BoatsFormosa Yachts 51

Formosa Yachts 51

Staysail Ketch · Long Keel · 1972–1984

A William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel that served as the foundation for multiple production yachts

Designed by William Garden.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Formosa Yachts 51, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Miss Lone Star

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 55 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 55
CoastalBluewater

At 1.51 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.51
LightHeavy

374 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 374
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 11.1
TenderStiff

23% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 23%

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

  • Heavier than ~95% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 157 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Formosa Yachts 51, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Formosa Yachts 51 is a William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel, built from 1972 to 1984 by Formosa Yachts and Formosa Boat Building Co. Ltd. This 15.5-meter (51-foot) vessel displaces 23,586 kg and served as the basis for other production yachts like the Hudson Force 50. Aboard *Sailing Miss Lone Star*, the 1977 Formosa 51 *Houdini* underwent a major refit, including replacing the main mast's keel-stepped plate with an adjustable Selden unit and installing Lewmar self-tailing winches.watch The crew addressed a bowsprit rigging error where kronziron tabs were incorrectly placed, requiring custom sleeves for alignment.2:26 They also inverted the bow roller assembly to prevent chain damage to the cap rail.14:21 Engine issues included a dead starting battery, a low oil pressure alarm attributed to a faulty sensor, and an accidental engine shutdown due to a silenced fuel alarm, which required bleeding the engine and polishing fuel.12:00 The crew performed an oil change, tightened a leaking stuffing box, and installed a new inspection hatch on a fuel tank, plumbing it into the Racor filtration system.12:15 They sailed *Houdini* on a 100-mile overnight passage from Ensenada to Santa Maria Bay, encountering consistent beating conditions, and later transited from Golfito, Costa Rica, to Panama, maintaining 5.8 knots.1:24

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

Sailing Miss Lone StarAubrey and her crew document the realities of long-term cruising, managing complex boat maintenance and offshore passages while exploring the coast of Central America.

Seen 21 times across 4 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Formosa Yachts 51 on video

Boat Owners NightmareMiss Lone Star completes a passage from Golfito, Costa Rica, to Panama after addressing engine electrical issues.Sailing Miss Lone StarA Huge Upgrade To Magic Carpet!A custom California-style dodger installation features removable panels and specific maintenance protocols for Sunbrella and polycarbonate windows.Sailing Magic CarpetHave I FORGOTTEN Everything?Houdini's first sail after refit exposes a bowsprit rigging error and a fuel system failure en route to Panama.Sailing Miss Lone StarWhat to DO Before Sailing the World A custom stainless bowsprit and a 48-hour dock deadline drive Houdini's Panama Canal departure prep in La Cruz.Sailing Miss Lone StarCame Back to the Boat After Baby… And Reality Hit HardThe crew of the 51-ft Formosa Miss Lone Star performs cabin mold remediation and mast-climbing safety training.Sailing Miss Lone Starwill i ever get it together...? | SAILING DOODLES X SAILING MISS LONE STARThe crew of the 51-ft Formosa Miss Lone Star removes a rotted bowsprit for custom hardwood replacement.Sailing Miss Lone StarJumping Ship... this isn't what I had plannedAubrey prepares to single-hand Miss Lone Star toward Costa Rica after her inexperienced crew departs the vessel.Sailing Miss Lone StarPregnant at Sea with a SEA TURTLE on my SAILBOAT The crew of *Miss Lone Star* rescues multiple sea turtles entangled in fishing gear off the Mexican coast.Sailing Miss Lone StarCAPTAIN Abandoned at ANCHOR | PIRATE SHIP S16E07The 51-foot Formosa *Houdini* anchors in Santa Maria Bay after a 100-mile overnight passage from Ensenada, Mexico.Sailing Miss Lone StarEntry denied 🙅‍♀️ PIRATE SHIP S16E06A 1977 Formosa 51 clears customs in Ensenada, Mexico, after securing notarized documentation for an LLC-owned vessel.Sailing Miss Lone StarBOAT TOUR Formosa 51| PIRATE SHIP S16E01The crew of the Formosa 51 Miss Lone Star installs new sails and troubleshoots a heavy mainsail hoist.Sailing Miss Lone StarGLUTTONY ~ BoatLife | PIRATE SHIP S15E08The crew of *Miss Lone Star* modifies their bow roller and winch setup to prepare for passage.Sailing Miss Lone Star

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Formosa Yachts 51 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
23.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
11.1
Displacement / length
374.4
Comfort ratio
55.3
Capsize screening
1.51
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1991
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Cast Iron
Production
Years built
1972–1984
Designer
William Garden
Builder
Formosa Yachts

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.

TA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-5416.46 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA Robert Perry-designed staysail ketch with a heavy-displacement long keel, originally intended as a Hans Christian 54
Rescuing a stranded boat!2:53from Sailing Doodles
Cabo Rico 5617.07 mSame hull family1.6 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter designed by Chuck Paine, featuring a long keel and high comfort ratio for stable blue-water cruising
S/V SeaSprite Refit Update Late May 2026from Hold Fast!
Vagabond 4714.20 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterA William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel, built for heavy-displacement offshore comfort since 1972
Day 14: The saloon is no longer scary 🫣 The visual transformation is brutal22:21from Piratas Aderiva
TA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-5616.92 mSame hull family1.4 m longerA Robert Perry-designed masthead ketch with a long keel, built for heavy-displacement offshore comfort and stability
On Fire, Sinking, Rescued by the Coast Guardfrom Sailing Doodles
Westsail 4213.08 mSame hull family2.4 m shorterA William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability
Strange New World S6 Ep 3- DrakeParagon Sailing in the Faroe Islandsfrom DrakeParagon
Dolphin 47 (Alden)14.30 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement staysail ketch from the board of John G. Alden, built for comfortable, stable blue-water cruising
Are Windows Really a Good Idea in Hulls?3:58from Lucky Pete Sailing AQUALIBRA

The family

Boats like this

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

Formosa 41A William Garden-designed long-keel ketch, also marketed as the Yankee Clipper 41 and Atlantic ClipperFormosa 34A 1975 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a displacement-to-ballast ratio built for stable, comfortable cruisingFormosa Yachts 46A lengthened 13.72-metre cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, derived from the Peterson 44 hull linesFormosa 44A heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a long keel, also produced as the Spindrift 43 and the Hampton 43

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Formosa Yachts 51, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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