BoatsNavy 44 (M&R)

Navy 44 (M&R)

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1985–1985

A 1985 McCurdy & Rhodes masthead sloop built for the Naval Academy to replace their earlier Luders-designed yawls

Designed by McCurdy & Rhodes, built by Tillotsen Pearson.

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

See her sail

The Navy 44 (M&R), on the water

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

Footage from 59° North Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 41 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 41
CoastalBluewater

At 1.62 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.62
LightHeavy

307 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 307
EasygoingPowered-up

16.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.3

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2461 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Navy 44 (M&R), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Navy 44 (M&R) is a 13.4-meter masthead sloop designed by McCurdy, Rhodes and built by Tillotsen Pearson (TPI Composites) in 1985 as a replacement for the Naval Academy's Luders-designed 44-foot yawls. It has a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a beam of 3.8 meters, a draft of 2.2 meters, and displaces 12,927 kg. Later versions, updated by David Perick, are known as the DEFIANCE class. Aboard *Caprivi*, Jade and Ben Couturier completed a Northwest Passage transit in 2023 after a five-year refit in the Florida Keys, modifying the boat for high-latitude conditions.7:30 Emma Garshagen, founder of Sail Seabird, refitted a Navy 44 purchased through a GSA military auction for her coastal sail-training business in Portland, Maine.25:49

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Navy 44 (M&R) on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen sold
1channel looked into buying

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
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.3
Displacement / length
306.9
Comfort ratio
41.5
Capsize screening
1.62
Hull speed
7.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1525
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1985–1985
Units built
20
Designer
McCurdy, Rhodes
Builder
Tillotsen Pearson, TPI Composites

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.

Swan 44 (S&S)13.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens design also sold as the PJ-44, this masthead sloop features a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff hull
[OFF MARKET] Nautor Swan 44 (ASTRID) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Pacific Seacraft 4413.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Crealock-designed cutter with a 40% ballast ratio and a fin keel, built for offshore stability and performance
EP51 - Sailing 854nm of EAST COAST from FLORIDA to VIRGINIA1:46from Sailing Solé
Moody 44-113.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1973-1975 masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, built for offshore stability
Episode #82 Sea Trial Preparations!2:52from Sailing Nervous- Starting Over!
Najad Yachts 44113.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a high comfort ratio, designed for stable, long-distance blue water cruising
PERFECT Bluewater Cruising Sailboat9:15from Be The Captain
Swan 44 MK II (Frers)13.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.44-metre cruiser featuring a bulb-fin keel and spade rudder, produced by Swan from 1996 to 2002
Nautor Swan 44 MkII “THEA” Yacht for Sale | Pinnacle of Performance | Tour with Sophie Kempfrom Berthon International
Najad Yachts 450 CC13.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Judel-Vrolijk fractional sloop designed for comfortable offshore cruising with a modern fin-and-bulb keel configuration
Najad 450 and Najad 440 - A yacht delivery from Hamble to Henan return0:24from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

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.

Leadership 44 (USCG)A high-performance fractional sloop designed by David Pedrick as the modern Defiance-class trainer for the Coast GuardAnnapolis 44A heavy-displacement fiberglass masthead sloop originally commissioned as a training vessel for the Naval AcademyCal 44A Raymond Hunt-designed cutter featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a balanced hull for offshore passage makingMercer 44A William Tripp Jr. design, this masthead keel-centerboard sloop offers a stiff, comfortable ride for blue water cruisingLittle Harbor 44A 13.5-metre cruiser with a 39.72 comfort ratio, built since 1983 for stable, heavy-displacement passage makingC&C Yachts 44A 13.46-metre masthead sloop produced in both Canada and the USA, featuring a versatile range of keel and rig options

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