1981 Allied Mistress Mk III

Step aboard and you’ll notice how solid and reassuring this Mistress feels underfoot—thick glass, substantial fittings, and gear chosen by someone who actually goes offshore. The ketch rig keeps sail sizes manageable, and all the key controls fall easily to hand from the cockpit, making short-handed passages less work and more pleasure. Down below, the layout gives real separation between the forward and aft spaces, so guests and owners both get privacy at anchor. Big tankage and generous storage let you stock up for long stretches off the grid, while the hardtop and enclosure turn the cockpit into an extra living room in foul weather. This is a boat built for people who actually sail, not just talk about it.

In these waters, where shoal passages, afternoon squalls, and week-long cold fronts all share the same chart, the Mistress Mk III hits a sweet spot. Her long keel and moderate draft let you tuck into protected anchorages other 40-footers can’t reach, yet she tracks straight and steady on longer coastal legs. The ketch rig makes it easy to shorten down when the breeze pipes up, keeping the boat balanced without drama. When it’s blazing hot or pouring rain, that enclosed cockpit becomes a sheltered watchstanding and lounging area. Combine that with her proven offshore pedigree, and you’ve got a cruiser equally at home gunkholing nearby islands or stretching out to the next horizon.