Formosa 51

Description

The Formosa 51, a full-keel, clipper-bowed ketch designed by William Garden and built by Formosa Boat Building Co. in Taiwan between 1973 and 1982, stands as the flagship of the Formosa line and one of the most iconic heavy-displacement blue water cruisers of the 1970s. With an LOA of 50'10", a 14'2" beam, 6'6" draft, and 40,000 lbs. displacement (including 15,000 lbs. of external lead ballast), the hull—laid up with 1¼-inch solid fiberglass below the waterline—offers tank-like strength and a seakindly motion that has carried dozens of owners on circumnavigations. The standard ketch rig (cutter-ketch option common) provides a low SA/D ratio of ~14, prioritizing balance and ease of handling over speed; most boats cruise at 6–7 knots under tradewind conditions with a Comfort Ratio exceeding 50. Below, the teak-soaked interior rivals a small apartment: a private aft owner’s stateroom with double berth and en-suite head, a walk-through galley to port, a raised saloon with 6'6" headroom, a forward guest cabin with V-berth, and a second head—easily sleeping six in comfort, though condensation and teak maintenance are perennial concerns. Roughly 120 hulls were produced, many exported via Bob Lane to U.S. West Coast buyers; today well-found examples trade between $70,000 and $130,000, with premiums for refit boats featuring updated chainplates, modern standing rigging, lithium banks, and watermakers.