BoatsMercer 44

Mercer 44

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1959

A William Tripp Jr. design, this masthead keel-centreboard sloop offers a stiff, comfortable ride for blue water cruising

Designed by William H. Tripp Jr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

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 46 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 46
CoastalBluewater

At 1.57 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.57
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 446
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.8
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
31.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.8
Displacement / length
446.4
Comfort ratio
45.8
Capsize screening
1.57
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1260
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1959
Units built
14
Designer
William H. Tripp Jr
Builder
Mercer RP, Cape Cod Shipbuilding

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.

Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Brewer 4413.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA stretched evolution of the 12.8 featuring a reverse transom and a versatile keel-centerboard configuration
Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA 12-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-metre draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed
Southerly 42012.86 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430
Bristol Yachts 45.513.79 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a 3.35-metre keel-centerboard draft, built for deep-water cruising performance
Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration

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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