S/V Aurora is a Cambridge, Maryland based 1985 Nauticat 40 Pilothouse For Sale By Broker. Responses to inquiries may come from a broker who is representing the owner as a fiduciary. This owner requires financial settlement only. No trades.
Aurora is a 1985, 40′ Nauticat Pilothouse staysail ketch — a true classic bluewater yacht built to handle long passages while offering the comfortable livability required for extended cruising or full‑time liveaboard life. Nauticat Pilothouse models are well regarded for robust Scandinavian construction, a protected all‑weather helm, and seakindly, heavy‑displacement hulls that inspire confidence offshore.
The pilothouse provides an elevated, sheltered steering position with excellent visibility and quick access to the interior living spaces — a practical advantage in heavy weather and a welcome feature for long‑distance voyaging. The staysail ketch rig gives a versatile, easily balanced sail plan that simplifies sail handling and reefing options in a variety of wind and sea conditions.
Aurora’s interior layout is optimized for comfortable long‑term use: a full‑beam master stateroom aft delivers generous sleeping space and privacy, and is fitted with an ensuite head and an enclosed shower for convenience and comfort underway or at anchor. The arrangement and volume typical of Nauticat Pilothouse designs make provisioning, storage and systems access straightforward for extended passages or liveaboard operation.
With a mast/air draft of 62’6″ above the waterline, Aurora can transit many Intracoastal Waterway routes while still offering the performance and seakeeping expected of a bluewater platform. This combination of rugged build, practical accommodations and a manageable sail plan makes her an attractive option for cruisers seeking a capable passagemaker with liveaboard comfort.
Serious inquiries welcome — available for inspection, sea trial and survey. Please contact the listing broker for additional specifications, systems details and recent service history.
Videos
Specifications
| Name | S/V Aurora |
| Make | Nauticat |
| Model | 40 Pilothouse |
| Year | 1985 |
| Type | Monohull Sailboat |
| Builder | Siltala Yachts |
| Designer | Sparkman & Stevens |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| Cabins | 2 |
| Heads | 2 |
| Galley | Down, port forward |
Dimensions
| Loa | 40ft / 12.19m |
| Lwl | 32ft 8in / 9.96m |
| Beam | 13ft 1in / 3.99m |
| Headroom | 6 ft 5 in |
| Draft | 5ft 10in / 1.78m |
| Mast Height | 62ft 6in |
Tankage
| Fuel Tanks | 180 gallons |
| Water Tanks | 200 gallons |
| Holding Tanks | 45 |
Performance
| Engines | 90HP Ford Lehman Super 90 |
| Engine Hours | 4903 |
| Generator | Northern Lights M673D.3 3.5 kW |
| Gen Hours | 1396 |
| Displacement | 30865 lbs |
| Sails | Mainsail, mizzen, genoa 115%, staysail (2020), spinnaker |
Layout Diagram
Inventory
Vessel Summary
- Name: Aurora
- Year: 1985
- LOA: 40' Nauticat Pilothouse Staysail Ketch
- Air draft: 62'6" (height from waterline to top of mast)
- Engine: Ford Lehman Super 90, 90 HP (approx 4,903 hours)
- Generator: Northern Lights M673D.3, 3.5 kW (approx 1,396 hours)
- Propulsion and shaft: Max-Prop classic propeller; PYI dripless shaft seal (2024); New Cutlass bearing (2024)
- Bowthruster: Vetus
- Additional major systems: Rainman watermaker; solar panels; Starlink satellite internet; Doyle mainsail stack pack; new standing rigging (2020)
- Layout note: Full-beam master stateroom aft with ensuite head and enclosed shower; good liveaboard/bluewater cruising layout; 62'6" height allows ICW cruising
Vessel Walkthrough
- Aftdeck access to side decks or cockpit
- Cockpit: seating on each side, Garelick helmseat port aft, helm pedestal
- Companionway down into pilothouse
- Pilothouse: wrap-around seating with removable table to port; lower helm starboard forward; storage cabinetry and electronics to starboard; companionway to master stateroom starboard aft
- Forward from pilothouse down: galley to port, dinette to starboard
- Forward of galley/dinette: guest head to starboard, guest stateroom forward (v-berth)
- Engine and auxiliary access via salon sole hatches
Dimensions and Berths
- Cockpit headroom: 6'4"
- Pilothouse headroom: 6'5"
- Master stateroom headroom: 6'2"
- Master stateroom shower headroom: 5'8"
- Galley and dinette headroom: 6'5"
- Guest stateroom headroom: 6'5"
- Pilothouse berth length: 7'
- Master stateroom berth length: 6'10" (centerline queen)
- Master stateroom berth type: full-beam centerline queen
- Guest stateroom berths: v-berth berths 6'5" long with insert; upper single berth to port 6'5"
- Dinette berth length: 6'5"
Accommodations
- Master stateroom aft: full-beam, centerline queen, storage under berth, teak and holly sole, storage cabinets and drawers, shelves, 2 hanging lockers, 7 portlights with curtains, overhead hatch with screen, fan, benchseat with storage port forward, reading lights, ensuite head with enclosed shower
- Guest stateroom forward: v-berth with insert, upper single berth to port, fan, overhead hatch with screen, storage cabinets, hanging locker, reading lights, head access starboard aft
- Heads: Guest head currently has composting head; original Vacuflush head in storage and available
- Additional berths: Dinette converts to single berth; pilothouse settee converts to single berth
- Saloon and pilothouse seating: wrap-around seating in pilothouse with removable table
Pilothouse
- Wrap-around seating with storage and removable table to port
- Lower helm starboard forward
- Teak and holly sole
- 2 overhead hatches with screens
- Side windows with curtains
- Overhead fan
- Electronics and navigation displays (see Electronics section)
Galley
- Location: Down galley, port forward
- Force 10 3-burner propane cooktop and oven
- Sea Frost cold-plate refrigeration
- Westinghouse microwave oven
- Engle portable freezer
- Double stainless steel sinks
- Storage cabinets and drawers
- Shelves
- Overhead hatch with screen
- Teak and holly sole
- Storage under dinette seating
- Magma stainless steel BBQ grill on aftdeck
Dining
- Dinette across from galley converts to dining and a single berth
- Additional dining space: pilothouse port seating and table
Cockpit
- Garelick helmseat
- Benchseat with storage on each side
- Fold-up table
- Bimini and dodger
- Helm pedestal
- Engine control and Morse engine control linkage
- Bowthruster control
- Electronics and instrument displays (see Electronics section)
Aftdeck
- Teak deck
- Transom gate
- Magma stainless steel BBQ grill
- Same-level side deck access
- Teak cap rails on stainless steel stanchions with netting
- Stainless steel and teak swim ladder
- Powered aluminum tender davits
Audio Visual Equipment
- Sony MEX-M70BT stereo in the pilothouse
- Polyplaner and Clarion interior speakers
- Polyplaner exterior speakers
Electronics
- Raymarine Quantum radar
- Vesper Marine Watchmate Vision AIS transponder
- Raymarine Axiom 9 MFD in Navpod in cockpit
- Raymarine Axiom 12 MFD in pilothouse
- Raymarine Evo 400 autopilot (cockpit and pilothouse)
- Raymarine wireless autopilot remote control
- Raymarine ST60 tridata and wind displays in cockpit
- Raymarine ST60 wind and depth displays in pilothouse
- Autohelm wind display in pilothouse
- Icom Commandmic III VHF in cockpit
- Icom IC-M504 VHF in pilothouse
- Icom IC-M802 SSB in pilothouse
- Suunto D-165 magnetic compass in cockpit
- Ship's Head magnetic compass in pilothouse
- Ritchie Powerdamp magnetic compass in pilothouse
- Seth Thomas clock and barometer
- Starlink satellite internet system
Electrical System
- Northern Lights M673D.3 3.5 kW generator (approx 1,396 hours)
- Xantrex Freedom Marine battery charger (inverter side not connected)
- Xantrex Link 2000 battery monitor
- 3 × Northstar NSB-AGM 8D batteries
- 2 × 12 VDC outlets in pilothouse and 1 in cockpit
- Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 charge controller
- Genasun solar controller
- Bestek 500 watt inverter dedicated for Starlink system
- 30 amp shore power cord
- Solar array: 120 watt panel aft; 2 × 100 watt panels on cockpit bimini; 2 × 100 watt flexible panels
Engine and Mechanical Equipment
- Ford Lehman Super 90 main auxiliary, 90 HP (approx 4,903 hours)
- Borg Warner Velvet Drive gearbox
- Morse engine control
- VDO gauges
- Groco sea strainers
- PYI dripless shaft seal (2024)
- New Cutlass bearing (2024)
- Vetus bowthruster
- Ocean Breeze reverse cycle air conditioning/heating system
- Rainman watermaker
- Raritan 20 gallon water heater
- Tankwatch holding tank level monitor system
- MaxProp classic propeller
- Line cutter
Deck Equipment
- Maxwell anchor windlass with foot controls and remote in pilothouse (new windlass motor)
- Rocna Vulcan 75 lb anchor
- Lewmar 68 lb claw anchor
- Danforth anchor
- Stainless steel and teak pulpit
- Teak decks with solid fiberglass underlay
- Stainless steel rails forward
- Teak cap rails on stainless steel stanchions (port, starboard, aft)
- Dorade vents
- Windshield covers
- Aluminum deck hardware
- Boarding gate on each side
- Stainless steel and teak swim ladder
- 4 rod holders
- Powered aluminum tender davits
Sails and Rigging
- Selden aluminum masts and booms
- Selden Rod Kicker 20
- Doyle mainsail stack pack
- Harken roller furlers
- Schaeffer travelers
- Wire standing rigging replaced in 2020
- Dacron braid running rigging replaced in 2020
- Anderson 16 2-speed winch
- Anderson 10 winch
- 2 × Lewmar 48 self-tailing winches
- 3 × Lewmar 30 self-tailing winches
- Whisker pole
- Spinlock rope clutches
- Sails included: mainsail, mizzen, genoa 115%, staysail (2020), spinnaker
Safety and Fire Protection
- Fireboy Halon 1301 engine room fire suppression system with remote panel (inspected and tagged 2024)
- Portable fire extinguishers
- First Alert smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Bass propane control system in galley
- Whale manual bilge pump
- Rule automatic bilge pumps
- Radar reflector
- Loudhailer
- ACR GlobalFix EPIRB
- ACR RapidFix 406 EPIRB
- Lifesling overboard recovery system
Exclusions
- Sellers' personal belongings
Disclaimer
- Vessel details offered in good faith; accuracy and condition not guaranteed; buyer should verify via agents or surveyors
- Engine hours and system hours are representations from owner or instrument readings and should be verified by purchaser or agent
Exterior Photos
Deck Photos
Interior Photos
Other Photos
