Kettenburg K-40
Description
The Kettenburg K-40 (also known as the Kettenburg 40 or simply K-40) is a classic American wooden masthead sloop (some with cutter elements) designed by Paul Kettenburg (of Kettenburg Marine, San Diego, California) and built by Kettenburg Boats from 1959 onward. It was part of the "K" series (following the K-38), with approximately 40 hulls constructed over about 7 years in mahogany on oak frames using carvel planking for exceptional craftsmanship and durability. The design prioritizes seaworthiness, speed, easy handling, and beauty as a fast cruiser/racer—extremely popular on the West Coast for events like the Transpac or local regattas, with reassuring stability, a generous sail plan for excellent light-air performance, and a comfortable motion in all conditions. Many were built for serious cruising while remaining competitive (e.g., hulls like "Tomboy II" retained by the factory as a prototype, later renamed "Aladdin's Lamp").
Construction Details
| Designer | Paul Kettenburg |
|---|---|
| Builder | Kettenburg Boats/Whittaker Corp. |
| Length | 39.830 ft |
| LOA | 39.830 ft |
| LWL | 27.330 ft |
| Beam | 10.330 ft |
| Displacement | 14250 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.330 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 43 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.66 ft |
| p | 37 ft |
| e | 17.08 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 ft | 14.66 ft | 37 ft | 17.08 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Kettenburg K-40 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 37 ft - (11278 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.08 ft - (5206 mm) |
| Leech | * 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 40.21 ft - (12256 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 315.62 ft² |
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Kettenburg K-40 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 36.34 ft - (11076 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.63 ft - (5983 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.22 ft - (9516 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.86 ft - (5139 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 306.27 ft² |
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Kettenburg K-40 - GENOA
| Luff | * 43.16 ft - (13155 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.86 ft - (7273 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.41 ft - (12317 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.99 ft - (6703 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 474.56 ft² |
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Kettenburg K-40 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 43.16 ft - (13155 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 26.39 ft - (8044 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.39 ft - (8044 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 968.14 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.
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