BoatsDelta 46

Delta 46

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

A Doug Peterson-designed staysail ketch built in Germany, sharing the proven hull lines of the Peterson 44 and Liberty 458

Designed by Doug Peterson, built by Shing Fa Ltd.(TAIWAN) For Delta Marine.

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 37 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 37
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

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

Displacement / length 204
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.4
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

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

  • Heavier than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2249 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.4
Displacement / length
204.2
Comfort ratio
36.9
Capsize screening
1.66
Hull speed
8.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1849
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1981
Designer
Doug Peterson
Builder
Shing Fa Ltd.(TAIWAN) for Delta Marine, Ltd

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.

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
Sweden Yachts 4514.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 14.15-metre masthead sloop with a 2.3-metre draft and a 42% ballast ratio, designed for offshore speed and stability
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
Beneteau First 45613.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop offered with diverse keel and rig configurations for versatile performance
Kelly-Peterson 4614.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed cutter built for long-range comfort with a skeg-mounted rudder and a high displacement-to-length ratio
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 family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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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