Kelly-Peterson 46

BoatsKelly-Peterson 46

See her sail

The Kelly-Peterson 46, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Plan-Sea

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 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39

CoastalBluewater

At 1.66 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.66

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 218

EasygoingPowered-up

13.6 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.6

TenderStiff

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

Ballast 34%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

Heavier than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2204 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Kelly-Peterson 46, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Kelly-Peterson 46 is a cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Doug Peterson and built by Queen Long Marine from 1980 to 1990. It has a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, measures 14.1 meters LOA, 4.1 meters beam, and draws 2.0 meters, displacing 15,104 kg. Yacht broker Jack Kelly conceived the design, with Victor Huff providing the interior layout. Aboard *Plan-Sea*, a Kelly-Peterson 46 in Fort Lauderdale was quickly rejected due to heavily deteriorated woodwork and non-functioning systems, highlighting that older fiberglass boats can exhibit significant deferred maintenance.10:17

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Who's been looking

Market signal

Crews the fleet has filmed weighing this model up — no sale seen, and no asking price.

1channel looked into buying

Inspected for purchase but rejected due to extensive damage to woodwork and non-functional systems
from Plan-Seaseen June 202510:08

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

34.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Cutter

Ratios

SA / displacement

13.6

Displacement / length

218.4

Comfort ratio

38.5

Capsize screening

1.66

Hull speed

8.6 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1945

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

FRP with Airex foam core

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1980–1990

Units built

30

Designer

Doug Peterson

Builder

Queen Long Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Liberty 45813.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn extended iteration of the Peterson 44 hull featuring a unique deck and coach roof configuration on a cutter rig

⛵️ From Simple Fix to Full Transom Rebuild - A DIY Project Boat from Living For Sail

Moody 4614.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for comfortable, stable blue-water cruising

The Moody 46 CC Cruising Sailboat Review and Boat Tour from Practical Sailor

Malo Yachts 45/4614.20 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 14-metre blue-water cruiser that evolved from the M45 to the M46, featuring a 39% ballast ratio for offshore stability

Nigel Calder: The Truth About Philosophy, Gunboats, and Marine Engineering29:04 from Be The Captain

Cal Boats 2-4613.87 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterFeaturing a midships engine room and expanded living quarters, this 46-foot cruiser prioritizes interior volume

We SAILED to this REMOTE Island in BELIZE and it SHOCKED US7:53 from GenXPats - The Sailing Advisor

Hylas Yachts 4614.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for offshore performance with a high sail area to displacement ratio

HEAVILY MODIFIED Hylas 46 World Cruiser Full Tour0:45 from Practical Sailor

Beneteau First 45613.87 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA German Frers-designed masthead sloop offered with diverse keel and rig configurations for versatile performance

I WENT TO MEXICO TO DELIVER A BENETEAU 560:59 from Sailing Solé

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.

Peterson 46A cutter-rigged cruiser with lines adapted from the Kelly-Peterson 44, built as a spacious alternative to the original Formosa Yachts 46A lengthened 13.72-metre cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, derived from the Peterson 44 hull lines Delta 46A Doug Peterson-designed staysail ketch built in Germany, sharing the proven hull lines of the Peterson 44 and Liberty 458 Peterson 38A performance-oriented masthead sloop with a 48% ballast ratio and a deep fin keel for competitive upwind tracking Ny 40 (Peterson)A specialized offshore one-design racer featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, commissioned specifically for New York Yacht Club Peterson 34A Doug Peterson-designed IOR racer built to bridge the gap below the One Ton class with a stiff, performance-oriented hull

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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