Cal 2-46 Ketch
Description
The Cal 2-46 Ketch (also known as the Cal Cruising 46 Ketch) is a classic American bluewater cruising ketch designed by C. William Lapworth as a split-rig variant of the Cal 2-46 sloop. Built by Jensen Marine/Cal Yachts from 1973 to 1977, approximately 129 hulls were produced in the broader 2-46 series, with the ketch configuration popular for its easier sail handling and balance on extended passages (roughly 30–40% of total). It features a moderate-displacement fin keel with spade rudder for responsive yet stable tracking, solid hand-laid fiberglass construction (balsa-cored deck), and a masthead ketch rig ideal for coastal cruising, family voyages, or offshore legs. Renowned for its speed (hull speed ~8.5 kn), seaworthiness in 15–25 knots, and generous accommodations, it's a proven performer with a dry, balanced ride and ~1,200 nm motoring range.
Construction Details
| Designer | C. William Lapworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jensen Marine (USA) |
| Length | 45.500 ft |
| LOA | 45.500 ft |
| LWL | 37.500 ft |
| Beam | 12.500 ft |
| Displacement | 30000 lb |
| Ballast | 8000 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1973 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 48 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18 ft |
| p | 40.08 ft |
| e | 15.67 ft |
| p2 | 25 ft |
| e2 | 9.50 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 ft | 18 ft | 40.08 ft | 15.67 ft | 25 ft | 9.50 ft | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Cal 2-46 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 40.08 ft - (12216 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.67 ft - (4776 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.19 ft - (12860 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 42.52 ft - (12960 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 321.78 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Cal 2-46 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 41.01 ft - (12500 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.56 ft - (7486 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.65 ft - (10561 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 424.41 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Cal 2-46 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 22.25 ft - (6782 mm) |
| Leech | 41 ft - (12497 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.11 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.82 ft - (6041 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6.47 ° |
| Area | * 455.88 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Cal 2-46 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | 48.7 ft - (14844 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 29.68 ft - (9046 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.3 ft - (13807 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 657.44 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Cal 2-46 Ketch - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 48.7 ft - (14844 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 29.7 ft - (9053 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.8 ft - (13655 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1085 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.