BoatsVagabond 47

Vagabond 47

Staysail Ketch · Long Keel · First built 1972

A William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel, built for heavy-displacement offshore comfort since 1972

Designed by William Garden, built by Bluewater Yacht Builders Ltd. (Taiwan).

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

See her sail

The Vagabond 47, on the water

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

Footage from Huub Vlogs

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 50 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 50
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

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

Displacement / length 391
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.5
TenderStiff

28% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 28%

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

  • Heavier than ~93% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 260 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Vagabond 47, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Vagabond 47 is a William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel, built by Bluewater Yacht Builders Ltd. in Taiwan from 1972 to the present. This 14.2-meter (LOA) sailboat has a beam of 4.1 meters, a draft of 1.7 meters, and displaces 18,143 kg.0:48 Its LOA including the bowsprit is 55 feet, and it was offered with various interior layouts.1:45

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.5
Displacement / length
390.8
Comfort ratio
49.9
Capsize screening
1.57
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1714
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1972
Designer
William Garden
Builder
Bluewater Yacht Builders Ltd. (TAIWAN), Blue Water Yacht Builders Ltd. (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.

Paul E. Luke S&s 5015.24 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA Sparkman & Stephens masthead ketch with a long keel, built by Paul E. Luke for heavy-weather stability and comfort
78' Custom Stow & Sons Classic Ketch (RONA), with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Westsail 4213.08 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability
🚩 RED FLAGS: How I Spot the Lemon Boats on Yacht World 🚩0:56from Be The Captain
Westsail 4313.08 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterAn aft-cockpit cruiser featuring a long keel and versatile rig options, including cutter, ketch, and yawl configurations
🚗 Oh, glorious tool road trip!11:10from Sail Life
Formosa Yachts 5115.49 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel that served as the foundation for multiple production yachts
A Huge Upgrade To Magic Carpet!15:32from Sailing Magic Carpet
Dolphin 47 (Alden)14.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Mason 4413.39 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterAn updated long-keeled evolution of the Mason 43, offered as a masthead ketch or cutter for stable blue-water cruising
A CHEAP Bluewater Cruiser Built in Taiwan? Ep 289 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Vagabond 42A George H. Stadel Jr. designed staysail ketch, also marketed as the Westwind 42, built for heavy-displacement cruisingVagabond 39A heavy-displacement cutter with a long keel, derived from the Landfall 39 and built for comfortable offshore cruisingWanderer 30 (Laurent Giles)A heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a long keel and transom-hung rudder, designed by Laurent Giles in 1960Valiant 47A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore passage-making and later evolved into the 50Seafarer 46A Sparkman & Stephens designed masthead yawl offering a heavy-displacement hull available in various stages of completion

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