Overview
The Shearwater 39 is a Dudley Dix cutter commissioned by Gerfried Nebe of Nebe Boats in South Africa, built from about 1990. Dix’s brief was a traditional look above the waterline with a modern underbody. It was offered in fiberglass, aluminum and timber.
Design and Construction
The fin keel is a NACA foil with external bolt-on lead ballast. sailboatdata.com lists 39.37 ft overall on a 33.79 ft waterline, 12.8 ft of beam and 5.91 ft of draft. Displacement is 21,605 lb with 8,377 lb of ballast, and the cutter carries about 841 sq ft. Production fiberglass boats have slightly less headroom than the original aluminum design.
Buyers Notes
John Neal rates it 2 of 5: sturdy and traditional looking, with fairly good performance. Check the rudder arrangement, which varies between versions.
