Late to the party. I actually own a Hinckley SW-42, which I cruise for 2+ months each season. A few points:
Yes, the hull is actually attached to the boat better than others. Any others. There is no other manufacturer I am aware of which does a similar hull to deck joint. In terms of overall construction quality, there are a few which deserve to be mentioned in the same breath - Lyman-Morse, Morris, Pacific Seacraft, etc., but only a few. Sure, glass is glass, but Hinckley has traditionally used the most expensive resins and cloths, and their glass work is superior. If you don't believe, come crawl through the
unfinished spaces of my boat and see for yourself. The interior fit and finish is lovely.
The SW-42 sails beautifully. She is faster than you think, but not a race boat. She has no bad habits, and balances beautifully. I go offshore with my wife and young son on a regular basis. She is old-school, with proper sea-berths with lee-cloths. She does not pound, and has a comfortable motion. She does not get stuffy at anchor, thanks to the large dorades. She is well ventilated. Every bunk has proper reading lights, the galley is wonderful at anchor or offshore.
She sails well and points well upwind, and does not overpower easily. The cockpit is large and comfortable. She is an excellent boat for daysailing, weekending, or extended cruising, but is also a safe, solid offshore boat.
Does it sound like I love my boat? It should, and I do. I never look at another boat with envy. She looks the way I think a boat should look, sails the way I think a boat should sail, and is built the way I think a boat should be built. I have never regretted for a moment spending the extra money to own this boat.
She does have one, significant drawback: She is expensive. Otherwise, everyone would own one. The varnish bills are not insignificant, put most of the boats come with covers for the major brightwork pieces, so 1-2 coats per year keeps the boat looking spectacular. She is my personal harbor beautification project.
That said, she is a family cruiser, not a museum piece. We were aboard for 8 weeks this summer with no gear or mechanical failures. The deck hardware is oversized, everything is rock solid and properly done. The installations are well done. My water tanks are 316L stainless, my fuel tank is Monel. You simply wouldn't believe the engine bed. I'm an engineer, and I appreciate things done right.
At $300K for a well maintained used boat, I think these are a pretty good deal, if you can stomach the ongoing maintenance.A new one would cost around $1 million, and would be the same hull. $300K is less than a Morris M36, and less than many new boats which are far less well made and less capable.
Remember, these are all custom boats, no two are the same. Make sure you like the layout of the one you're looking at. For the most part, owners take very good care of these boats. Any deficiencies in maintenance detract significantly from value, and should show up in a good survey.
If you want more info, or insight in specific aspects of the boat, send me a private message. I just finished 8 weeks aboard, and will be coming back to New England next week to sail her back to Maine for winter storage.
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