De Antonio D42 Open Specs, Sea Trial and Buyer's Guide

The D42 sits where De Antonio's day boats start to cruise

Search for d42 and you will find a lot of things, but in boating the name belongs to the De Antonio D42 Open, the triple-engine walkaround that for several years was the largest boat from the Barcelona yard founded in 2012 by Marc de Antonio and Stan Chmielewski. It has been on De Antonio's website since at least 2019, and it was the biggest expression of the hidden outboard idea until the D50 and then the D60 arrived. Power & Motoryacht still describes it as the yard's main previous foray into big outboard power before the 60-footer.

The pitch is simple. You get a 41-foot 4-inch boat with an uncluttered stern, a huge sunpad, an outdoor galley and enough below-deck space to stay out for a weekend, but the propulsion is three ordinary Mercury Verados that any outboard dealer can service. The engines live under the aft sunpad, the swim platform runs the full width of the transom, and the props sit well away from swimmers.

Production has moved beyond Spain. The BoatTEST captains noted that De Antonio boats are now built in Poland at a sizeable shipyard, while design and development stay in Barcelona, where Marc de Antonio's studio Ubica-id has drawn every model.

Three Verados, one hatch, and a mechanical space below

Standard power is three 300 hp Mercury Verado V8s, giving the 900 hp minimum De Antonio quotes. The options are three 350 hp or three 400 hp V10 Verados, each with electrohydraulic steering and the option of Mercury's joystick piloting, for a 1,200 hp maximum. Press a button and the whole aft sunpad rises to expose the engines, with enough room to check oil and run freshwater flushes without lifting a single cowling off the water.

Further forward, a hatch opens into the mechanical space with the optional 3.5 kW WhisperPower generator, pumps, battery management and through-hulls, all labeled. BoatTEST found it tight to get into because you step onto the fuel tank first, but adequate once inside. There is also a tender garage with a manual crane, sized for a 6-foot 6-inch tender with a 3 hp electric motor.

Two option conflicts are worth knowing before ordering: the electric stern gangplank is not compatible with the hydraulic XL swim platform, and neither is a Seakeeper gyro. Decide early which matters more to you.

On the water with triple 400s

BoatTEST ran a D42 with the top triple 400 hp V10 package at about 17,636 pounds, on a 75-degree day with 5 knots of wind. Wide open at 6,400 rpm it reached 48.9 mph, which is about 42.5 knots. Throttled back to 4,000 rpm it cruised at 28 mph, about 24 knots, burning 38.5 gph for 0.7 mpg and a range of roughly 225 statute miles (about 195 nautical miles) with a 10 percent reserve. The boat planed between 3,800 and 4,000 rpm at around 20 mph and reached 40 mph in 16 seconds.

De Antonio's own sheet quotes a 28-knot cruise and a 46-knot top speed, with the usual caveat that load and engines change the result. Take the builder number as a light-load best case and the test number as what a family day looks like.

On handling, the BoatTEST captains described a responsive boat in S-turns and a tight circle of about three boat lengths without the stern letting go. One noted the D42 shed a little speed in hard maneuvers and suggested adding a couple of hundred rpm. That matches what Motor Boat & Yachting found across the range: De Antonios run very flat, and the hull extensions that carry the weight of the engines aft keep the bow low.

• Test power: 3 x Mercury Verado V10 400
• Top speed: 48.9 mph (about 42.5 knots) at 6,400 rpm
• Cruise: 28 mph (about 24 knots) at 4,000 rpm, 38.5 gph, 0.7 mpg
• Range at cruise: about 225 statute miles with 10 percent reserve
• Time to 40 mph: 16 seconds

Three outdoor rooms on one deck

The deck is split into three zones. Forward, a wide sunpad and seating area fits three easily, with a bench that hides storage, an anchor locker with a Lewmar windlass and a stainless roller that keeps the anchor off the plumb bow. Walkways are 18 inches wide and the gunwales 24 inches deep, which makes going forward feel secure for a boat with such vertical sides.

Amidships, the helm has four bolstered seats across with room for two 12-inch Simrad touchscreens (a second screen is optional), a driver's seat on a slider and grab handles on the hardtop supports. Directly aft is an outdoor galley with fridge drawer, cooktop, sink, microwave and cabinets, facing either a C-shaped dinette or opposing benches, each with two fold-out tables. An electric shade can cover the dining area.

At the stern is the signature piece: a sunpad about 99 by 99 inches with cupholders down the centerline and a wet locker under the headrest. A swim ladder with Flexteek steps sits in the middle of the platform, well clear of the engines. The windshield can be ordered as a full screen with the hardtop.

A cabin, a living room and a real shower

Access below is through a sliding acrylic door to port of the helm. Forward is a cabin with a double berth, hanging lockers and a big drawer under the bed. Aft, under the cockpit, is what BoatTEST called the living room: a lounge that converts with fill-in cushions to sleep two. Between them is a counter with a fridge, storage and the electrical panel to port, and a head to starboard with an electric toilet and a separate shower stall with a teak floor.

Listings and databases sometimes call the D42 a one-cabin boat and sometimes a two-cabin boat. Both are fair. The forward cabin is a proper cabin, while the aft space is an open lounge that becomes a second sleeping area, ideal for kids or a couple who do not need a door. Do not buy a D42 expecting a sport cruiser's privacy; buy it for the deck.

What a D42 costs to own

At 38.5 gph at a 24-knot cruise, a 100-hour season burns about 3,850 gallons of gasoline. Three outboards need three annual services, and an owner should budget for a set of gearcase services and water pumps every couple of years. Add dockage for a 42-foot slip, insurance, canvas and electronics, and $45,000 to $90,000 a year is realistic before depreciation.

Resale is the soft spot. The D42 is rare in the United States, so pricing a used one depends on finding comparable boats in Europe and adjusting for shipping and duty. That cuts both ways: a buyer can find value, and a seller may wait. Engine hours and service records on all three Verados matter more than the model year, because a repower on three engines is a large bill.