Downeaster 45
Description
The Downeaster 45 is a heavy displacement blue water cruising sailboat designed by Bob Poole and built by Down East Yachts in Santa Ana, California, from 1976 to 1981. As the largest and most ambitious model in the yard's lineup, it was conceived as a scaled-up evolution of the popular Downeaster 38, emphasizing traditional Down East lobster-boat aesthetics with enhanced volume for extended offshore voyages. With fewer than 100 units produced (estimates range 50–90, including custom variations), it's rarer than the 38's 251 or 32's 134, making it a sought-after classic among serious cruisers. Available primarily as a ketch (with optional schooner or cutter rigs), it prioritizes stiffness, seaworthiness, and a forgiving motion for couples or small crews tackling passages like the Pacific or Atlantic
Construction Details
| Designer | Bob Poole |
|---|---|
| Builder | Down East Yachts |
| Length | 45.000 ft |
| LOA | 41.000 ft |
| LWL | 29.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.830 ft |
| Displacement | 19500 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.920 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 56.25 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 24.50 ft |
| p | 48 ft |
| e | 19 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56.25 ft | 24.50 ft | 48 ft | 19 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
| Foot | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.82 ft - (15490 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 51 ft - (15545 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 455.54 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 49.08 ft - (14960 mm) |
| Foot | * 34.62 ft - (10552 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.4 ft - (12314 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.18 ft - (8589 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 691.33 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 58.29 ft - (17767 mm) |
| Foot | * 41.44 ft - (12631 mm) |
| Leech | * 53.68 ft - (16362 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 36.75 ft - (11201 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 1070.95 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 58.29 ft - (17767 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 44.1 ft - (13442 mm) |
| Foot | * 44.1 ft - (13442 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 2185 ft² |
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.