Cascade 42
Description
The Cascade 42 is a classic, rugged bluewater-capable cruiser designed by Robert A. Smith and built by Cascade Yachts (Yacht Constructors Inc.) in Portland, Oregon, starting in 1964. Part of the legendary Cascade series, it's celebrated for its exceptionally tough, hand-laid solid fiberglass construction (no hull core, heavy woven roving layers—famously "bulletproof" after surviving extreme tests like .45 slugs bouncing off samples, drops from slings, highway trailer accidents, and mudslides). Many hulls were sold as semi-kits for owner completion, resulting in highly customized interiors but consistent durability. This fin-keel (with bulb) cutter/sloop is a proven passagemaker—highlighted by a Portland Yacht Club syndicate racing one in seven consecutive Transpacific Yacht Races (1967–1979). It's moderately heavy, stable, stiff, with excellent righting capability and good motion comfort for coastal/offshore use (Comfort Ratio ~28, better than many peers). Not a lightweight racer—it's under-powered in very light winds but excels in moderate/heavy conditions with solid tracking and seaworthiness.
Construction Details
| Designer | Robert A. Smith |
|---|---|
| Builder | Cascade Yachts (Yacht Constructors Inc.) |
| Length | 42.000 ft |
| LOA | 42.000 ft |
| LWL | 34.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.920 ft |
| Displacement | 18000 lb |
| Ballast | 6180 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1964 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 48.38 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.46 ft |
| p | 43.25 ft |
| e | 19.83 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.38 ft | 14.46 ft | 43.25 ft | 19.83 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Cascade 42 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.25 ft - (13183 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.83 ft - (6044 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.66 ft - (14222 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 46.95 ft - (14310 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 438.1 ft² |
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Cascade 42 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 47 ft - (14326 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Leech | 43 ft - (13106 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.65 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.25 ° |
| Area | * 376.01 ft² |
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Cascade 42 - GENOA
| Luff | * 47.97 ft - (14621 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.05 ft - (7026 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.38 ft - (14137 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 151.66 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.93 ft - (6684 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 1.3 ° |
| Area | * 525.96 ft² |
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Cascade 42 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 49 ft - (14935 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
| Leech | 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 919 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.