The Passport 40 had an overall length of 39 feet, 5 inches with an identical length-on-deck, and a 12-feet-8-inch beam. With a minimum draft of 5 feet and a load-water-line of 33 feet, 5 inches, it had displacement of 22,771 lbs. The Passport 40 had a single transom stern with a "skeg" rudder mounted as an extension to the keel.
The hull of the Passport 40 is made from Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), stiffened on the interior with longitudinal stringers. The iron ballast was encapsulated with GRP to resist corrosion and was located in the keel cavity.
The Passport 40 extensively used teak, which gave it a sleek look and feel, as well as an excellent resistance to sea water. The boat includes several features, from external 5/8-inch-thick side decks to handrails, caprails and internal joiner-work. Early models had marine plywood cored decks, while later models used Airex foam as its core material. The interiors of the Passport 40 were mostly custom built with two broad design patterns. The first type used a Pullman berth arrangement with the head at the forepeak, while the other, less common, design used a traditional V-berth arrangement.
The engine for the Passport 40 was a Perkins 4108 diesel. With a standard three-bladed propeller, the engine was capable of producing speed between 1,800 and 2,000 rpm. Under normal conditions this translated to between 5 and 6 knots of speed. An upgraded feathering propeller was included in later models, which provided a slight improvement in performance. Under sail, the Passport 40 could deliver speeds of approximately 5 knots under normal conditions. With fair winds in the tropics, speeds ranged between 8 and 9 knots.
As of 2010, a 1984 built Passport 40 could cost between $145,000 and $167,000 depending on the condition of the boat. A 1989 model with a well-kept hull and interior can cost up to $198,000.
