BoatsOrion 50

Orion 50

Staysail Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1983–1987

A Gary Mull-designed staysail ketch built for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and skeg-mounted rudder

Designed by Gary Mull, built by TA Shing Yacht Building (Taiwan).

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Orion 50, on the water

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

Footage from Distant Shores TV

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 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 213
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 13.7
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

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

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1753 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Orion 50, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Orion 50 is a 15.1-meter staysail ketch designed by Gary Mull and built by Ta Shing Yacht Building in Taiwan between 1983 and 1987. It features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a 4.4-meter beam, a 2.0-meter draft, and displaces 16,601 kg. Aboard *Distant Shores TV*, Paul and Sheryl Shard sailed their Orion 50 on a 450-mile passage from the British Virgin Islands to South Caicos, navigating the 50-mile Caicos Bank by retracting the full keel in depths of 2–6 meters and using eyeball navigation to avoid coral heads.9:36 They also completed a 2,200-nautical-mile transatlantic crossing from Cape Verde to Antigua in 15 days, using a twin-pole downwind rig with two jibs for 11 consecutive days.watch During this crossing, the boat experienced engine and gearbox failures, but its hybrid electric propulsion system, which uses propeller regeneration and solar panels, maintained sufficient power for onboard systems.1:09 The crew resolved a slipping hybrid drive belt mid-ocean by tensioning it after consulting a technician via Starlink.5:58 The boat's first-generation hybrid system required a mid-ocean battery swap and a galley spatula to coax the gearbox into gear.6:26

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 6 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Orion 50 on video

Ep 271 | Mid-Atlantic CHALLENGE: How to WARP a boat in tight situations.Crews in Horta, Faial, use warps and dinghy assistance to maneuver boats out of crowded, multi-vessel rafts.Distant Shores TVDodging Coral Heads on the Caicos BankFull keel retraction and daylight eyeball navigation are required for the 50-mile Caicos Bank crossing.Distant Shores TVFrom Troubles to Tranquility using REGEN! Transatlantic Crossing Part 3 | Ep 263The Distant Shores 4 uses hybrid propeller regeneration to maintain battery power during a 2,200-mile transatlantic crossing.Distant Shores TVTransatlantic Crossing Part 2 | Ep 262A failed starter battery and stuck gearbox threaten the Orion 50's hybrid charging system 1,100 miles from Antigua.Distant Shores TVBig Seas! Transatlantic Crossing | Ep 261The crew of an Anksail Orion 49 manages a hybrid drive belt issue mid-Atlantic using Starlink connectivity.Distant Shores TVMagical Passage: Sailing from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde | Ep 260The *Distant Shores* crew completes an 800-mile passage from the Canary Islands to Mindelo, Cape Verde.Distant Shores TV

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
38.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.7
Displacement / length
212.8
Comfort ratio
36.0
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
8.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2202
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1983–1987
Units built
7
Designer
Gary Mull
Builder
Ta Shing Yacht Building (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.

Hallberg-Rassy 4814.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motion
Hallberg-Rassy 48 - A Yacht Delivery from Bremen to Ellos. Wonderful trip on a fabulous boat!from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Kraken Yachts 50 (Dibley)15.24 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 15.24-metre offshore cruiser with a 19.77 sail area-to-displacement ratio for balanced performance in varied conditions
A RACE across Europe to SAIL on our DREAM BOAT [EP 144]2:48from Sailing Millennial Falcon
Dufour Yachts 4815.29 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 15.29-metre performance cruiser with a 4.85-metre beam and a 2.35-metre draft for offshore stability
Dufour 48 - YES&NO, the cross-examination0:03from SVN solovelanet
Hallberg-Rassy 4614.78 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder
East Coast Long Sailing Passage - Baltimore to Fort Lauderdale 1000 Mile Sailboat Voyagefrom SailingBritican
Hallberg-Rassy 4914.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile staysail ketch or sloop offering a high comfort ratio and a stable fin keel with skeg-hung rudder
Beware of ORCAS! Part 2: Sailing SOUTH through Orca Territory to Portugal | Ep 2760:21from Distant Shores TV
Moody 48 DS15.42 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA modern deck saloon cruiser from Bill Dixon featuring a powerful 150hp engine and a versatile shallow draft option
Stuck in Storms for 10 Days… What We Did Instead | Sailing France16:09from Sailing Northern Brees

The family

Boats like this

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

Orion 33An IOR 3/4 ton masthead sloop designed by E.G. van de Stadt, ranging from professional Huisman builds to home-finished hullsPacific Seacraft Orion 27-2A Henry Mohrschladt-designed cutter with a long keel and extended coach roof, offering versatile sloop or yawl rigsPacific Seacraft Orion 27A heavy-displacement cutter by Henry Mohrschladt, built for offshore stability with a long keel and conservative rigMoorings 50A 1982 Morgan-designed masthead sloop built for comfort, featuring a heavy ballast-to-displacement ratio for a stable rideFifty 40A Joubert-Nivelt masthead sloop designed for offshore stability with a skeg-mounted rudder and moderate displacement

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Orion 50, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Orion 50

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue