Nauticat 43 Ketch
Description
The Nauticat 43 is a Finnish-built pilothouse motorsailer designed by the legendary Sparkman & Stephens firm (design #2239) and first produced in 1983 by Siltala Yachts in Pietarsaari, Finland, as a collaborative bluewater cruiser evolving from the earlier Nautor 43, prioritizing heavy-displacement seaworthiness, expansive all-weather visibility through its raised deck saloon, and opulent liveaboard comfort for couples or families on ambitious coastal or ocean passages, with the staysail ketch rig—featuring aluminum masts, a main forward and mizzen aft, plus genoa, staysail, and mizzen staysail options—enabling balanced, short-handed sail management in varied winds. Constructed from solid fiberglass with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for agile stability and protection, it displaces 33,100 pounds with 9,400 pounds of lead ballast, measures 42.67 feet LOA, 32.83 feet LWL, 13.75 feet beam, and 6.25 feet draft, delivering a hull speed of approximately 7.7 knots and 1,100 square feet of sail area powered by a reliable 90-130 HP Ford Lehman diesel engine with 264 gallons of fuel and 211 gallons of water capacity for motoring autonomy exceeding 800 nautical miles. Acclaimed for its fortress-like durability, 360-degree saloon panoramas, warm teak-trimmed interior boasting 6'4" headroom across three cabins sleeping up to eight (including a spacious aft owner's suite), U-shaped galley, dedicated nav station, and versatile inside/outside helms, the Nauticat 43 was produced through 1999 with around 70-80 units built, enduring as a premium classic for traditionalists valuing unyielding reliability, serene heavy-weather poise, and timeless S&S elegance over high performance.
Construction Details
| Designer | Sparkman and Stephens |
|---|---|
| Builder | Siltala Yachts |
| Length | 43.000 ft |
| LOA | 39.000 ft |
| LWL | 32.160 ft |
| Beam | 11.500 ft |
| Max Draft | 5.700 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 19.16 ft |
| p | 47.74 ft |
| e | 13.94 ft |
| p2 | 29.69 ft |
| e2 | 8.53 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.50 ft | 19.16 ft | 47.74 ft | 13.94 ft | 29.69 ft | 8.53 ft | - | - |
Sails
Nauticat 43 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 47.74 ft - (14551 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.94 ft - (4249 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.13 ft - (14975 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.02 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.27 ft - (15017 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 332.41 ft² |
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Nauticat 43 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 45.46 ft - (13856 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.9 ft - (7894 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.73 ft - (11805 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.03 ft - (6715 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 500.88 ft² |
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Nauticat 43 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | * 53.99 ft - (16456 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 31.39 ft - (9568 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.37 ft - (15353 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.74 ft - (8760 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 775.83 ft² |
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Nauticat 43 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 29.69 ft - (9050 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.53 ft - (2600 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 30.51 ft - (9299 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 87.98 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 30.6 ft - (9327 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | 126.49 ft² |
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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.