irwin 40 sailboat

Review of Irwin 40 Citation

Basic specs., 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.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Irwin 40 Citation is 1.88, 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 7.5 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 Irwin 40 Citation is about 236 kg/cm, alternatively 1322 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 236 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1322 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.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

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.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

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

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Irwin 40 Citation 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.

• Types of Sailboats
• Parts of a Sailboat
• Cruising Boats
• Small Sailboats
• Design Basics
• Sailboats under 30'
• Sailboats 30'-35
• Sailboats 35'-40'
• Sailboats 40'-45'
• Sailboats 45'-50'
• Sailboats 50'-55'
• Sailboats over 55'
• Masts & Spars
• Knots, Bends & Hitches
• The 12v Energy Equation
• Electronics & Instrumentation
• Build Your Own Boat
• Buying a Used Boat
• Choosing Accessories
• Living on a Boat
• Cruising Offshore
• Sailing in the Caribbean
• Anchoring Skills
• Sailing Authors & Their Writings
• Mary's Journal
• Nautical Terms
• Cruising Sailboats for Sale
• List your Boat for Sale Here!
• Used Sailing Equipment for Sale
• Sell Your Unwanted Gear
• Sailing eBooks: Download them here!
• Your Sailboats
• Your Sailing Stories
• Your Fishing Stories
• Advertising
• What's New?
• Chartering a Sailboat
• Sailboat Advertisment Submission Form
• 'Elsa Jane' , an Irwin 43 Mk3 for Sale

Irwin 33 masthead sloop for sale

by Tony (Merritt Island, FL)

'Allorshas'

Under sail in Boston

• West Marine 8 Ft inflatable dinghy with sitting and cover.

Irwin 52 CC Ketch

(Annapolis MD)

Elsa Jane' under full sale

SORRY, NOW SOLD!

For more boats like this one that are currently for sale please go to Cruising Sailboats for Sale...

Recent Articles

Used Sailing Equipment For Sale

Feb 28, 24 05:58 AM

My Vagabond 47 Sailboat 'Untethered Soul' is for Sale

Feb 27, 24 12:40 PM

The Newport 41 Sailboat

Feb 24, 24 04:33 AM

Here's where to:

• Find  Used Sailboats for Sale...
• Find Used Sailing Gear for Sale...
• List your Sailboat for Sale...
• List your Used Sailing Gear...
• Sign-up for our newsletter, 'The Sailboat Cruiser' ...
• Identify this month's Mystery Boat...

Our eBooks...

A few of our Most Popular Pages...

Copyright © 2024  Dick McClary  Sailboat-Cruising.com

Irwin 40 citation

The irwin 40 citation is a 40.83ft masthead sloop designed by ted irwin and built in fiberglass by irwin yachts since 1978..

The Irwin 40 citation is a moderate weight sailboat which is a good performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser. The fuel capacity is originally small. There is a short water supply range.

Irwin 40 citation for sale elsewhere on the web:

Main features

Login or register to personnalize this screen.

You will be able to pin external links of your choice.

See how Sailboatlab works in video

We help you build your own hydraulic steering system - Lecomble & Schmitt

Accommodations

Builder data, modal title.

The content of your modal.

Personalize your sailboat data sheet

Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts.

• Sailboat Guide

1982 Irwin 40 Citation

• Description

Seller's Description

The Seller is reluctantly placing this outstanding 1982 Irwin 40 Citation on the market because of a job transfer. This vessel had been meticulously maintained and upgraded by the previous owner. The Seller has maintained this same standard of excellence over the past two years. The vessel is 408 long on deck; length at the waterline is 312; the beam is 122; draft with the center board up is 43; draft with the board down is 9. She weighs 16,890 pounds. Scheherazade is powered by a 2016 Yanmar 3JH5E producing 39 hp. The meter shows 150 hours of use on the diesel. Sail inventory includes a mainsail and furling jib renewed by Sail Care, including a new UV cover on the jib in 2018; an asymmetrical Spinnaker with dowsing sock in launching bag, purchased in 2014 and used once; Dutchman mainsail track and car system installed in 2015; Garthauer boom vang installed in 2015; Mac Pack sail cover/lazy jack system for mainsail installed in 2017; Harken MKIV furler installed in 2013; Garthauer E-Z Glide adjustable genoa car system installed in 2013.

A recent survey noted that this boat is in Good Condition with a fair market value of $50,000 and a replacement value of approximately $375,000.

Equipment: A partial list of upgrades by the previous owner include: PYI Packless Shaft Seal (2018) R&D flexible shaft coupling (2018) New Cutlass bearing (2018) Flatscreen Tv with built-in DVD player AM/FM stereo with CD player LED lights throughout the boat (interior and exterior) New Dodger with removable side panels and Bimini and attachable center panel (2018) New Winter cover made by North Shore Canvas (2018) Nauta fresh water tanks in custom cradles under settees (1) 33 gallon and (1) 52 gallon (2018) Air Silent X wind generator with on/off switch and amp output gauge mounted in cabin (2017) Yacht Thruster 300S Bow Thruster (2018) ProSport 20 battery charger for bow thruster batteries (2018) (2) Optima 34M Blue Top AGM batteries for bow thruster (2018) Webasto 9000 BTU reverse cycle air conditioning/heating system (2017) The bottom was soda blasted, faired and then coated with four coats of Interlux Interprotect 2000E, one coat of non-ablative paint as a tracer coat and two coats of Petit Hydrocoat EOC in 2016. The bottom was sanded and recoated with two coats of Petit Hydrocoat EOC in 2018.

More recent upgrades by the Seller include: Installed 260 watts of solar panels with Bluetooth solar charge controller (Victron) with excess capacity for additional panels Victron BMV712 bluetooth battery monitor Navionics charts Redport Global WIFI extender Twin Hornet 700w bilge heater Replaced most of the Marine Sanitation System hoses Installed Blue Sea Systems electrical panel Installed shower sump box Installed secondary low level bilge pump Installed bilge level alarm The boat was hauled in August 2020 at which time the bottom was painted with Petit Hydrocoat EOC, the centerboard line was replaced, the Dynaplate was replaced, new zincs were installed and repairs were made to the lower rudder bearing.

Electronics include a Standard Horizon Explorer GX1600 with Class D DCS at the Nac Station with RAM mike at the helm; B&G digital radar; B&G chart plotter on Zues 9 multi-function display with radar overlay at the helm; Garmin GPS at the Nav Station connected to the VHF radio for DCS; Standard Horizon DS100 digital depth and SL digital know/log gauges in cockpit with repeater at the Nav station. Electrical equipment includes Balmar 100 amp alternator with Balmar Max Charge MC-612 regulator; Xantrex True Charge 2 battery charger for house and starting batteries with digital readout and control mounted in the cabin; three AGM 105 AH house batteries and one AGM 75 AH starting battery; Air Silent X wind generator.

Tankage includes two aluminum LPG tanks (installed 2015); Isotemp 6 gallon water heater (2012); Nauta fresh water tanks noted above; 20 gallon holding tank.

Tender davits are mounted on the stern as is an outboard engine crane. Included is an 8 RIB with a 2020 Mercury 3.5 hp outboard.

This boat has been especially well cared for and is a tremendous value. Everything works and is as described. Given the current state of the market, this boat is expected to sell quickly.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Based on Ted Irwins 1982 SORC winning ‘Razzle Dazzle’.

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

View on SailboatListings.com

Embed this page on your own website by copying and pasting this code.

• About Sailboat Guide

©2024 Sea Time Tech, LLC

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Builders Row
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Irwin - Bluewater Capable???

• Add to quote

Looking to pick up a boat for upcoming "retirement" (term used loosely). Would like to get a boat in the 32'-37' range, capable of being handled by crew of 2 and one in a pinch. Looking at coastal shake-out cruises over the new few years with some multiple week trips south. Ultimately, will be taking on more offshore sails. Many boat manufacturers "claim" offshore capability. Have looked at Alberg 37, Allied Princess 36, and S2 11. Each has nice open layout but obviously there is a difference in bluewater capability. Question - are Irwin's built to handle these goals? If so, what models within the length constraints would you recommend? Thanx in advance for any advice you can provide - directed at Irwins or others. Keith  

As the proud owner of an Irwin 37, I would say it just depends on what type of blue water you are thinking about. If you are thinking about within a couple of hundred miles of the coast, or around the Gulf of Mexico or Carribean, an Irwin should do fine. If your goal is to cross oceans or sail around the world, I would probably look for something more heavy duty. The Irwin might do it, but would need some work to strengthen it up a bit. In the size you are looking at, either the Irwin 37 or 38 are good choices.  

NO. A "couple of hundred miles off the coast" is not coastal sailing. It is blue water and no place for an Irwin 37-38. (I owned a 44). They are fine affordable boats for COASTAL cruising and Bahamas etc.//// Took ours from Maine to Bahamas and was well satisfied. Much more liveable space than some of the others you are looking at...so it is all about what you really need.  

Thanx for the reply, folks. You've confirmed what I perceived of the Irwins - designed essentially for comfortable Caribbean coastal cruising. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and be safe.  

I strongly agree with camaraderie as we owned an Irwin 34 (now own a Hylas). We loved the Irwin and warmth of the teak cabin. Bought it in NJ so sailed the coast of NJ, NY then moved it to Lake Mead Las Vegas (which has gusts of over 50mph) then moved it to San Francisco and sailed all over the bay and Coastal Pacific when calm. But make no mistake, like same size hunters, cata, and beni its not blue water as the 34 gets weather helm real bad (with reduced sail) over 18knots and its simply not designed for for serious offshore. Take a close look at the hull, fittings etc. especially since the boats will be at least 20 years old now. Excellent boat for coastal & bay cruisng and best value for $ when all considered for weekend cruising.  

I've owned an 87 Irwin 38 Center Cockpit and now own an 82 Irwin 34. Both can been seen at A WebsiteBuilder Website - Home . I've had the 38 in some very rough water of the NJ coast and the Delaware Bay. Her pervious owner took her to the bahamas often. The 34 will be tested offshore in the next few weeks but I expect her to be 'capable' for offshore but I dont expect to push her. I'll be paying much more attention to the weather, etc. Both boats have lots of room and are well laid out. Good Luck  

We have an Irwin 32, 1988, and have owned her for 12 years. We sailed her mostly on Lake Ontario and she did great. She had some leaks we have fixed but she is fast and capable for what we are doing now which is Florida and the Bahamas, eventually. Wish she were larger but she is paid for and that makes her even more beautiful!! pmesmer  

Ihave a 80 irwin 37' and camaraderie could not be more right. I had the unpleasant experience of getting caught in wind in excess of 25-30 mph and unless you have the wind in your back, forget about it. It's next to impossible to hold the boat up against strong winds without having the iron genny running on full strottle.  

I have a 76 Irwin 37CC, I've had it for about three years and I haven't had the luck to take it out into the big blue, but I've been out on the Chesapeake by the Rappahanic River and my wife & I love her. She's got a full keel and is a ketch rig. The one major problem I've had is when there are light wind's, she doesn't want to go to windward at all, in fact after a couple of hours of trying to tack back & forth I found to my amazement that I had lost ground. We really like the boat overall though. Look at our pictures on the Irwin owners web site. Under mike & Glinda. Mike & Glinda McKee s/v Blue Bayou  

Irwin 37 - Blue Water Capable I have an Irwin 37' CC that I am currently strengthening for blue water capability. Yes, it is true the Irwin was not designed for blue water. However, the Irwin 37' has several features that make it adaptable for reasonable blue water cruising. The fiberglass hull is plenty strong - at least ¼" thick or greater. The boat is a good size, provides space - a little additional weight is ok - yet small enough that strengthening it is a reasonable endeavor based on strength of common materials. So far the areas that I have strengthened or plan on strengthening include: (1) The rigging. This depends on what you currently have. A rigger can give you recommendations. (2) The compression post. Both above and below the sole on my boat. (3) The bulkheads. Many of the bulkheads butt up against the headliner. The liner is only about 1/8" thick and there is a gap between the liner and deck. Adding support to the bulk head, either to fill the gap and/or adding additional materials alongside the existing bulkhead to extend to the deck. (4) The flooring and/or sole. The floor pan in the Irwin 37 is an important part of the structure. I'm adding reinforcement below the sole, and to the sole itself, to ensure the pan does not rack extensively. I think the original fuel tanks contributed to structure. So if you modified the tanks, consider their role in strengthening the boat. I would not recommend adding fiberglass to the connection points of the pan to the hull. The originally designed fiberglass hull has proven to be plenty strong over years of use. (5) The main salon is large for heavy weather sailing. Add extra hand holds and perhaps reinforcement to wall (roof). (6) Another weak spot, although not related to blue water capability, is the stern tube aft of the dead wood. I'd recommend adding fiberglass around the aft end of the stern tube from the outside. If any of you have additional engineering suggestions on where to strengthen and Irwin 37, I would appreciate the suggestions. If you want to criticize the idea of strengthening the Irwin 37, please give me specifics based on experience or measurements. I know the boat was not originally designed for blue water and may not be comfortable in heavy weather. All boats are a compromise.  

As a former Irwin44 owner and one who has several friends with 38's, I would say you are wasting your time and money trying to make a 38 "bluewater". While the glass itself is strong...the underlying structure of the boat...the hull to deck joint, the hull rigidity and the bulkhead integrity are not sufficient for extended bluewater cruising. If you are making improvements for the boat for coastal or Caribe short passage cruising, then fine. I loved my Irwin and it served us well...but it was not built to cross oceans and nothing you can reasonably do will make it so. You could get lucky...but do you want to NEED luck? Have you actually been in a gale in the ocean in your boat for a day or more or are you doing your work on the speculation that you can make it blue water capable?  

A Citation perhaps? You might want to consider a 35 or 38 Citation (aft cockpit) the rigs and other aspects of the boat are built a bit more rugged than some of the center cockpits. Be careful with Irwins built in the early to mid 80s, there were issues, Ted took hiatus and lawsuits were brought as to structural integrity and manufacturing issues. Dust settled in late 80s and some were even overbuilt as reaction to lawsuits and return of Ted Irwin to the factory. Valkyrie, 1988 Citation 35.5  

Irwin 38 I owned an Irwin 38 that I sailed all around Florida and the Bahamas. It is more of a classic looking vessel than the charter tubby Irwins that I suspect that most of you are talking about. Let's face it, many corners were cut in building this boat. However, she was strong and offshore capable. I had to do things like rewire the shore power, etc. And, if I were going offshore, I might redo the chainplates. And she leaked pretty good. But I never worried about her in bad weather.  

I'm guessing your's was an aft cockpit, Citation perhaps. I have had to rebed the keel, rebed the chainplates at the deck, tighten EVERYTHING, and I still need to replace the hatch lenses, ports and some of the running tackle. But when it comes to being sturdy, I've had this boat out in 25 Kt winds gusting to 30-35 with a 135 genny and full battened main and she didn't even blink. Although some of the people on board gasped and blinked. Once I'm done with her, I'd take her anywhere and probably will. I looked at some center cockpits that looked kinda flimsy and saw others that looked much better. Don't think for a min.that I favor the aft cockpits either. I saw one 86 Citation 35 with the forward bulkhead sprung. How the heck do you do that? I'd call that a manufacturing defect if I ever saw one. It's like everything else you buy used "illegitimii non carborundum", no wait that's not it, oh yea, "caveat emptor", well both actually. Bob s/v Valkyrie, 1988 Citation 35.5 BTW If anyone runs across another 1988 35.5 let me know. Thanks  

Mine was a 1971 aft cockpit 38, but not the citation. Lots of cheap stuff on it like the head enclosure bulkheads and the fiberboard cabnetry. Universal Atomic 4 that eventually seized up. No pressure water, no ice box. Leaked every where. Strong hull deck joint though. I would sail her anywhere.  

They came a long way between 1971 and 1988. Bulkheads and cabinets are all teak hardwood (teak marine plywood), Yanmar 3GM30 engine, Shure pump water pressure, good size icebox w/4" insulation. Fixed almost all the leaks (most at thru deck hardward - typical for a 20 yr old boat) and the hull deck joint has a full overlap with wood reinforcement rails and thru bolted. I have located most of the equipment used on the boat in the aftermarket and it is pretty much mainstream equipment with a smattering of some better quality stuff. When I made my Vang, I brought it to the local rigger for splicing the fiddle. When I told her what boat it was for, she said the Irwin Rig was very robust and I should consider stepping it up one size to match. I wouldn't think twice of sailing her anywhere after I tweak her a bit.  

Sinply ridiculous to consider these bluewater boats. There has NEVER been an overbuilt Irwin as these are modestly priced coastal cruisers or club racers. Offshore in a storm those nice teak laminate on plywood (and it ain't marine plywood) bulkheads will let go as the hull starts flexing and you'll wonder how the water got through that hull deck joint. Irwin made NICE boats for the money and we enjoyed our 44 immensely cruising full time for 3 years on her...but I would never confuse it or anything below it in the line with a blue water boat. The idea that Irwin quality varied by year is also unsupported by the facts. Some boats were made decently...others had shortcuts...nothing was ever overbuilt.  

Some one said 1/4 inch of FRP (to 80's standards of glass/mat/resin) and blue water all in the same sentence. Even without knowing the history of the boat, flex history of the hull etcc. That's Living life on the edge. My little tiny EU Open Ocean Category A rated Gemini is built better than that, and while other's have I would not take it open ocean. Island Packets (good rep Blue water boats) have 1.5 inches at the keel of glass alone: http://www.sailmag.com/features/IslandPacketFactory.pdf Catalina 30's, a good coastal boat - have 1/4 - 1/2 (varies depending on how hungover the factory worker was that day) of FRP down low. My seriously coastal only Hunter 31 had 1/4 of FRP - when the liner was pulled to replace it we could see sunlight glowing thru it, hence the move to a Gemini even for me. Equally important is how the hull is braced with framing, bulkhead and stringers, and how the deck is bonded. Th simple fact of the matter is the Irwin is a splendidly designed low cost charter boat designed for coastal and near coastal use. Not for crossing oceans. Can it be done? Certainly, with luck and big assed pumps on board and a crew to man them and caulk seams and do damage control. I could sail my 10.5 ft 1/4in plywood, glass coated dinghy to England tomorrow to. Maybe I'll start a blog and get some donations rolling in. Not for me, for my soon to be widow.  

I don't know who said 1/4 inch FRP but it is quite a bit thicker than that. I should know, I've drilled holes in it and tried real hard to poke one in her too, only managed to get about 1/2 way through the glass and was well past a 1/4 inch. Just my curiosity, how thick does uncoated FRP have to get before light no longer passes through it?  

My 1971 Irwin 38 was solid on the outside and cheap on the inside. It had great classic lines (hard to believe, right?) with a nice overhang stern. And the glass was thick. Over an inch. I have to dig out a picture becuase she is not the charter type Irwin everyone is talking about. As soon as I get to 10 posts, I will post a pic!  

jzk said: My 1971 Irwin 38 was solid on the outside and cheap on the inside. It had great classic lines (hard to believe, right?) with a nice overhang stern. And the glass was thick. Over an inch. I have to dig out a picture becuase she is not the charter type Irwin everyone is talking about. As soon as I get to 10 posts, I will post a pic! Click to expand...

Chuck, love the avatar. I'm jelous. ;- )  

bob chaisson said: Looks pretty good to me, if they actually did it that way. I know mine is thru bolted. Click to expand...

Note...my chopper gun comment was not to suggest that woven roving was not used where needed or even exclusively on some boats. Just that chopper gun work was common and not all sections of all Irwins were done by hand laid techniques. This was common in production boat building in the 70's and 80's. JZK...thanks for the picture and description. I have never seen one of those before...good looking hull!  

Sean, go to the irwinsailboat group at yahoo and post. I can contact you direct from there. Bob s/v Valkyrie, Irwin Citation 35.5  

• ?            
• 173.6K members

Top Contributors this Month