A South African–built owner's-version catamaran, refined by six years of full-time cruising and ready to sail away from Grenada.
Tied up in Prickly Bay, Grenada, the 2008 Admiral 40 Executive S/V Only Sand is the kind of catamaran that quietly makes its case the moment you step aboard. Chris Rundlett of LTD Sailing School & Yacht Brokerage, in partnership with The Multihull Company, walks through her alongside co-host Chrystal — and what emerges is a picture of a well-built South African cat that’s been genuinely improved by an owner who lives on her.
The Executive designation refers to Admiral’s owner’s-version layout: the entire starboard hull is dedicated to the owner, with a generous aft cabin, a real mattress tucked into the berth, and a large forward head with a separate stall shower. Port side carries two guest cabins, giving a three-cabin arrangement that suits a cruising couple who occasionally host friends and family.
A Salon That Lives Big
The saloon is the first thing that reads as bigger than the boat’s 40 feet. Tall side windows tie into overhead glazing, flooding the interior with light, and an open cutout on the inboard edge looks down into the hull — a small design choice that keeps the whole main deck feeling connected. Owners Daryl and Leanne swapped the original oversized dinette for a custom low-rise table with proper lounging seating, so the space now works for hanging out and watching TV, not just eating. The TV itself lives on a motorized arm that lowers on the push of a button and stows out of the way.
The galley is Leanne’s favorite corner, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a proper U-shape — the kind of bracing arrangement that actually matters when you’re cooking underway, even on a catamaran. Twin sinks, a pull-down sprayer, and a sunk-in stove that covers over to add counter space keep it practical. Storage is everywhere: a built-in spice rack, a built-in wine rack, hidden compartments under the companionway steps, and cabinet doors seemingly on every surface.
Cold Storage, Power, and the Victron Brain
Cold storage on Only Sand is, in Chris’s word, crazy. There’s a dual-zone Dometic 12-volt fridge/freezer that can be configured either way, a front-loading fridge and separate front-loading freezer with compartmentalized bins, a Yeti that doubles as cockpit seating, and a countertop ice maker below.
Power comes from a solar array on the aft arch feeding a Victron system built around a Cerbo GX controller. Daryl has integrated the tank-level sensors (fresh water and fuel) and, more unusually, the fridge and freezer temperature sensors directly into the Cerbo. Paired with the boat’s permanently wired Starlink, that means the owner can check battery state, tank levels, and refrigeration temperatures from anywhere in the world. Security cameras add another layer of remote monitoring.
New Engines, Clever Access
The twin diesels are brand-new 2025 units with roughly 150 hours — not even to their first 200-hour service. On many Admirals the engines live under the aft berths, which historically meant tearing beds apart to do checks. Daryl designed and installed electric lifts, so the aft bunks rise at the push of a button and reveal the engine spaces cleanly. It’s the sort of thoughtful refit that separates a lived-in cruising boat from a project.
Cockpit, Tender, and Sailing
Outside, the cockpit is where this boat actually lives — Caribbean sunsets, custom fold-out table that expands for eight-plus guests, ceiling fans overhead to move air and keep bugs down, and a fold-flat daybed conversion for lazy afternoons. A custom storage box behind the helm reclaims what was awkward, unused space. Sail controls are led aft to the helm, and Daryl routinely single-hands the boat.
The tender is a nearly new 12-foot Highfield aluminum RIB with a Yamaha 25 hp four-stroke, picked up in Martinique — double-floor construction, forward fuel storage, clean cockpit sole.
Composting Heads and Blue-Water Bones
Both heads are composting units. The owners were initially reluctant and are now converts: no blocked-head dramas, no holding tanks, less smell, more storage. It’s a polarizing choice but a coherent one for full-time cruising.
Underneath the refit is a well-regarded South African hull. Admiral built these boats for years before the molds passed to Celtic, which continued a low-volume run — a quiet endorsement of the design’s longevity. The layout keeps weight low: no flybridge, no towering centers of effort, just a stable, well-ventilated platform with big opening hatches, side ports, and a wide aft door.
Where the Market Sits
Admiral 40s trade thinly. Here’s the snapshot from recent activity:
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Solds, last 24 months | 1 (median $280,000) |
| Median time to sell | ~148 days |
| Active listings | 2 |
| Asking range | $275,000–$445,000 |
| Median asking | $360,000 |
| Median Sold (24mo) | $280,000 | |||
| Low Active Asking | $275,000 | |||
| Median Active Asking | $360,000 | |||
| High Active Asking | $445,000 |
Only Sand has been cruised full-time up and down the Caribbean chain since 2019, and — critically for a buyer looking to skip the outfitting years — everything stays with the boat. Starlink, solar, Victron system, new engines, new tender, composting heads, custom joinery. Walk on and go.