BoatsAlajuela 48

Alajuela 48

Masthead Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1981

A masthead ketch featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, built in limited numbers in both California and Taiwan

Designed by Raymond Richards.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 31 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 31
CoastalBluewater

1.79 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

198 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 198
EasygoingPowered-up

19.8 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 19.8
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
33.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.8
Displacement / length
198.3
Comfort ratio
31.0
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
8.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2001
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1981
Units built
7
Designer
Raymond Richards
Builder
Alajuela Yacht Corp

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Baltic Yachts 5216.00 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop built by Baltic, balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with stiff performance
Passport Yachts Inc. (Taiwan) Vista 54516.61 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 16.6-metre masthead sloop with a 19.52 SA/displacement ratio, designed for a balance of offshore speed and comfort
Jeanneau Yachts 5316.06 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser offering performance rig and shallow keel options, also marketed as the Sunsail 53
Amel Mango 5216.15 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA robust masthead ketch designed for blue-water cruising, featuring a protected skeg-hung rudder and a stable hull form
Pearson Yachts 53016.15 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterThe largest yacht ever built by Pearson, this William Shaw-designed staysail ketch balances heavy-displacement comfort
Oyster Yachts 49516.10 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA modern Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a high-stability hull with dual rudders for offshore control

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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