The Evolution of Modern Day Cruising: Discovering the Saxdor 400 Series
Modern cruising has quietly changed shape. For years the decision was binary: a sport boat you took out for an afternoon, or a flybridge cruiser you moved aboard for a week. The Saxdor 400 Series was built for everyone who wanted both, and it is now one of the most requested ranges we represent in Colombia and Panama.
The idea behind it is disciplined. Saxdor builds all three 400s on the same twin-stepped hull and the same 40.68 ft platform, then changes almost everything above the gunwale. One boat, three personalities — and three genuinely different ways to spend a day on the water.
One platform, three personalities
400 GTO — the hardtop
The GTO carries a full-beam hardtop over the cockpit, so there is real shade at anchor and real shelter under way. The sides can be closed in with clear screens when the weather turns, which makes it the most usable of the three on a long, bright Caribbean day. Saxdor’s own line for it — your private island — is a fair description of how it is used.
400 GTC — the all-weather cruiser
The GTC is the one that turns the platform into a cruiser. Glazed side and aft doors, sliding glass to both sides, an electric sunroof, bi-fold aft doors and a lifting rear window let you close the saloon completely or open it end to end. It is the model to look at if you plan on early starts, rain, air conditioning under way, or nights aboard rather than afternoons.
400 GTS — open air
The GTS strips the formula back. The cockpit is completely open, the helm sits centrally, and the deck is laid out around movement rather than shelter. It is also the quickest of the three: a slightly finer package and a lighter load take it to 50 knots where the GTO and GTC top out at 45.
The numbers, side by side
These are the figures from the specification sheets we publish on each model page.
| 400 GTO | 400 GTC | 400 GTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 40.68 ft | 40.68 ft | 40.68 ft |
| Beam | 11.65 ft | 11.65 ft | 11.65 ft |
| Draft | 2.1 ft | 2.1 ft | 2.13 ft |
| Cabins / berths | 1–2 / 2–4 | 1–2 / 2–4 | 1–2 / 2–4 |
| Engines | Twin outboard | Twin outboard | Twin outboard |
| Power | 700–850 hp | 700–850 hp | 600–850 hp |
| Max speed | 45 kn | 45 kn | 50 kn |
| Fuel | 1,000 L | 1,000 L | 900 L |
| Fresh water | 210 L | 210 L | 170 L |
| CE category | B | B | B |
Why the deck layout matters more than the top speed
Saxdor calls all three models semi-walkarounds, and that is the detail that changes daily life aboard. The side decks are asymmetric: one side is wide enough to walk forward comfortably with a line in your hand, which buys interior volume on the other. On a 40-footer that decision is worth more than a few extra knots.
A 2.1 ft draft matters just as much on this coast. It is what lets a 400 sit close in over sand at the Rosario Islands, or work its way into shallow water in Guna Yala, where a deeper cruiser has to stand off and send the tender.
- Twin outboards keep the engine room out of the accommodation and make servicing simple — a real advantage where you are relying on a local yard.
- The twin-stepped hull is shared across the range, so the ride is consistent whichever superstructure you choose.
- CE category B on all three: offshore-capable coastal cruising, which covers everything from Cartagena to the San Bernardo islands.
Where the 400 sits in the range
Saxdor builds from 20 to 46 feet. The 400 is the point where the range stops being a day boat and starts being a weekend boat — and above it sits the 460, which is the flagship: 47.24 ft, triple outboards from 900 to 1,275 hp, and up to 50 knots. The 460 GTS is built in vacuum-infused GRP on a twin-stepped 20.5° V, with side terraces that fold out to widen the cockpit at anchor.
See one in Colombia or Panama
We represent Saxdor across Colombia and Panama, with sea trials arranged from Cartagena and from our partner yard in Panama. If you are choosing between the GTO, the GTC and the GTS, the fastest way to decide is an hour on the water in two of them.
Write to ventas@elite-yachts.com or call +57 320 856 5010.
