Review of Motiva 42

The deck is made of steel.

The boat is equipped with 4 cabins, 8-10 berths, a galley, 400.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.

Note: the boat has also been sold to be self-made/-interiored, which means that the quality of each boat may vary.

Motiva 42 has more than one rig.

One option is a ketch rig. A ketch rig is generally considered easier to handle, because the sails are smaller, and because it can sail on most points to the wind with one sail completely taken down for repair or while reefing. The sail configuration of a ketch allows for better comfort and stability when sailing downwind or on a broad reach.

Another option is 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.

Fin keel

The Motiva 42 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.90 - 2.00 meter (6.23 - 6.53 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Ford engine at 90 hp (67 kW). The speed is 10.0 knots.

The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.

The fuel tank, which is made of steel, has a capacity of 400.0 liters (105 US gallons, 87 imperial gallons).

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Motiva 42 is 1.59, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.0 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.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Motiva 42 is about 262 kg/cm, alternatively 1472 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 262 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1472 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Motiva 42 is 41.7.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Motiva 42 is 3.47.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Motiva 42 is 36%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Motiva 42 is 280 which categorizes this boat among 'medium weight cruisers'.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 45m² (484 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

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.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, 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.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Motiva 42 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.