine. Opposite the head is a workbench with lockers for routine maintenance, and a wet locker can be built beneath the companionway steps.
The horseshoe cockpit is long enough to sleep in, yet has a small well for offshore safety. Wide side decks, substantial bulwarks, and strong stanchions make it easier to move around on deck. Headroom is generally good for a boat of this length, and the beam is used sensibly.
Known Issues
Most ShearWater 39s now have older systems that reflect their production period. Limited production also means poor parts standardisation.
Although the chainplates are accessible for inspection, the areas where each stainless-steel bar passes through the deck and bolts to the internal knees demand attention. Crevice corrosion and cracking in the surrounding laminate are the main concerns.
The keel-to-hull joint should be checked for weeping, cracking, or evidence of earlier repairs. Inside the hull, the keel bolts, backing plates, and surrounding laminate require inspection for rust, cracking, or compression.
Soft deck laminate can appear around chainplate penetrations, stanchion bases, the mast step, and other deck hardware. Rudder bearings should also be checked for play at the skeg-to-hull junction. Where boats retain their original mild-steel fuel tanks, those tanks may have reached the end of their service life.
Refits and Ownership
Typical refits include replacement standing rigging and sails, updated electronics, partial or complete rewiring, and new tanks. On most professionally built boats, the systems layout provides good access to the engine, tanks, and wiring. That can make upkeep more manageable than it is on many comparable cruisers.
An inboard rudder is now available for the timber version. With so few hulls built—and some completed by their owners—each boat needs to be judged on its own merits rather than against a consistent fleet standard.
The Verdict
The ShearWater 39 is a considered response to the brief for a traditional-looking offshore cruiser with modern sailing performance. It favours steady passagemaking, short-handed competence, and structural honesty over speed records or a glossy interior. Its small production run and variation in fit-out make a careful survey essential.
Pros
- Solid glass hull below the waterline, with reinforcement around the keel and mast step
- Inspectable internal chainplates bolted to framed knees
- Predictable helm from the long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
- Sensible cutter rig suited to staged reefing and short-handed sailing
- Good motion comfort and serious tankage for the size
Cons
- Heavy displacement and modest light-air performance
- Older systems and limited parts standardisation on most boats
- Small production run, with variable owner-completed fit-outs
- Original mild-steel tanks may need replacement
