1979 Mason 43

The Mason 43 is a classic cruising sailboat built in 1979 with a full keel and cut-away forefoot, designed for ocean passages. The hull is fiberglass with a beam of 12.25 feet and a draft of 6 feet 3 inches. The boat carries 25,000 pounds displacement and 8,400 pounds of ballast, with a full keel and keel-hung rudder providing excellent directional control. A cutter rig offers flexible sail configurations for varying conditions.

Power comes from a 2012 Beta Marine diesel engine rated at 56 horsepower, driving a three-blade folding propeller with an 18-inch maximum diameter and a fixed spare. The Borg Warner Velvet Drive transmission was rebuilt in January 2024. Cruising speed is 5.5 to 6 knots at 1800–2000 RPM. Fuel capacity is 160 gallons across two steel tanks; water capacity is 205 gallons in five tanks.

Below deck, the boat offers two cabins and one head with a full shower enclosure. Sleeping berths include two doubles, one single, and an additional pull-out seat. The galley features a rebuilt refrigerator with vacuum insulation and new Corian countertops, plus a redundant engine-driven freezer, a propane stove, microwave, and a 6-gallon hot water heater. Electronics include Furuno radar, GPS, autopilot with hydraulic steering, Furuno multi-function display, SSB radio, VHF, AIS receiver, and wind instruments. The electrical system comprises AGM house and start banks, a Xantrex charger-inverter, wind generator, 120-amp alternator, and 340 watts of solar panels.

Sails include two mains (full and reduced), two genoas (120% and 100%), staysail, storm sail, storm trysail, and spinnaker with snuffer. Standing rigging was replaced approximately seven years ago, including chainplates. The boat carries three anchors—a 66-kilogram Bruce, a 20-kilogram Bruce, and a Danforth—with a Lofrans electric windlass and dual bow rollers. Deck gear includes two dodgers, a Monitor wind vane with spares, a Village Marine water maker, an Achilles roll-up dinghy with aluminum floor, and a 9.8-horsepower Nissan outboard. The haul-out in February 2024 included two coats of epoxy primer and two coats of ablative paint on the bottom, and a new dodger was installed in 2024.