Islander 55
Description
The Islander 55 is a rare, classic American bluewater cruising sloop (with ketch variants) designed by renowned naval architect Bruce King. Built by Wayfarer Yacht Corp. (later Islander Yachts) in 1968, only a few hulls were produced before the molds were sold to Tradewind Yachts, which constructed at least three more as the Tradewind 55; a kit version was also offered as the Yachtcraft 55. Featuring a centerboard keel for shallow draft versatility, heavy fiberglass construction, and a cutter-rigged masthead sloop setup, it's celebrated for its offshore capability, spacious accommodations, and elegant lines suited to long-distance voyaging or liveaboard use. Though dated by modern standards, owners value its tank-like build and performance in trade winds, with common refits focusing on systems like rigging and engines.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bruce King |
|---|---|
| Builder | Wayfarer Yachts |
| Length | 54.670 ft |
| LOA | 54.670 ft |
| LWL | 36.000 ft |
| Beam | 14.000 ft |
| Displacement | 38000 lb |
| Ballast | 6000 lb |
| Max Draft | 11.330 ft |
| Min Draft | 5.750 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 59 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 21 ft |
| p | 52.50 ft |
| e | 21.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 ft | 21 ft | 52.50 ft | 21.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Islander 55 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 52.5 ft - (16002 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.5 ft - (6553 mm) |
| Leech | * 55.74 ft - (16990 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 56.03 ft - (17078 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 575.41 ft² |
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Islander 55 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 50.1 ft - (15270 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 28.35 ft - (8641 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.73 ft - (13024 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 24.15 ft - (7361 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 604.96 ft² |
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Islander 55 - GENOA
| Luff | 59.49 ft - (18133 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 34.37 ft - (10476 mm) |
| Leech | * 55.54 ft - (16929 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 936.99 ft² |
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Islander 55 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 59.49 ft - (18133 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 37.8 ft - (11521 mm) |
| Foot | * 37.8 ft - (11521 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1911 ft² |
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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.