Grand Banks 42 Classic Buyer's Guide

The Grand Banks 42 is the trawler brokers measure against

Ask a trawler broker to name the benchmark for a 40-foot coastal cruiser and most will say the Grand Banks 42 before you finish the question. More than 1,500 were built, which makes it one of the most produced yachts of its size, and the result is a deep, liquid used market where almost any budget from about $75,000 to $360,000 can find a boat.

The story starts in Hong Kong, where Robert Newton, an American running a bottling plant, began building boats with his sons John and Whit under the American Marine name. The company moved to Junk Bay in 1962 and became famous for teak-trimmed trawlers that looked like work boats and lived like yachts. Early 42s were built in wood, then the yard switched to fiberglass, and in 1995 production moved to a modern facility at Pasir Gudang in Malaysia.

Typical 42 buyers, brokers report, are experienced couples who want long range coastal cruising or the Great Loop, who keep the boat 10 to 15 years, and who value a home-like teak interior. That profile explains why the model has kept its following for decades.

Classic, Europa or Motor Yacht

The 42 was sold in three main versions. The Classic, the most common, has an open aft cockpit under the flybridge overhang and walkaround side decks. The Europa extends the flybridge aft over the cockpit and encloses the side decks with an overhang, giving shade and a covered walkway, which buyers in Florida and the Pacific Northwest both appreciate. The Motor Yacht version raises the aft deck over a larger aft stateroom.

If you are hunting for a Grand Banks 42 Europa for sale, expect to pay a premium of roughly 5 to 15 percent over a comparable Classic, and expect fewer choices. The Classic is the easiest to handle in locks because its side decks are open, but the Europa is the better liveaboard.

• Classic: open cockpit, walkaround decks, most numerous
• Europa: extended flybridge overhang and covered side decks
• Motor Yacht: raised aft deck and larger aft cabin
• Wooden early boats: restoration projects only

Draft, hull form and how she runs

Grand Banks 42 Classic draft is about 4 feet 2 inches, one of the most important numbers on the spec sheet for East Coast and Loop cruisers. Grand Banks' own retired-model sheet lists the late 42 Classic at 43 feet 3 inches overall, 41 feet 1 inch on the waterline and 14 feet 1 inch in beam, with a 34,000 pound displacement, 600 gallons of fuel and 265 gallons of water. PowerBoat Guide notes that the hull was lengthened and widened by a few inches in 1991, so earlier boats measure about 42 feet 7 inches by 13 feet 7 inches. That depth lets the boat use most ICW anchorages, the Bahamas banks with sensible route planning, and the shallow Tenn-Tom and Trent-Severn sections of the Loop.

The hull is semi-displacement, with a deep keel forward and a flatter run aft. With the classic twin Lehman 120 or 135 hp diesels, a 42 is happiest at 8 to 9 knots. With the more powerful Caterpillar 3208TA engines rated at 375 hp each, the same boat can run in the mid teens when needed, and brokers describe that package as the most preferred, because it gives frugal displacement cruising most of the time and extra speed to beat weather.

The keel protects the running gear on grounding, which is common on the Loop. Twin engines make docking straightforward, and most boats now have a bow thruster.

Lehman, Caterpillar and the fuel equation

Most Grand Banks 42s carry 600 gallons of fuel. With twin Lehmans at 8 to 8.5 knots, a combined burn around 5 to 6 gallons per hour is typical, which works out to roughly 700 to 850 nautical miles of range with a reserve. With Caterpillar 3208TA engines at the same speed the burn is similar, but running at 14 to 16 knots raises it several fold and cuts range sharply.

The Lehman, a marinized Ford industrial engine, is simple, slow turning and loved by cruisers for its mechanical simplicity. Its weaknesses are age related: exhaust elbows, injection pumps, heat exchangers and oil leaks. Parts remain available through specialist suppliers. The Cat 3208 is a V8 with a strong reputation in naturally aspirated form; the turbocharged version is more highly stressed and needs careful maintenance history.

Late boats received Cummins or newer Caterpillar diesels with better fuel economy and lower emissions, which can be a selling point.

Stabilizers and comfort

Stabilizers were optional on the 42 and are found on many boats, usually Naiad or Wesmar fins. Brokers list them alongside bow thrusters as among the most desirable features. Without them, a GB42 rolls in a beam sea, like most semi-displacement trawlers. With them, the boat is comfortable for long coastal runs and Gulf crossings.

Check stabilizer service history. Seal replacement is a routine but expensive job, and older systems may need control unit upgrades.

Teak interior and the island queen question

The interior is pure Grand Banks: teak cabinetry, a saloon with a lower helm on many boats, a galley, a forward V-berth guest stateroom and an aft master. The most desirable layout has an island queen berth in the aft stateroom; the alternative split berths are less popular and can mean a lower price.

Two heads, a lower helm and a flybridge make the 42 practical for two couples on a week long trip, though most owners cruise as a couple. Headroom and storage are good for a 42-foot boat.

Great Loop, Alaska and the West Indies

The Grand Banks 42 may be the archetypal Great Loop boat. Shallow draft, twin engines, a protected keel and a manageable size make it ideal for the route. Air draft with the mast lowered must clear the 19 foot 1 inch Chicago bridge, and most 42s can when the mast and antennas fold down, but measure your boat.

Brokers report that owners have cruised 42s to Alaska, Canada, the East Coast and the West Indies. It is a coastal and near-offshore boat rather than an ocean passagemaker, but with good weather planning it handles Gulf crossings and Bahamas runs comfortably.

What goes wrong on an old Grand Banks

The hull is often described as close to bulletproof, but decks and tanks are not. Teak decks over cored structure leak through fastener holes as caulking fails, which leads to wet core and rot. Older boats used black iron fuel tanks that corrode from the outside and eventually leak; replacement is a major job that often involves cutting into the cabin sole. Teak window frames and hatches leak, and wiring on boats built before the 1990s should be checked carefully.

None of these is a reason to avoid a 42, but they are reasons to pay a surveyor and to price the repair into your offer.