Review of Saga 43

Basic specs.

The Saga 43 is a large sailboat designed by the American maritime architect Robert H. Perry in the late nineties. The Saga 43 is built by the Canadian yard Saga Yachts.

Here we would have liked to show you nice photos of the Saga 43.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image

Looking for a new boat? Find a Saga 43 or similar boat for sale

Rig

The boat equipped with a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.

Engine

The boat is typically equipped with an inboard Yanmar 4JH2-E diesel engine at 54.0 hp (40 kW).

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.4 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

Immersion rate

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Saga 43 is about 290 kg/cm, alternatively 1628 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 290 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1628 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

L/B (Length Beam Ratio)

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Saga 43 is 3.61.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is slimmer than 79% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a significantly more speedy hull design.

Maintenance

Rig

Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

**Guiding dimensions of running rig**
Usage	Length		Diameter
Mainsail halyard	45.6 m	(149.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Jib/genoa halyard	45.6 m	(149.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Spinnaker halyard	45.6 m	(149.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Jib sheet	13.2 m	(43.3 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Genoa sheet	13.2 m	(43.3 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Mainsheet	33.0 m	(108.3 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Spinnaker sheet	29.0 m	(95.3 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Cunningham	5.0 m	(16.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Kickingstrap	10.1 m	(33.0 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Clew-outhaul	10.1 m	(33.0 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)

Boat owner's ideas

This section is reserved boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

Finally

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Saga 43 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

References

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.