Irwin 46 Ketch
Description
The Irwin 46 Ketch (1982–1987, ~50 built) is widely regarded as the best-balanced and most desirable of Ted Irwin’s large center-cockpit ketches, blending the palatial interior volume of the flagship 52 with the more manageable size and slightly livelier performance of the 43/45 series. With a 46′6″ sugar-scoop LOA, 39′ waterline, 13′6″ beam, 32–33,000 lb displacement, 12,000 lb encapsulated ballast, and a shoal 5′0″ Scheel keel, it carries a conservative but easy-to-handle ketch rig of ≈1,020 sq ft (SA/D ~15.5) that excels at long trade wind passages and heavy-weather balance. Below, it offers condominium-level accommodations: a true walk-in aft owner’s stateroom with king berth and huge en-suite head, full-standing engine room/workshop, panoramic raised saloon, restaurant-sized U-galley, and a forward VIP cabin with private head access—all finished to the improved late-Irwin standard with solid fiberglass hull and better joinery.
Construction Details
| Designer | Ted Irwin |
|---|---|
| Builder | Irwin Yachts |
| Length | 46.000 ft |
| LOA | 42.500 ft |
| LWL | 35.080 ft |
| Beam | 13.330 ft |
| Max Draft | 4.330 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 19.50 ft |
| p | 47 ft |
| e | 14.50 ft |
| p2 | 28.75 ft |
| e2 | 9.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft | 19.50 ft | 47 ft | 14.50 ft | 28.75 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
Irwin 46 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 47 ft - (14326 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.5 ft - (4420 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.43 ft - (14761 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 48.7 ft - (14844 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 350.76 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 45.18 ft - (13771 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 26.51 ft - (8080 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.3 ft - (11674 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.43 ft - (6837 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.02 ° |
| Area | * 506.65 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | * 53.65 ft - (16353 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 32.07 ft - (9775 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.96 ft - (15228 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 29.25 ft - (8915 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 784.65 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | 52.5 ft - (16002 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
| Leech | 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.26 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.4 ft - (7742 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.67 ° |
| Area | * 666.86 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 53.65 ft - (16353 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 33.51 ft - (10214 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.4 ft - (14448 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 29.25 ft - (8915 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.01 ° |
| Area | * 784.63 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 53.65 ft - (16353 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 32.17 ft - (9805 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.36 ft - (15045 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1294 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 53.65 ft - (16353 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 35.1 ft - (10698 mm) |
| Foot | * 35.1 ft - (10698 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1601 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 28.75 ft - (8763 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.75 ft - (2972 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 29.73 ft - (9062 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 87.97 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 30.03 ft - (9153 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 143.43 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - STORMJIB
| Luff | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.58 ft - (3834 mm) |
| Leech | 22.75 ft - (6934 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 51.49 % |
| Length Perp | * 10.04 ft - (3060 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 16.87 ° |
| Area | * 140.52 ft² |
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Irwin 46 Ketch - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | * 16.89 ft - (5148 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.54 ft - (4737 mm) |
| Leech | * 14.08 ft - (4292 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 14.08 ft - (4292 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -25 ° |
| Area | * 102 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.