Design and Construction
Stadel's 42-foot hull draws 5.51 to 5.81 feet depending on load, which keeps her within the draft envelope of most marinas despite a 34-foot waterline and 12.5-foot beam that give a length-to-beam ratio of 3.36 — making her slimmer than 54 percent of comparable sailboat designs. The solid fiberglass hull carries 9,200 pounds of lead ballast at a 32 percent ballast ratio, higher than only 14 percent of similar designs, and the displacement-to-length ratio of 324 places her firmly among heavy cruisers, with 24 percent of similar designs weighing more. That mass is not accidental: an immersion rate of about 1,480 pounds per inch means she sits deep and moves reluctantly in response to added load, a trait that pairs with a Motion Comfort Ratio of 41.6 — more comfortable than 93 percent of similar designs. The wetted surface runs about 462 square feet, and her capsize screening value of 1.64 speaks to a stability profile suited to open water.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig is the defining handling choice, and the Westwind 42 carries slightly less sail area than her displacement would prefer: a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.88 means she has more rig than 46 percent of similar sailboats, leaving her slightly underrigged on paper. The running rig reflects a working cruising setup, with mainsail, jib, and spinnaker halyards each about 106 feet long in half-inch diameter, jib and genoa sheets of 42 feet in 0.55-inch diameter, and a 105-foot mainsheet of the same heavier size. A ketch's divided sail plan lets a short-handed crew manage the rig more easily than a single large mast would, and the theoretical hull speed of 7.8 knots is the natural limit for a displacement hull of this length.
Accommodations
No authority itemizes berth count or cabin detailing for the Westwind 42, so nothing about the liveaboard layout can be stated. What can be said is that the 42-foot length and 12.5-foot beam provide the footprint for a substantial cruising interior, and the comfort ratios above suggest a hull tuned for living aboard at sea rather than sprinting.
The Verdict
The Westwind 42 is a purpose-built heavy cruiser whose numbers describe a stable, comfortable offshore ketch rather than a light-air performer. Stadel's design leans into ballast and beam for seakeeping, and the long keel with moderate draft makes her a practical marina visitor despite the displacement. She is slightly undercanvased for her weight, but the ketch configuration mitigates that for cruising crews.
Pros
- More comfortable than 93% of similar designs by Motion Comfort Ratio
- Heavy-cruiser displacement and lead ballast for offshore stability
- Moderate draft (5.5–5.8 ft) enters most marinas
- Ketch rig divides sail handling for short-handed crews
Cons
- Slightly underrigged (SA/D 12.88) versus similar sailboats
- High immersion rate limits load flexibility
- Slimmer and lower ballast ratio than most peers
