Design and Construction
The 740's defining structural move was the shift to five-plank construction, which gave her a more rounded appearance than the sharper 725 she replaced anchor. Like her Waarschip siblings of the era, she is built from Bruynzeel plywood, a high-grade marine ply, with the coachroof's transverse and fore-and-aft stiffening members worked externally rather than internally — a detail that keeps interior volume unbroken and the lines smooth and undistorted. The hull presents a relatively narrow waterline in relation to the overall beam, a shape that, combined with close to half the total weight in ballast, underpins the manufacturer's claim that she is safe under all circumstances. Klaas Kremer later developed the 740 Ocean as a souped-up version: a lighter hull, lead in place of the iron keel, a lowered coachroof and raised bridgedeck, a sugar scoop drawing out the waterline and effectively bringing the transom-hung rudder inboard, and a taller fractional rig replacing the masthead original. A Sport version was also offered for those chasing maximum performance.
Rig and Handling
As a fractional sloop the 740 carries a 12.7 m² mainsail and a 21 m² genoa for 33.7 m² upwind, opening to 56.7 m² downwind with the 44 m² spinnaker. The mast stands 10.28 m above the waterline. With a 1.25 m draft — or 1 m on the shoal option — and a built-in motor, she is extremely easy to handle on inland waterways, yet the builder positions her as the boat to first explore inland navigation and later go to sea. Practical Boat Owner found her conveniently small for coastal and short-handed sailing, with a power and performance that belies her modest size anchor. For the experienced sailor the maker calls her the ideal boat for making great trips overseas; for the less experienced, an ideal weekend stay on rivers and lakes.
Accommodations
Below, the 740 is an exercise in compact Dutch pragmatism. The manufacturer cites an excellent interior design with a lockable cabin forward, a separate toilet, a large hanging cupboard, a large sliding galley, a large cabin table, and lots of storage space, with five fixed berths and about 1.60 m of cabin height. Practical Boat Owner's survey fills in the plan: varnished and epoxied plywood with mahogany knees, trim, and structural members; a relatively open layout where a partial bulkhead supplemented by a curtain separates the saloon from the heads and forecabin. A full-length berth to starboard runs straight into the quarter berth, while to port a settee berth and, abaft it, the galley occupy the space — the galley originally designed to slide aft beneath the cockpit seat to free a full-length port berth. The coachroof stops just ahead of the mast to leave a flush foredeck, and the bridgedeck carries a mainsheet track with stern lockers either side of the rudder stock.
Cockpit and Deck
The cockpit is well conceived for a 24-footer. Seats sit well inboard to give a good leg-bracing width between them, leaving space outboard for the side decks to run all the way aft, and the helming position is excellent. Willem, an owner contributor to the review, kept the coamings to little more than marginal upstands for the primary winches and the cleats, a minimalist choice that preserves clear deck flow. The flush foredeck forward of the coachroof makes short-handed sail handling straightforward.
Variants and Lineage
Around 200 of the standard 740s have been built since introduction. The Ocean variant reworked the hull and rig for offshore bias, while the Sport trimmed the envelope toward speed. The 740 itself replaced the 725 in 1980 and succeeded the three-plank 730 in the Waarschip sequence, marking the marque's move to a five-plank hull in this size band. Nautisch Centrum Delfzijl builds Waarschip boats worldwide as the official builder, and the 740 is CE certified and a member of the HISWA.
The Verdict
The Waarschip 740 is a small yacht with an outsized reputation among self-build and short-handed cruising circles. She pairs a stable, ballast-heavy plywood hull with a genuinely thoughtful interior and a cockpit that works well at this length. The Ocean and Sport derivatives show the basic design had real range.
Pros
- Stable, safe hull with close to 50% ballast ratio and narrow-waterline beamy form
- Excellent, leg-bracing cockpit with superlative helming position
- Clever sliding galley and open plan with five fixed berths and strong stowage
- Easy inland handling with shoal draft and optional engine; capable offshore for experienced crews
Cons
- Modest 1.60 m cabin height limits standing comfort
- Original four-to-five berth count tight for extended overseas use despite maker's claim
- External coachroof stiffeners require survey attention for plywood bond integrity
