BoatsMason 53

Mason 53

Cutter · Fin Keel · 1982–1989

A versatile cutter with a fin keel and shoal draft option, designed for high-comfort offshore passages

Designed by Al Mason & Alvin Mason, built by TA Shing Yacht Buildling (Taiwan).

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

See her sail

The Mason 53, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Sunday

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

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

Capsize screening 1.76
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 274
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.1
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 37%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1286 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Mason 53, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Mason 53 is a cutter-rigged, fin-keeled sailboat designed by Al Mason and built by Ta Shing Yacht Building from 1982 to 1989. It measures 16.3 meters LOA with a 4.5-meter beam, a 2.1-meter draft, and displaces 17,508 kg.22:08 The design, Mason S-105, was offered in multiple cockpit and rig configurations, including a shoal draft option and a staysail ketch rig. Aboard Sailing Sunday, a hurricane-damaged Mason 53 was seen rebuilt from the ground up after lying on its side.22:35 Be The Captain reviewed a 1984 Mason 53 listed for sale in Singapore for 25,000 euro, noting its robust construction suitable for long-distance passage-making.1:04

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

On the water

The Mason 53 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.1
Displacement / length
274.4
Comfort ratio
37.5
Capsize screening
1.76
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2106
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1982–1989
Designer
Al Mason, Alvin Mason
Builder
Ta Shing Yacht Buildling (TAIWAN)

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.

Amel Mango 5216.15 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA robust masthead ketch designed for blue-water cruising, featuring a protected skeg-hung rudder and a stable hull form
Amel 52 Yacht Attacked by Orcas (Killer Whales) off the Spanish Coast0:14from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Amel Super Maramu16.00 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 16-metre masthead ketch replacing the Mango 52, featuring a wing keel and a versatile engine range for blue-water travel
12 KILLER Deals on Offshore Sailboats (The Boat Market Is CRAZY Right Now!)11:45from Be The Captain
Pearson Yachts 53016.15 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterThe largest yacht ever built by Pearson, this William Shaw-designed staysail ketch balances heavy-displacement comfort
Mistakes, money saving and lessons we learned buying an old sailing boat Episode 4630:31from Sailing Catalpa
Oyster 53 (Humphreys)16.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Rob Humphreys-designed masthead sloop built for blue-water cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable hull form
Forced to TURN AROUND - Sailboat Delivery: Annapolis to BVI's [EP 188]10:18from Sailing Millennial Falcon
Moody 5416.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA cutter-rigged 16.43-metre cruiser featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a 34% ballast ratio for offshore stability
The Sailor Alex Rosén25:51from SEILmagasinet
Hylas 5616.48 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 2011 masthead sloop with a 21.51 sail area to displacement ratio, engineered for spirited offshore performance
Crossing the Atlantic on a Hylas 56, here's what the skipper thinks about the yacht.from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

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

Mason 43An Al Mason-designed cutter or ketch with a fin keel, built for offshore stability and comfortMason 33A heavy-displacement long-keel masthead sloop designed by Al Mason for stable, comfortable offshore cruisingMason 63A long-keeled staysail ketch designed by Alvin Mason for stable, comfortable blue-water passagemakingMason 44An updated long-keeled evolution of the Mason 43, offered as a masthead ketch or cutter for stable blue-water cruisingAntigua Yachts 53A Charles Morgan Jr. design featuring a custom deck layout on the proven Morgan Out Island 51 hullMorgan Yachts 43A 13-metre masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder and a 1.83-metre draft, designed for offshore stability

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