Built to a very high standard, the 42 RST appeals to experienced families and yachtsmen who want a capable offshore boat that two people can handle easily.
Design and Construction
The hull further develops Humphreys’ long line of Southerly designs. It has extremely broad stern sections, a modern plumb stem that lengthens the waterline, and a broad transom that carries volume aft to enlarge the interior. A few years after the 42’s launch, Northshore commissioned Stephen Jones to create a new deck mould. The revised design split the helm stations, opened up the cockpit, and added the T to the RS designation.
The 42 RST measures 42 feet 2 inches overall, with a 36-foot-5-inch waterline and a 13-foot-3-inch beam. She displaces 24,802 pounds and carries 8,091 pounds of ballast. One-third of that ballast is in the swing keel, with the remainder in a cast-iron grounding plate.
That cast-iron lifting keel is the design’s defining feature. Lowered, it presents an efficient shape for closehauled sailing. Raised, it retracts flush with the iron grounding plate; the pan is bolted into a recess with stainless fastenings. The pan is bolted into a recess with stainless fastenings. Two-thirds of the ballast remains in the grounding plate, keeping the center of gravity reassuringly low and the righting moment correspondingly high even when the keel is up.
The underwater sections are solid laminate with clear gelcoat, while the topsides and decks have a balsa or foam core. An expert surveyor found the standard of finish and detailing noticeably higher than on earlier-generation Southerlys.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The sail plan combines a tall fractional rig with a self-tacking furling jib and a large mainsail. It provides nearly 72 square meters of sail area, and the mast stands 61 feet 5 inches high.
Writing in Cruising World, the tester found that the 42 RST sailed well to windward and handled easily. The boat also made excellent time upwind, helped by the self-tacker’s narrow sheeting angles.
The swing keel’s influence is clear. With the keel down, the boat can spin in a circle less than one and a half boat lengths across. With it raised, she cannot tack without falling into irons. The keel takes 50 seconds to raise completely and 40 seconds to lower. Raised draft is 2 feet 9 inches, allowing the boat to float in less than 3 feet of water and explore shallow lagoons and marinas at no risk of running aground. With the keel fully down, draft increases to 8 feet 11 inches.
Twin semi-balanced rudders, angled outboard, provide reassuring directional stability. When the boat heels upwind in puffs over 20 knots, the windward rudder clears the water while the leeward rudder becomes vertical and works efficiently. Steering is light and responsive, and remarkably good in reverse. Yachting Monthly’s reviewer found the boat positive and sure-footed.
Cockpit, Deck, and Sail Controls
The RST redesign moved the mainsheet traveller from the cockpit to the coachroof, clearing the helming area and complementing the twin wheels and T-shaped cockpit. The split mainsheet leads aft to Lewmar 46 self-tailers on either side, keeping the sheets within reach of the helm.
An optional sprayhood folds into a recess when it isn’t in use. For light airs, an optional gennaker flies from a removable bowsprit. The cockpit is deep and protected, though the passage from the cockpit to the side decks is narrow and could use more grab rails.
Accommodations
The deck saloon is low enough to preserve the view forward from the cockpit. Inside, the raised saloon and chart table look out through large windows, creating a bright interior with good sightlines.
The navigation desk is to starboard, with a wet locker abaft the nav seat. The settees and dining area are to port. The in-line galley is also on the starboard side, but at a lower level than the raised saloon. There’s a fully equipped, sit-down pilot’s workstation, although instrument space at the chart table is limited. Plenty of hatches, tannoys, and dorades provide ventilation below.
The standard layout has a twin cabin forward, a double aft, and two heads. Some boats replace part of this arrangement with a third cabin to port abaft the forecabin; in those versions, the forward head moves to starboard and the galley becomes smaller. Other boats retain a double en-suite cabin at each end and the longer galley.
The aft stateroom is enormous. Its island berth sits beneath an atrium formed by the hollow base of the cockpit table, and the cabin has its own head to port. The keel case is integrated into the layout so well that it’s hardly noticeable.
Light teak is used for the woodwork, and storage is ample. One owner’s niggle, however, was that the entire boat has only one drawer.
Known Issues and Maintenance
A few 42 RSTs left the builder with teak decks. These require careful examination for wear and for the watertightness of their fastenings.
An expert surveyor has found laminate voiding, particularly around the keel-return mouldings. One boat took rough ground and sustained laminate damage on the return of the keel pan. There have also been reports of gelcoat crazing near the hull-to-deck joints.
A number of these yachts were moulded with colored gelcoat. UV exposure has since dulled some of those finishes, so repainting is often due. The entire keel mechanism also needs regular lubrication.
The Verdict
The Southerly 42 RST is a genuinely go-anywhere deck-saloon cruiser. It trades a little light-air sparkle for the freedom offered by a 2-foot-9-inch raised draft and powerful windward bite with the keel lowered to an 8-foot-11-inch draft.
It’s a boat that two people can manage, with composed twin-wheel handling, a protected deep cockpit, and a bright saloon. Its finish is also notably better than that of its predecessors.
Pros
- Swing keel allows the boat to float in less than 3 feet of water while providing an efficient closehauled shape at full draft
- Twin rudders and light steering make it sure-footed and easy to handle short-handed
- Raised saloon combines large windows and generous volume with a low profile that preserves sightlines
- High build standard, with centralized ballast maintaining a high righting moment when the keel is raised
Cons
- Keel mechanism requires regular lubrication, and laminate voiding has appeared around the keel returns
- Teak-decked examples need scrutiny for wear and fastener watertightness; colored gelcoat may have faded under UV exposure
- According to one owner, the interior has only one drawer
- Narrow passage from the cockpit to the side decks could use more grab rails
