Stevens 42
Description
The Stevens 42 is a classic 42'0" (12.8 m) heavy-displacement monohull sailboat designed by the renowned Sparkman & Stephens firm (Rod Stephens, design #2413 extension) as an aft-cockpit evolution of the earlier Stevens 40, emphasizing seaworthiness, stability, and family cruising capability while maintaining responsive handling for offshore passages. Built exclusively by Grand Harbour Yachts in Taiwan (under the Stevens Custom Yachts brand) starting in 1986, only five hulls were produced, making it an exceptionally rare and pedigreed vessel—often described as a "blue water gem" ideal for couples or small families seeking a balance of performance and comfort in a manageable size. Constructed with solid fiberglass hulls, skeg-hung rudder for protected steering, fin keel (or optional shoal draft), and a cutter rig with aluminum spars, it features elegant lines with a clipper bow, moderate beam, and counter stern, delivering a hull speed of 7.6 knots and a high displacement/length ratio (around 325) that classifies it as a heavy cruiser—stiff and forgiving in heavy weather with excellent righting capability,
Construction Details
| Designer | Sparkman and Stephens |
|---|---|
| Builder | Grand Harbour Yachts |
| Length | 42.000 ft |
| LOA | 40.580 ft |
| LWL | 31.920 ft |
| Beam | 12.250 ft |
| Displacement | 24000 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 4.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 52.90 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.40 ft |
| p | 46 ft |
| e | 15.05 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.90 ft | 16.40 ft | 46 ft | 15.05 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
| Foot | * 15.05 ft - (4587 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.75 ft - (14554 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 47.9 ft - (14600 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 345.8 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 44.31 ft - (13506 mm) |
| Foot | * 21.61 ft - (6587 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.67 ft - (11787 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.86 ft - (5749 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 417.83 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 52.61 ft - (16036 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.39 ft - (8044 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.59 ft - (15115 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 24.6 ft - (7498 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 647.12 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 52.61 ft - (16036 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 29.52 ft - (8998 mm) |
| Foot | * 29.52 ft - (8998 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1320.09 ft² |
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.