Inside Our 1989 Hallberg-Rassy 42E: A Family-Sized Bluewater Yacht Tour

Have you ever wondered what it's like inside a Hallberg-Rassy sailboat? 

Step aboard our 1989 Hallberg-Rassy 42E, 'Asterie' for a full walkthrough. She's a true bluewater cruiser built for serious offshore sailing. See the layout, features, and liveaboard setup that make this boat a classic and excellent for sailing families.

Whether you're dreaming of full-time cruising or just curious about what a classic Hallberg-Rassy offers, this tour gives you a detailed look at what makes this 42-footer so special.

Welcome Aboard Our 1989 Hallberg-Rassy 42E

We're very happy to have you here!

Come onboard our Hallberg-Rassy 42E and watch our YouTube video for a full walkthrough of 'Asterie's' interior to see what it's like below decks. 

It will give you a good idea of the space that's down below and what it's like to live onboard a blue water cruising yacht.

She felt like a cosy log cabin to us and was incredibly easy to live on (we did for a few years without a break!)

Why we chose a Hallberg-Rassy 42E

'Asterie' was our home for three years. We upgraded to her from our first boat - a 1974 Dufour 34 - after we got pregnant and realised we wanted a second bedroom and a bit more space. 

We planned to sail long distances and wanted safety and comfort while we were doing that, especially as we'd have a little one onboard. 

To ensure we bought the right boat for us, we viewed a lot of boats and quickly dismissed all the others as either the layout didn't work for us, or parts were breaking during the viewings (which doesn't exactly fill you with confidence, knowing how rough the seas can be out there). 

There's just something about a Hallberg-Rassy that instils confidence in you, and we weren't disappointed. 

From an encapsulated medium-sized keel and skeg hung rudder, to a well-protected cockpit, really good water and fuel tank sizes, a solid build quality, and a good-sized separate shower in the heads - these were all features we loved.

The layout worked well for us, and we were very comfortable onboard. There was even space for a pram and lots of other baby paraphernalia onboard (although we did have to sacrifice one of the heads for this!)

Last but not least, the reputation of Hallberg-Rassy yachts is legendary. We knew we were buying a strong, well-built sailboat capable of coping with whatever the sea could throw at her (we always broke well before she did!) 

What's the Specification of our Hallberg-Rassy 42E?

Make: Hallberg-Rassy
Model: 42E
Year: 1989
Boat Name: Asterie
Hull Number: 227
Style: Centre Cockpit
Type: Sailing Cruiser
Rig: Sloop
Condition: Used
Hull Material: Fibreglass (GRP)
Number of Engines: 1
Fuel Type: Diesel
LOA: 12.93m / 42’ 5”
LWL: 10.50m / 34’ 5”
Beam: 3.78m / 12’ 4”
Draft: 2.05m / 6’ 8”
Displacement Weight: 11,500 kg / 25,353 lbs
Keel Weight: 4,500 kg / 9,920 lbs
Keel Type: Encapsulated Long Fin Keel
Accommodation: 8 berths in 3 cabins

How Big Are the Tanks Onboard?

Fuel: 395 litres / 87 gallons (1 x 250 litres and 1 x 145 litres) - stainless steel
Water: 725 litres / 161 gallons - GRP
Holding Tank: 40 litres / 8.8 gallons - stainless steel - forward heads only

When we lived at anchor, we could make the water in the tanks last for around three weeks at a time (if we were being careful!)

What's the Layout of the Hallberg-Rassy 42E?

There were two bedrooms, two heads, a good-sized galley, a comfortable sitting area (which could entertain a number of people), a chart table, a double wardrobe, and a separate engine room. There was also plenty of locker space throughout for belongings. 

The chart plotter wasn't always reliable (as you can see from the picture above!) as the charts needed updating, so we used it in conjunction with Navionics on our iPads. 

Additional Equipment

Saloon Clock & Barometer
Fusion Stereo System
2 x 6kg Calor Gas Cylinders
Insulated backstay (Asterie previously had an SSB onboard)
Watermaker thru-hull in place (Asterie previously had a watermaker onboard – there is no watermaker onboard now)

Accommodation

The cockpit is a generous size providing seating for 6-7 persons, wheel steering with a folding teak leafed table.

The galley is on the starboard side and equipped with double stainless steel sinks with pressurised hot and cold water, a Taylor gimballed stove (re-built in 2019) with two gas hob burners, a hob, gas grill and gas oven. Frigomatic 12v fridge in insulated 180 litre icebox. Ample cupboard storage for crockery, cooking pots and pans, cleaning items, drawers and dustbin.

We could cook up some excellent meals with this set-up and regularly cooked from scratch. Put it this way, we did not go hungry while we lived aboard!

Opposite the galley on the port side is a chart table with a chart locker, drawers, an electric switch panel and radio.

Behind the chart table mounted on the wall are the circuit breakers for the electric winches in the cockpit and the mast electric furling system.

Also mounted on the wall is the Victron solar charge controller for the solar panels, the Silentwind wind and solar hybrid charge controller (with space for more solar to be added) and a battery monitor.

There is a passageway leading to the aft cabin which also provides excellent access to the engine bay via large double doors which are removable.

The aft cabin provides three berths comprising of a double and a single. The cabin headroom is 1.85m.

We had a long shelf along the back wall and also space on the wide windowsills to store items. There was a single wardrobe, two large drawers and three cupboards spread around the cabin, which provided plenty of storage for items. 

Under the berths were the six leisure batteries and two engine batteries.

An escape deck hatch/window (with curtain) floods the room with light.

There are also two dorado vents, two 12v fans, one main ceiling light (with high and low setting), two reading lights on the walls and a CO monitor/alarm in the room.

The saloon and rear cabin are heated by a diesel heater (mounted in the engine room).

The aft cabin also has the luxury of an ensuite heads with separate shower area and an electric marine toilet (2015). It is also equipped with a large china wash basin mounted into the countertop with pressurised hot and cold water.

There is a lot of storage space in the two cupboards below the sink and behind the sliding doors above the sink. A large mirror is mounted on the wall.

Heading towards the bow, there is a passageway between the forward cabin and saloon which houses a double wardrobe to starboard with a cupboard above and also extra storage space that is open. 

There is second (main) heads to port opposite the double wardrobe. It has a separate shower cubicle, an electric Jabsco marine head (2013), a china wash basin, a large mirror and two large storage lockers. A third cupboard behind the heads houses the holding tank.

The forward cabin provides two comfortable berths and there is an infill cushion to allow the bed to become much larger. There is plenty of stowage room below the berths which is accessible via doors below the berths and also from above when the mattresses are lifted. 

There is much more storage above and in front of the berths also in multiple cupboard spaces (x7), two of which have shelves within them.

On the ceiling there is one main light (with high and low settings) and two reading lights are mounted on the walls. An escape deck hatch/window (with curtain) ensures the room is lovely and bright.

History of our 1989 Hallberg-Rassy 42E

Asterie was our home from July 2019 to May 2022. We bought her in Eastbourne on the South Coast of the UK and sailed her back to Falmouth, where we were based at the time as we were waiting for our little girl to be born (Robyn was 5.5 months pregnant at the time we bought her!)

Our ~220 nm journey back was an absolute breeze and we flew back. It would have taken us days in our previous boat but Asterie is a real mile muncher and made light work of the journey – a trait she proved to us over and over during our ownership.

We then sailed to the Isles of Scilly for a mini-break, back to Falmouth for the winter and had a baby(!). It turns out that boats are very well baby-proofed right out the box, but if you want to prepare further, read 'Going Sailing with an Infant Onboard' for 20+ tips. 

In July 2020, we set sail south. Our first passage was across the English Channel to Brest, France, where we then coastal hopped as far as the Morbihan. 

We made the big jump across Biscay from there with the two of us, a nine-month-old baby, and Scrappy (our dog) onboard. We landed in A Coruña, Northern Spain, just under 2.5 days later. 

Sailing around and exploring the Rias of Galicia, including the Cies Islands, was very enjoyable. After that, we sailed to Viana do Castelo, Portugal and continued hopping our way down the coast, encountering the fog that the Western Coast of Europe is well known for. Having radar on board definitely made a massive difference!

We reached the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal in late September 2020 and decided to spend winter 2020/21 in Portimao. We found it to be much warmer and drier than the British winters we were used to!

The season of 2021 began with a sail to the Rio Guadiana, which separates Portugal and Spain. We travelled a fair number of miles inland before heading back out to sea and across to Cadiz in Spain (a beautiful city and definitely worth a visit!)

We then coastal hopped down to La Linea, Spain  / Gibraltar before beginning our journey into the Mediterranean Sea along the Southern Coast of Spain. We got as far as Almerimar before turning around and heading back to Portugal. 

We completed our return journey to Portugal and spent winter 21/22 up the Guadiana River, spending the majority of our time at anchor.

We based ourselves in Alcoutim, Portugal / San Lucar, Spain, up the Guadiana River and had a memorable winter there. Our daughter began nursery during our time there for the first time!

Asterie is a very high quality boat with fantastic sea-keeping abilities. The tastier the weather gets, the more she digs her heels in and she relishes the chance to have a great sail while keeping us safe and comfortable inside.

We’ve been down below in 50 odd knots of wind yet you’d think there was far less wind outside than there actually was. We haven’t sailed on another boat that has made us feel as safe, secure and comfortable as Asterie has done. 

Why Did You Sell Her?

The only reason we sold Asterie was because having lived and travelled aboard a boat since June 2017 (on this boat and our previous boat, a 1974 Dufour 34), we were ready for a new adventure on land for a little while.

She was an amazing home for us and the first home for our little girl so we were very sad to see her go (and still regret selling her years later!).

Asterie is an excellent, solidly built vessel that proved herself multiple times over and kept us feeling very safe and comfortable on our travels.

She had an excellent amount of storage space throughout – we had so many things stashed away in her lazarettes, lockers and cupboards – you can easily load up and then live off-grid for long periods of time without needing to go back to land on a Hallberg-Rassy 42E. 

Would We Recommend a Hallberg-Rassy 42E as a Family Boat?

Absolutely, 100% yes! 

Asterie was an excellent family home for us for three years, and she allowed us to travel and see our world while we lived onboard. 

She is a very well built boat, and she kept us very safe, even during very rough weather. We encountered a rogue wave once that was half the height of our mast (around 9/10m). She took it in her stride - we were the mentally broken ones - not her!! I honestly believe we'd have had a very different outcome had we been on a different boat. 

If you are considering buying a Hallberg-Rassy 42E, we highly recommend them and hope you have a fantastic time cruising aboard one as we did.