Kelly Peterson 44 ketch
Description
The Kelly-Peterson 44 is an iconic bluewater cruising ketch (with a cutter variant as standard) designed by Doug Peterson in 1975, conceived by yacht broker Jack Kelly to fill a niche for serious offshore voyaging. Built by Yu Ching Marine in Taiwan under Kelly-Peterson Yachts, approximately 52 hulls were produced from 1976 to 1980, earning a cult following for its robust construction, balanced performance, and thoughtful layout—often hailed as a "go-anywhere" boat for couples or small families. The ketch rig, less common than the cutter but available as an option, splits sail area between main and mizzen for easier handling in heavy weather and better balance under reduced canvas, while maintaining the design's generous sail plan for excellent light-air performance. At 44 feet, it's a heavy-displacement center-cockpit ketch with skeg-hung rudder, prioritizing seaworthiness over speed, yet capable of 7–8 knots on reaches. Owners praise its "quick and comfy" motion, dry ride, and spacious interior with teak joinery, U-galley, nav station, and multiple berths for 4–6.
Construction Details
| Designer | Doug Peterson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Yu Ching Marine |
| Length | 43.833 ft |
| LOA | 43.833 ft |
| LWL | 38.667 ft |
| Beam | 12.917 ft |
| Displacement | 30000 lb |
| Ballast | 13608 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.330 ft |
| Year Built | 1976 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50.92 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 17.58 ft |
| p | 45.33 ft |
| e | 14.60 ft |
| p2 | 34.58 ft |
| e2 | 11.58 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.92 ft | 17.58 ft | 45.33 ft | 14.60 ft | 34.58 ft | 11.58 ft | - | - |
Sails
Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 45.33 ft - (13817 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.6 ft - (4450 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.87 ft - (14286 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 47.14 ft - (14368 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 340.6 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - GENOA
| Luff | 50 ft - (15240 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Leech | 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 23.74 ft - (7236 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.01 ° |
| Area | * 593.53 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - GENOA
| Luff | 50 ft - (15240 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
| Leech | 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.09 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.87 ft - (6971 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.76 ° |
| Area | * 571.83 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 55 ft - (16764 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Leech | 52 ft - (15850 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1299 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - STAYSAIL
| Luff | 31 ft - (9449 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.25 ft - (3734 mm) |
| Leech | 26.75 ft - (8153 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.46 ft - (3188 mm) |
| Area | * 162.1 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - STORMJIB
| Luff | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Leech | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 9.46 ft - (2883 mm) |
| Area | * 118.28 ft² |
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Kelly Peterson 44 ketch - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Leech | * 13.87 ft - (4228 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 13.87 ft - (4228 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -25 ° |
| Area | * 101 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.