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The Boat


Mason 43 Ketch, hull #77


Daystar is our Mason 43 ketch, built in 1985, and what a great boat she is. Her design has proven to be seaworthy, seakindly (meaning kind to her crew under way), and built to cruise.  She is built to cruise in that she has large fuel and water capacities, has a very heavily laid up hull, and has a hull shape that was purposefully designed to carry a lot of weight without noticeably affecting performance. 

The design seems magical in that despite the heavy construction and large capacities, the boat sails surprisingly well in light airs and into the wind. This is a boat that can take you anywhere.

Another vital criterion in choosing a sailboat is the cardiac metric.  If your pulse doesn't quicken when you catch a glimpse of your boat in the anchorage, you've got the wrong boat.  The Mason 43 passes that test for us.  She has traditional lines with a sweet sheer line, moderate overhangs, and just enough varnished wood.  Despite being built in the 80s, her lines go back to the wooden boat traditions of the great American sailing yachts designed by John Alden, Philip Rhodes, and Olin Stephens, and in fact, her designer Al Mason worked for all three of these famous yacht designers.

There's a lot more to write about this great boat, but below is some additional information.


SPECIFICATIONS:
LOA:  43'11"
LOD:  43'11"
LWL: 31'3"
Beam:  12'3"
Displacement: 23,860 #
Ballast:  9,400 #
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Hull Configuration:  Modified full keel
Rig:  Double-headsail ketch
Draft:  6'3"
Water: 205 gal
Fuel: 140 gal
Engine:  Yanmar 56HP
Generator:  Westerbeke 7.7 KW


DRAWINGS:

















NAUTICAL QUARTERLY REVIEW 
(Design was changed slightly in the mid 80s, so some specs differ slightly)
(link)


SUPERIOR YACHTS PRESENTS THE MASON 43
Top level info on the designer, builder, etc.
(link)


DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES OF THE MASON 43
(Design philosophy)
(link)


OWNERS MANUAL
(link)