![]() The ballast is lead and the rudder is foam with a thin layer of glass over it. The finish is quite nice, actually better than most would suspect with excellent joinerwork and teak trim. The interior bulkheads are securely tabbed to the hull and a molded liner is used on the cabin sides and overhead liner. The hull-to-deck joint is the conventional inward facing flange and is both chemically and mechanically fastened. The deck is balsa-cored in most places and plywood was used in high-load areas. The Cal 39 hull is solid glass and laid up fairly robust. ![]() And while these boats are not well known for their construction they have held up well over the years. The construction of the Cal 39 was in keeping with other boats built by Bangor Punta and later Lear Siegler, including O'Day, Jeanneau and Ranger sailboats. The sail area/displacement ratio is a respectable 16.2, not a light air demon but a very good all-around performer-just what I want in a cruising boat. Two rigs were offered-the standard keel-stepped spar with an air draft of 55 feet and the optional tall rig that adds a few feet to the mast and about 50 feet of sail area. The spade rudder is placed well aft, a Lapworth hallmark, and results in excellent steering control, especially when running in big seas. Displacement is 17,000 pounds resulting in a displacement/length ratio of 257, which means that the boat can be loaded up and still sail well. Two keels were available-the standard 6 foot, 8 inch deep-draft and a 5 foot, 6 inch shoal-draft model. The hull shape looks right, the boat rides smoothly in the water, like it belongs there, and the boat grows on you the longer you stare at it.īelow the waterline, the 39 has a moderate forefoot that trails into a large fin keel. Freeboard is moderate, which translates into low when compared with today's boats, and there is a fair bit of overhang forward and a rakish reverse transom. If you step back and look closely you'll note that the boat has a subtle but handsome sheerline and that the coachroof flows naturally with the curve of the deck. ![]() Like many Lapworth designs, the Cal 39 does not overwhelm you when you first see it bobbing between pilings. Somewhere around 150 39s were built and unlike many forgettable boats of this time, the Cal 39 has maintained its financial value. It was a genuine performance cruiser before there really was such an animal, and as such, the design not only seems less dated than others from this period, it is still highly desirable as a capable and affordable cruiser. Still, when all the glass cures, it is really the design that carries the day, and in typical fashion Lapworth was ahead of the curve with the 39. Launched in 1978, the Cal 39 was built during the hectic period when Cal's manufacturing shifted to Tampa, Florida, and then up to Fall River, Massachusetts, as the company struggled to re-establish its identity. And yet, if you ask yacht brokers around the country what model Cal they would most like to list, there is a good chance they'd say a mid-1980s Cal 39. Somewhere along the way, as boats became inventory instead of the inspirations of idealistic men, the magic waned. Jenson sold the company shortly afterward to Banga Punta, a corporate monolith, which later sold it to Lear Siegler, an even larger, soulless conglomerate that built everything from vacuum cleaners to nuclear warheads. Yes, these were the glory days for Cal but they didn't last. Jenson Marine was better known by its brand, Cal, and just take a look at the company's boats for 1965: The Cal 20, 25, 28, 34, 36 and, of course, the 40-literally a hall of fame lineup. Jack Jenson, the builder, and Bill Lapworth, the designer, combined their unique talents to produce several memorable boats during the nascent days of fiberglass boatbuilding, otherwise known as the 1960s. ![]() Bill Lapworth's revolutionary performance cruiser still shines today
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