HINCKLEY BERMUDA 40: Everybody’s (Wet) Dream Boat

6
Hinckley Bermuda 40 under sail

With its classic long overhangs, perfectly pitched sheer line, wide side-decks, graceful cabin profile, and distinctive near-vertical transom, the Bermuda 40 has inspired severe lust in the heart of many a cruising sailor. Designed by Bill Tripp, Jr., it is without doubt one of the most attractive production sailboats ever conceived. The B-40, as it is often called, was the very first fiberglass boat ever created by the famous Hinckley Company of Southwest Harbor, Maine, and was also one of several CCA-era keel-centerboard yawls built on a production basis after the great success of Carleton Mitchell’s famous yawl Finisterre.

Unlike its contemporaries, the B-40 endured for a very long time, surviving both the advent and demise of the IOR regime that supplanted the CCA rule in the early 1970s. The first of these gorgeously proportioned hulls slipped down the ways in 1959. The very last hull, number 203, was launched over three decades later in 1991. So far this is the longest production run enjoyed by any fiberglass auxiliary sailboat anywhere in the world.

Three distinct models of the boat were produced over the years. The original iteration, known as the Bermuda 40 Custom, was replaced around 1968 by the Mark II model, which boasted a bit more sail area and a re-shaped foil centerboard. The longest lived model, the Mark III, introduced in 1972 in response to the new IOR rule, incorporated more significant changes. Even more sail area was added, as the mast was stretched four feet up and moved aft two feet to create a more modern high-aspect mainsail and a larger foretriangle for headsails. More ballast was also added and a sloop rig was offered as an option.

Print ad for Hinckley Bermuda 40

Like other CCA production boats introduced around the same time, the B-40 is very robustly constructed. Unlike its contemporaries, however, the B-40 also boasts outstanding finish quality and superb joiner work and is fitted with many components–much of the stainless-steel hardware, all spars, the steering pedestal, etc.–that were manufactured by Hinckley to its own exacting standards.

The hull in all versions is solid fiberglass laminate, though in the last boats built a more exotic hybrid Kevlar/E-glass knit fabric was employed. The two early models have solid glass decks; the Mark III boats were built first with balsa-cored decks, then later with foam-cored decks that were vacuum-bagged. The strength of the deck joint is legendary. It consists of an inward flange half an inch thick and six inches wide that is both laminated and through-bolted. Hinckley crews reportedly spent two days on average making sure the fit between hull and deck was perfect before marrying the two parts together. All bulkheads are tabbed to both the deck and the hull.

All deck hardware is well bedded and mounted over generous backing plates, with stainless-steel machine screws tapped through the deck and into the plates to minimize the potential for leaks. The ballast is external lead, mounted on stainless-steel bolts at the front of the keel. The centerboard is cast bronze and is controlled by a very reliable worm gear with an override mechanism that permits the board to kick up in a grounding.

Compared to any modern sailboat the B-40 has a small interior, though in its day it was considered quite spacious. Hinckley purported to build custom interiors, but variations from the norm are in fact relatively minor. Most boats have a standard CCA-era racing lay-out with a V-berth forward and a saloon with pilot berths outboard on either side, narrow settees that pull out to form extension berths, plus a fixed centerline drop-leaf table. The galley is aft, ranged around the companionway, with the top of the icebox doubling as a nav desk.

Hinckley Bermuda 40 interior

The rode locker in the forepeak, complete with shelving, is very large, as are the two cockpit lockers and lazarette all the way aft.  The cockpit lockers, notably, are fully gasketed and can be secured from inside the boat–a very seamanlike feature. Alternative lay-outs featuring dinette tables and dedicated nav stations are seen on several of the later Mark III boats. A few examples also have double Pullman berths forward.

As far as performance goes, the B-40 in its prime was a competitive racer but these days must be considered relatively sedate under sail. As with any CCA design, it is not nearly as slow and heavy as its exaggerated D/L ratio might suggest. The boat tracks well with its centerboard down and has a light helm but is initially a bit tender, heeling quickly to 15-20 degrees before it firms up and builds forward momentum. Thanks to its long shoal keel the boat is reportedly a little slow to tack and needs to be babied a bit through the eye of the wind, but it is also reasonably fast once the wind is on or behind the beam. The B-40’s motion, as with most boats of this type, is regular and smooth, thanks to its heavy displacement and full keel. These features also, unfortunately, make it a difficult boat to back down under power.

Though a few of the very earliest B-40s came equipped with gasoline engines, most had diesel engines installed at the factory. Hinckley was one of the very first builders to put diesels on its boats as standard equipment. By now the vast majority of older B-40s, whatever engine they had originally, will have been repowered. It makes some sense to look for a boat where this has happened recently, as the engine space and companionway are cramped and repowering is a difficult job. Note, too, that the original Monel fuel tank is directly under the engine, hence cannot be replaced or repaired without removing the engine first.

Compared to any other CCA-era boat, a used B-40 is undeniably very expensive to buy. An appreciation of the boat’s great beauty and of the quality of its construction is required to justify this, as one could easily buy a brand new boat that sails faster and has more living space for about the same price or even less.

Still, I feel the B-40 is an excellent value. It serves well as both a coastal or bluewater cruiser and is excellent in shoal-water grounds such as Chesapeake Bay or the Bahamas. Most examples that come on the market are in very good condition, as it takes a very callous owner to neglect a boat like this. Equipment lists are usually very current, and a few boats even boast such major conveniences as in-mast mainsail furling and electric winches. In the long run, too, precisely because they are so beautiful and well built, a B-40 will hold its value much better than most comparably priced new boats.

Hinckley Bermuda 40 drawing

Specifications (Mark III model)

LOA:  40’9”
LWL:  28’10”
Beam:  11’9”
Draft
–Board up:  4’1”
–Board down:  8’9”
Ballast:  6,500 lbs.
Displacement:  20,000 lbs.
Sail area
–Yawl:  776 sq.ft.
–Sloop:  725 sq.ft.
Fuel:  50 gal.
Water:  110 gal.
D/L ratio:  415
SA/D ratio
–Yawl:  16.82
–Sloop: 15.71
Comfort ratio:  36.36
Capsize screening:  1.73
Nominal hull speed:  7.0 knots

Typical asking prices:  $110K – $290K

 

Related Posts

26 Responses
  1. I would argue that there are only two fiberglass boats on the short list for all-time classics, the Bermuda 40 (expressing a prolonged moment in Atlantic seaboard sailing) and the Cal 40 (expressing a prolonged moment in West Coast sailing). Of the two, the Cal 40 has had more influence and success on the opposite coast, and I have put a lot of miles on Cal 40s. As Stan Honey says, “They have no bad habits.” And that said, I’ve always had a weakness for yawls, even though I know that Carlton Mitchell’s tiny mizzen (and the copycats) was a CCA Rule-beater gimmick and useless on most angles of sail. I’ve sailed on Dorade, but I have never sailed on a Bermuda 40, so there’s an item remaining on the bucket list.

  2. Bill Moran

    Been ther – done that…sailed “TIARE” out of Newport Beach Ca. for about 2-3 yrs. after my crew on “QUEEN MAB” in 67 trans-pac, sailed Honolulu to Newport..
    wqith the Emigh family…
    Tiare was lost off Baja Ca. soon after with no indication of the failure of the centerboard… Otherwise a lovely boat..

  3. Per Schiøttz

    Does anyone know the whereabouts of Bermuda 40 “Kirsten” earlier owned by Thyge Rothe, the one we won the Transatlantic Race in?:D

  4. Mickey Rouse

    We have owned and sailed our B-40 for almost 20 years, including cruising for 4 of those. After being sunk in a hurricane and a 4 year re-build/re-fit, for our uses she is the perfect boat. And she is beautiful like no other.

  5. Joyce

    Our B40 is going through a renovation and when she is done she will be the best one out there! We have sailed her from Maine to New Zealand. Love it!

  6. Jeannette Card (Hale)

    wned and sailed hull 35 in early 70’s. Enjoyed her tremendously. We bought her as Arrow and renamed her Kaijai. Sold 1979.

  7. Quahog Bill

    Does anyone know how to access the keel bolts? I know it sounds like a silly question, but I have had two surveyors look at my B40 and we can’t figure out how to access them. You can sight down the middle of the bilge, and there is nothing there. Do you have to remove the centerboard from the trunk? Are they off-center, perhaps under the water tanks?

    Thanks

  8. Charlie

    @Quahog Bill: My guess is there are no keel bolts. The ballast is probably encapsulated in the keel. I’d get in touch with Hinckley, and they’ll let you know for sure.

  9. Tim Dunning

    I grew up sailing on “Huntress”, hull #1 when she was owned by James Enright, my grandfather. Does anyone know her current port of call or owner? I would love to get in touch with them and hear how she is doing.
    Thank you!
    Tim Dunning

    1. Scott

      Tim, I’m considering purchasing Huntress from a gentleman by the name of David Dale. Is there anything you can tell me about her

      1. Tim Dunning

        Hi Scott! All I can tell you is that she changed my life forever getting to sail with my Grandfather (James Enright) throughout the 80’s. I can tell you he maintained her meticulously, though that was now many moons ago. Please let me know if you purchased Huntress, I would love to see a recent picture! Thank you sir!
        Tim

    2. Greg logan

      Hello Tim. We sailed her up until 2001 and sold her TO Dr. Paul DALE, she had an extensive six month re-fit while we owned her., completed from new dorados , Lebanon on hatches, alwgrip decks and cabin house. Paul was from Hawaii, and I believe his son has her on the east coast. Google has a few pictures of him in cockpit during anniversary. She was an absolutely stunning yacht. Sailed her on the St. John river and Bay of Fundy, plenty of trips to Nova Scotia and Maine.

      1. Tim Dunning

        Hi Greg, thanks for the info! I had seen (via google) pictures of her in Hawaii during the anniversary, I do a google search every so often. So glad you enjoyed your time with her! All of my time with her was off of the coast of Maine. It sounds like she continues to be cared for which is splendid! Did you acquire her from my Grandfather James Enright? Just curious. I hope this finds you well! Tim

  10. Alex TD

    Tim, Huntress is currently based out of Galesville, MD. She is doing quite well – for the current owner’s info, contact the Chesapeake Bay Bermuda 40 Association :-).

  11. Harry

    I had a B-40 for 16 yrs.; it took me 3 yrs to rebuild the boat the way I wanted it. Easiest boat I’ve ever sailed, pure pleasure. I lived in a small town on the Eastern Shore, Rock Hall, MD, and I was able to take “Ev Tide” out by myself on many occasions; she was hull #31. Always left the Mizzen up @ anchor and sailed her many times, Jib & Jigger”. Sometimes I contemplate buying another one!

  12. Domenic

    This is a great blog. I am the current owner of EV Tide hull 31 B-40 and would love to get any info anyone has on her. (Harry I know how to get a hold of you) She is currently in a refit stage but can’t wait to sail her. Assume boat.

    1. Michael Roscoe

      Domenic,

      I spent a lot of time on Ev Tide as a kid. I know some of the history of the boat. I would love to get some photos of her after refit.

      Thanks,

      Mike

  13. RC

    I’ve always loved these boats but never had the chance to sail one. Can anyone tell me more about their perfomance to windward? Also I noticed their ballast is quite light with respect to their displacement and am worried about them being overly tender. Thanks!

  14. Ham

    around 1986 My dad sold Prime Time a white hulled b-40 that he kept in Oxford MD. I don’t have a hull # but would love to hear about her whereabouts if anyone knows. THANKS! – Ham morrison

Leave a Reply

Subscribe

Subscribe

Please enable the javascript to submit this form

Facebook Pagelike Widget

Archives

Google Ads