Design and Construction
Northshore Yachts built the 420 in fiberglass with a solid hull and deck, carrying 7,782 pounds of iron ballast within a 26,014-pound displacement and a 13.22-foot beam. The variable-draft concept is the marque's long thread, and here it takes the form of a highly developed swing keel that pivots to give the hull a wing-keel profile when lowered and a protected 2-foot-7-inch shoal mode when raised anchor. The twin-rudder layout works with the swing keel rather than against it, keeping the helm authoritative when the boat is heeled or dried out. At 42.19 feet overall with a 36.45-foot waterline, the 420 is a collaboration by Rob Humphreys and Northshore Design rather than a break from it.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 785 square feet of sail area, enough to yield a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.3 and a hull speed near 8 knots. Cruising World's assessment of the lowered keel is unambiguous: the 8-foot-9-inch draft guarantees weatherly bluewater performance, the deep blade suppressing leeway and giving the boat the posture of a fixed-keel offshore cruiser anchor. With the keel raised, the same hull draws barely over two and a half feet, letting a couple explore thin-water estuaries and dry out where most 42-footers cannot follow. The button-operated keel movement removes the physical labor that older lifting-keel systems demanded.
Accommodations
The 420 transforms its interior into an inviting deck-saloon style, with opening ports set along the forward face of the deckhouse to pull light and view into the main living space anchor. The center-cockpit arrangement places the helm under the trunk cabin, while the forward-facing ports give the saloon a panoramic character unusual in a boat with a keel trunk running through the accommodation. The collaboration between Humphreys and Northshore produced a layout that reads as a protected, light-filled cruising home rather than a stripped passage maker.
The Verdict
The Southerly 420 is a thoughtful execution of the variable-draft idea: a genuine bluewater hull that can also sit upright in a drying harbor. The deck-saloon with forward opening ports is a real cruising asset, and the push-button keel makes the shoal-draft trick usable by a short-handed crew. The trade is the central keel trunk through the saloon and a wing-keel maintenance path that any swing-keel owner must respect.
Pros
- Deep 8-foot-9-inch draft with keel down for weatherly offshore performance anchor
- Shoal 2-foot-7-inch draft with keel raised for estuaries and drying moorings
- Light-filled deck-saloon with forward opening ports anchor
- Button-operated swing keel reduces crew effort
Cons
- Keel trunk bisects accommodation volume
- Swing-keel hinge and seal demand disciplined ownership
