BoatsIsland Packet 45

Island Packet 45

Cutter · Long Keel · 1996–2000

A 45-foot cutter with a 1.47-metre draft, balancing substantial displacement with shoal-water accessibility

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

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

See her sail

The Island Packet 45, on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

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 35 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 35
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 239
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

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

  • Heavier than ~75% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 288 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 45, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Island PACKET 45 is a Robert K. Johnson-designed cutter-rigged sailboat built by Island Packet Yachts between 1996 and 2000, featuring a long keel, a 13.8 m LOA, and a displacement of 12,882 kg. Its full-foil keel, designed with NACA airfoil sections, provides tracking stability and a gentle motion while maintaining a 1.5 m draft. The hull is a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass molding with no keel bolts, using triaxial knitted laminate and a proprietary Polyclad gel coat.8:09 Aboard *Lady K Sailing*, a 1999 model with a 28,000-pound displacement and a Yanmar 4J-HTE engine, was noted for its suitability for world cruising, though chain plates manufactured before late 1998 (when Island Packet switched from 304 to 316 stainless steel) are prone to failure and may require replacement.1:17 The boat typically carries 800 amp hours of LiFePO4 batteries, 690 watts of solar, and a 63-pound CQR anchor, with a 140-gallon fuel capacity.4:00 A circumnavigation aboard an Island PACKET 45, as detailed by *The Sailing Doodles Podcast*, included passages through the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Galapagos, and Marquesas, emphasizing the need for extensive spare parts and adherence to hull-cleaning protocols in sensitive areas like the Galapagos.31:32

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 45 on video

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 Island Packet 45 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
1channel weighed buying one
US$200,000Median asking

  • A 1999 model listed for sale, considered a good value despite potential chain plate issues, with the creator expressing a desire to buy it

    from Lady K Sailingseen February 20259:04

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
44.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
238.9
Comfort ratio
35.0
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1790
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1996–2000
Units built
42
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet 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.

Island Packet 4413.41 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water access
No One Wants This ISLAND PACKET 44! Ep 367 - Lady K Sailing0:52from Lady K Sailing
Island Packet 43914.33 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA modern 2021-launched cutter with a heavy-displacement hull and a 1.52-meter draft for stable, deep-water cruising
Sailboats at Every Budget: What You Get for $10K, $100K, $500K & $1M26:51from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Island Packet 44013.94 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 44-foot blue-water cruiser featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a 1.52-metre draft for versatile coastal exploration
[OFF MARKET] Island Packet 440 (JESSICA MEI) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int.from Berthon International
Hans Christian 4312.99 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA 12.99-metre staysail ketch with a long keel and high comfort ratio, built from 1974 to 1992 for steady offshore work
This Bluewater Legend Might Be the Wrong Boat – Hans Christian 43Tfrom Lady K Sailing
Morgan Yachts Out Island 4112.57 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA prolific long-keeled masthead sloop designed by Charles Morgan Jr. that became a staple of the global charter trade
The Real Cruising Sailboat - Morgan - Episode 115 - Lady K Sailing6:25from Lady K Sailing
Island Packet 4012.19 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterA 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibility
The Performance Sailboat from Island Packet: Blue Jacket 40 Boat Reviewfrom Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

Island Packet 44A 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water accessIsland Packet 40A 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibilityIsland Packet 35A 10.77-metre cutter featuring a 45% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and extended offshore rangeIsland Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-metre draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stabilityIsland Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Island Packet 45, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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