Except for the significant blistering that plagued the Uniflite hulls, most of the problems with Valiant 40 are typical of many boats of this era or easily fixable. Owners have learned to live with many of the issues that irked our testers. Most of them have been remedied in the later Valiant 42.

1. The trademark fin keel was offered in a deep (maximium 6 feet) and shoal draft versions (minimum 5’ 3”). Owners could also specify a draft in between the minimum and maximum, at 2-inch intervals.



2. The dual roller crowds the furler but serves its purpose. Some owners have added a small sprit, standard on the newer Valiant 42.



3. High quality silicon bronze seacocks thread directly onto the through hulls. Bolted, flanged seacocks are preferable.

4. A PVC chain pipe leads chain aft into the forepeak, but is prone to jamming. Some owners cut acces slots at the top for easy unjamming.

5. A lift-open hatch offers good access to the engine space.