E43 OVERVIEW

DESIGNER: Bob Johnson

PRODUCTION: 1978-1983

HULLS: 199 (the last hull number in our database)

E43 SPECIFICATIONS

LOA: 43'0"
(45' 3" w/bowsprit)

LWL: 35'0"

BEAM: 14'0"

DRAFT: 5'3"

DSPL: 33,000lbs

BALLAST: 12,000lbs
(internal lead)

DWL: 60' ???

SAIL AREA: 1,030 sq ft

100% FT: 467.5 sq ft

MAIN: 432 sq ft

I = 55.0'

J = 17.0'

P = 48.00'

E = 18.0'

PY = 30.0'

EY = 9.0'

See Rigging Specifications for specifics (sloop, cutter, ketch)

HEADROOM: 6'7"

BERTHS: ???

FUEL: 175 gal (diesel)

WATER: 200 gal

HOLDING TANK: 34 gal

E43 STATISTICS

D/L RATIO: 343.61
(less than 100 = ULDB
100-200 = light,
200-300 = medium,
+300 = heavy)

SA/D RATIO: 14
(14 = low, 22 = high)

BAL/D RATIO: 33.36%
(33-45 is average, higher=more stablitiy)

LWL/BEAM: 2.5
(2.3=low, 2.7=medium, 3.0=high)

CAPSIZE RATIO: 1.7
(Less than 2.0 is prefered)

MOTION COMFORT: 40.23
(RANGE = 5 - 60: Higher number means more comfort in a sea)

HULL SPEED: 7.9 knt

E43 PDF DOWNLOADS

E43 BROCHURES:
E43 Sail Plan

PERKINS:
PERKINS 4-154 Handbook
PERKINS 4-154 Manual
PERKINS 4-154 Parts Book

CAD DRAWINGS:
Files created by 1979 E43 (hull 183) owner, Allen Cowles
Hull 183 CAD Files (zip file)
Hull 183 PDF Files (zip file)

D E S I G N&H I S T O R Y

John Books and Rob Valdes always had Gulfstar in their sights as a market sector and identity for Endeavour—understandable given their background working at Gulfstar. Following the success for the Endeavour 32 and Endeavour 37 the design challenge presented to Bob Johnson was to create a new design for a roomy 2-stateroom mid-cockpit cruiser.
The Endeavour 43 comes from this first generation of sailboats from Endeavour Yachts, a yard that built its early reputation around simple, straight forward, shoal draft designs with big volume accommodation and mediocre sailing performance. True to that formula, the Endeavour 43 was penned by Robert Johnson as a heavy displacement center-cockpit cruiser with large comfortable living quarters and a shoal draft optimized for Florida sailing. The boat was first introduced in 1978, offered in both ketch and cutter rig options, and had a production run that lasted to 1984.
Owners tend to rave about their comfortable well styled accommodations with healthy 6′ 7″ of headroom. The boat can accommodate at least 6 between its forward and aft staterooms and settee berths in the generously sized saloon. The aft stateroom is a particular favorite. Saying the boat has ample stowage is probably an understatement.

H U L L&D E C K

The hull of the Endeavour 43 is molded as a single unit of a combination of polyester resin and fiberglass woven roving and multidirectional chopped strand fiber (MCSF). The keel is molded integrally with the hull and all ballast is encapsulated inside.
The deck and cockpit, like the hull, are molded as a single unit of a combination of polyester resin and fiberglass woven roving and MCSF. Plywood coring is incorporated between layers of fiberglass in the cabin top, deck, seat, and cockpit sole areas to give additional stiffness. The non-skid finish is molded into the deck. All exterior deck surfaces are a pigmented gelcoat molded onto the fiberglass.
The joint between the hull and deck is one of the most important assembly steps in the construction of a yacht. The method used by Endeavour is simple, strong, and reliable. During construction the top of the integral hull flange is liberally coated with a combination adhesive/sealant. The deck is then lowered onto the hull and fastened in place with stainless steel bolts. When the bolts are tightened the excess compound is is forced into all crevasses and out the sides. The teak cap is then installed, bedded in a heavy layer of the same compound and secured in place, doubly ensuring water tightness.

R U D D E R&S T E E R I N G

The rudder is molded as a single piece of solid high density foam with a protective skin of fiberglass and a gelcoat finish. The foam material is of high strength structural grade and has exceptional toughness. The rudder post, molded integrally inside rudder, is solid stainless steel, which is welded to a steel blade in the interior of the rudder. Where the rudder post passes through the hull, water tightness is ensured by means of a stuffing box.
The pedestal steering system installed on your yacht operates with stainless steel cables rotating a quadrant bolted and keyed to the rudder post. The cables run through a conduit attached to a massive steel support frame at the rudder and the motor mount and then to the pedestal where they are shackled to a stainless steel chain running over a sprocket on the steering steel shaft.

S P A R S&R I G G I N G

All spars (masts, booms, and spreaders) are extruded aluminum 6061-T6 alloy, with a protective coating an all external surfaces. The main mast on the E43 is stepped through the cabin roof onto the keel. The mizzen mast is stepped on deck with a supporting post or structure immediately under the mast.
The forestay attaches to the stem head fitting at the bow. This is fabricated of welded stainless steel and through bolted to the hull with back-up plates. All other stays and shrouds are attached to the chainplates at the edge of the deck. These chainplates are stainless steel fittings, through bolted to the hull. Additional fiberglass reinforcement is molded into the hull in all chainplate areas. All standing rigging is attached to the chainplates with adjustable turnbuckles that allow fine tuning of the rigging tension.
All halyards are stainless steel wire rope spliced to dacron line tails to minimize stretch, reduce windage aloft, and maximize service life. All halyards are run externally to the mast to facilitate inspection, repair, or replacement.

I N T E R I O R

The interior of the Endeavour 43 is built up of wood. First, a framework of floor timbers is constructed and placed in the bilge and heavily bonded in place with woven roving. A plywood sole is glued and screwed on top of these floor timbers and bonded to the hull all around its periphery with woven roving.
All timbers and plywood are saturated with polyester resin before assembly to seal all exposed wood. The entire sole is covered with teak parquet flooring, bonded in place to the hull with two layers of woven roving on both sides.
The interior is finished with varnished teak with soft white overheads. The interior layout is typical with a V-berth forward, the head (to starboard) and lockers (to port) which divide it from the main salon area which has a fold-up dining table with starboard settees and two captain’s chairs to port. Aft and to starboard is a forward facing navigation station. To port is the galley with double sink, Adler-Barbour refrigeration, a gimbaled 3-burner gas stove with oven. The engine area is insulated and has great access. The eight kilowatt Onan generator is located forward of the engine, and under the companionway ladder.
There is a walkthrough from the main salon to the aft stateroom on the port side of the engine room. On the hull side of the walkthrough is configured with storage lockers and either a work bench or pilot berth. The private owner's stateroom aft has a transverse queen size berth, large cedar lined hanging locker, chest of drawers, and a private head with shower. There are 14 opening ports (Beckson) and 4 large Atkins-Hoyle deck hatches (strong drop forged aluminum with 3/4" Lexan), one each over the v-berth and aft cabin and 2 over the salon area.

A U X I L I A R Y

We believe that almost all, if not all Endeavour 43s were originally equipped with a Perkins 4-154 (62 hp) auxiliary. The diesel is fitted with a mechanical gearbox transmission, typically a Hurth HBW series transmission.
The propeller shaft is made of 1-1/4" stainless steel. The propeller shaft is supported at the inboard, or engine end, by the shaft coup0ling. A square key is used to prevent turning of the shaft in the coupling. In addition, a stainless steel bolt with locking nut passes through the coupling and shaft to prevent backing out of the shaft in reverse. The shaft passes through the hull at the stuffing box. The prop shaft on the Endeavour 43 is supported at the aft end by a cutlass bearing mounted in a stainless steel shaft log bolted to a fiberglass skeg immediately aft of the keel. The skeg is integrally molded with the hull.
The standard propeller supplied with all Endeavour models is a solid bronze, two-blade type. It has a tapered bore that mates to the tapered shaft end and is held in place with two locking nuts and a cotter pin. A square key locks the propeller to the shaft p0reventing any rotational slippage of the prop. The E43 props available are: standard, 18x18 L.H. two blade; and optional, 18x17 L.H. three blade.

E L E C T R I C A LS Y S T E M

The electrical system has been designed to ensure as much trouble free operation as possible. Wiring and connections are kept as high in the interior of the yacht as practical to reduce exposure to water.  Virtually all wiring and connections are accessible by removing panels from under the side decks. All ships wiring is plastic coated stranded copper with crimp type connectors used at all junctions of terminals.
All D/C wiring is two wire, color coded: red (positive) and yellow (negative). All A/C wiring is three wire, color coded: black (hot), white (A/C common), and green (case ground).
Metallic fittings (through hulls, etc.) below the waterline are electrically bonded together with green plastic coated 8 gauge copper wire and connected to a common ships ground and this is done to minimize the effect of the electrolytic action when the boat is used in saltwater.
The D.C. system is powered by two 12-volt batteries connected in parallel to allow single or combined use. All shipboard D.C. equipmentruns from these batteries. The batteries are charged from the engine alternator only when the engine is running.
The A.C. system operates on a 115 volt, 60-cycle alternating current. Power is supplied from two 30 ampere shore service lines or from the installed Onan generator (believed to be an option).

BERNIE REVIEW

Mine drew 6 ft and I could easily beat a couple of those cult usa boats—just don't overpower the 43. I sailed her for 20 years and dragged the spreader in the waves twice then up she stood so no problem there just wished I had locked a few more cupboards.
I ran across the Pacific without the stern being pushed around and those swells are often huge just keep the sails pulling out in front.
Sadly wrecked on return to Australia pounded for 48 hours in huge surf waves came in boat stood up waves retreated boat crashed on bilge for 48 hours with a break at low tide.

- - - - - - -
With a 33,000 pound displacement, the Endeavour 43 has a comfortable motion and the ride is very dry. With her shoal draft keel, windward performance is sacrificed but then the E43 is a cruizing sailbaot optimized for reaching conditions and the shallows of Florida and Bahamas.