White Rabbit - J BOATS FOR SALE

1986 40' Sailing Yacht — United States

A timeless 40-foot sailing yacht with classic lines and purposeful poise, this 1986 monohull blends bluewater spirit with the comfort and grace of a true cruiser. Lying in the United States, she presents as an elegant Sailing Yacht and Coastal Cruiser, equally suited to unhurried weekend escapes or ambitious passages where reliability, balance, and seakindly motion matter most.

Crafted with a robust fiberglass hull and a weight-conscious composite deck, the yacht delivers the reassuring strength and durability discerning sailors expect. Her 12-foot beam offers a stable platform underway and a notably generous interior volume at rest. A deep-draft underbody rewards the helmsman with confident tracking and powerful upwind drive—hallmarks of a capable Bluewater Cruiser designed to carry you surely through shifting seas.

On deck, proportions feel right: a secure, social cockpit for long watches and easy conversation, broad side decks that invite movement forward, and a clean, purpose-built layout that keeps sail handling intuitive. Hardware and handholds fall readily to hand, underscoring a yacht conceived for safety, control, and unruffled passagemaking.

Below, the atmosphere is warm, practical, and surprisingly spacious for a yacht of this size. Thoughtful separation of living zones makes life aboard effortless, whether you’re entertaining a crew or savoring quiet evenings at anchor. Two heads are a rare luxury in a 40-footer, adding privacy and versatility that liveaboard cruisers and extended-voyage sailors will appreciate. Tankage has been considered with cruising in mind: approximately 77 gallons of freshwater provides welcome autonomy, while about 35 gallons of diesel pairs with an efficient single inboard Yanmar to deliver dependable range and low-stress maneuvering in any harbor. The result is a Liveaboard-friendly Performance Cruiser ethos—capable, comfortable, and confidence-inspiring.

From her solid footing under sail to her welcoming interior, this 1986 classic promises the enduring satisfaction that only a well-conceived Sailing Yacht can deliver. For those seeking a fiberglass Monohull with composite decking, an economical diesel inboard, and the demeanor of a true Offshore Cruiser, she offers a compelling blend of heritage, capability, and understated luxury—ready to carry you from coastal passages to horizon-stretching adventures with grace.

Description

Fresh from a refit with all-new standing rigging and a new roller furler, the J/40—introduced in 1985 and long celebrated for setting a new standard in performance cruising—remains fast, simple to sail, and effortless to handle by a couple or even single-handed. “White Rabbit” is poised to slip lines and cruise the Salish Sea in comfort, from Olympia to Alaska.

Overview

Below decks, a varnished sole and oiled teak interior frame two private cabins, designed for warmth, light, and practicality. The forward cabin offers a large V‑berth with a filler section, teak‑lined hanging lockers, a bureau, a full‑length door mirror, bookshelves, two swiveling reading lights, and abundant ventilation via opening ports and an overhead hatch. Aft to port, the head includes a shower, mirror, vanity cabinet, and a large wet hanging locker. In the main cabin, an L‑shaped settee to port conceals backrest storage compartments while shelves and cabinets line both port and starboard; the teak main cabin table folds neatly up against the main bulkhead to open floor space. The navigation area is generous, with a 24x36-inch chart table featuring dedicated chart storage, a navigation equipment bin, and overhead electrical and instrumentation panels. A teak and vinyl headliner keeps the space bright, with access to forward and aft chain/rope lockers at the ends of the stateroom berths. Comfort is ensured by an Artic forced‑air diesel heating system, and the salon settees were re‑upholstered in leather in 1993. Sleeping flexibility abounds with a double pull‑out main salon berth to port and a starboard seat back that hinges up to form upper and lower berths, secured by lee cloths; a clock and barometer complete the ambiance.

On deck and beneath, the structure is confidence‑inspiring: Baltek balsa laminate construction carries ABS A‑1 offshore hull certification, a lead 6,500 fin keel is both bolted and bonded to a molded stub, and the white hull is finished with grey non‑skid. Deck detailing includes a large cockpit locker to port, a vertical aft anchor locker, three molded Dorade boxes with cowls, teak handrails on the cabin trunk, and a propane locker with two bottles, supplemented by new station bases added in 2020.

The drive train is ready for serious miles: a Yanmar 3JH4E 42 hp diesel was installed in December 2004, paired with a ZF25A transmission installed in December 2021. A new starter arrived in 2022. Propulsion is via a Max Prop 19-inch three‑blade feathering propeller installed in December 2004, with a new shaft and cutlass bearing fitted at the same time. Spares include Martec two‑blade folding and three‑blade fixed propellers.

Power on the lines is substantial and well organized. Primary winches are two three‑speed self‑tailing Barient #32 units; secondary winches are two two‑speed self‑tailing Barient 28+ units in chrome. The mainsheet is managed by two two‑speed self‑tailing Barient 24s in chrome, while halyards are handled by four two‑speed self‑tailing Barient 22s in chrome. Rope handling is further enhanced with new rope clutches installed in 2022.

Safety equipment is thoughtfully comprehensive: a Lifesling with tackle, a manual bilge pump in the cockpit, horn, flare gun with up‑to‑date flares, stern ladder, carbon monoxide detector, and wooden tapered plugs for each through‑hull, along with a horseshoe life ring added in 2022. Exterior lighting promotes visibility and certainty after dark, with a masthead tri‑color featuring an anchor light, red and green navigation lights at the bow, a white steaming light and foredeck light on the mast, and a white stern navigation light; the binnacle compass, engine panel, knotmeter, wind speed and direction indicator, and depth sounder are all lighted.

The rig has been freshly renewed, with all new standing rigging and Harken roller furling completed in March 2024. The sail inventory is equally seamanlike: a new mainsail by Ballard Sails from 2021, a stack‑pack sail cover from 2019, and a Harken Battcar system on the mainsail luff. Headsails include a 100% Dacron roller‑furling jib in good condition, a Dacron winter sail in good condition, and a Kevlar 90% heavy‑air jib. The aluminum spinnaker pole is 1 foot longer than the “J” dimension, and there are two spinnakers aboard. A spare Dacron mainsail is included (not usable with the Battcar system). Control lines are current, with reef lines, the furling line, and jib sheets refreshed between 2019 and 2021.

Sail shape control is refined by hydraulics, with both the backstay and the boom vang on a Navtech hydraulic system; all hoses and fittings were replaced in 2000. For self‑steering, two Navico WP 500 wheel autopilots are aboard but are not operational. Radar coverage is via a Raytheon R72 CRT with an antenna on a stern‑mounted pole.

Instrumentation is clear and capable: apparent wind direction and speed are displayed, aided by a new masthead transducer and windex added in 2024; boat speed, depth, and a timer are provided, with two cockpit repeaters added in 1990. Navigation support includes a Garmin GPS and three compasses— a Ritchie “Globemaster” binnacle‑mounted at the wheel, a Plastimo “Contest” on the bridge deck under the companionway, and a Ritchie on the cabin top forward of the companionway. All three compasses are in need of repair, which will be completed prior to sale. Aboard are various local paper charts, parallel rules, dividers, and the navigation rules and regulations.

Communications and entertainment are well covered with two VHF radios, including a Standard Horizon above the chart table, while a JVC AM/FM radio, a cassette deck, and a Pioneer six‑disk CD player are located over the chart table. Sound carries crisply through Bose speakers in the salon and waterproof speakers in the cockpit.

The galley is arranged for extended cruising with a double stainless‑steel sink supplying hot and cold pressure water and a separate faucet for chilled, filtered water via a Seagull system. Refrigeration is by an Auto Therm refrigerator/freezer, electrically operated with a compressor under the sink in the aft head; heat from the compressor thoughtfully warms the hanging locker. Cooking options include a Seward “Princess” three‑burner propane stove with oven and a single‑burner, bulkhead‑mounted gimbaled stove that comes with a coffee pot and a small soup pot. On deck, meals come with a view thanks to a rail‑mounted Magma Kettle propane BBQ in the cockpit.

There are two heads, each with hot and cold pressure water, sink, shower, and toilet, with both toilets replaced in 2000. For rinsing off after a swim or a wet dinghy ride, there is a handheld hot‑and‑cold shower in the cockpit. Cabin heat is via an Ardic forced‑air diesel heater with thermostat.

Electrical systems are straightforward: AC shore power is 30 amp with a 50‑foot power cord; a built‑in “Smart Charge” battery charger and an inverter handle conversion and charging. DC power is 12V, supplied by four 12V gel batteries. Steering is by an Edison stainless‑steel wheel with a leather cover, and a new steering quadrant was installed in 2022.

Ground tackle is equally robust. The Lewmar electric vertical windlass makes light work of hoisting anchors. Primary ground tackle includes one 35 lb Bruce on the bow roller with 200 feet of 5/16-inch ACCO G4 chain, and a secondary 25 lb Danforth stored in its own cockpit locker with 150 feet of 3/8‑inch nylon rode.

A thoughtful suite of spares and extras accompanies the boat: a U.S. flag on staff, a teak binocular/drink holder that attaches to the pedestal, and spare parts for steering, winches, toilets, the engine, and the BBQ. Extra jib sheets, docking lines, an anchor line, and a poly stern tie line are aboard, along with extra cars and turning blocks, locking winch handles, an emergency tiller, a washdown pump and hoses with a plug‑in on the cabin side, an automatic bilge pump with counter, and a vacuum pump oil changer. Deck plates for the Dorades, the J‑40 Owner’s Manual, and manuals for most equipment on board complete the package.

Exclusions are straightforward: all seller’s personal effects on board are excluded from the sale of this vessel.