Kelly Peterson 46
Description
The Kelly-Peterson 46 is a robust, bluewater-capable cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Doug Peterson in 1980, expanding on the successful Kelly-Peterson 44 formula for serious offshore cruising. Conceived by yacht broker Jack Kelly (with interiors by Victor Huff), it was built in limited numbers by Queen Long Marine in Taiwan from 1980 to 1990, with approximately 30 hulls produced. At 46 feet, it offers a heavier displacement than its predecessor for enhanced stability and load-carrying, while retaining Peterson's signature balance of speed and seaworthiness—ideal for couples or small families on long passages. The center-cockpit layout provides a secure helm and generous interior volume, with a walkthrough to an aft cabin, U-shaped galley, nav station, V-berth forward, and multiple settees/berths for 6–7. Owners rave about its "tank-like" build, dry motion in beam seas, and versatility for circumnavigations, though it's less nimble than modern designs.
Construction Details
| Designer | Doug Peterson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Queen Long Marine Industrial Co. Ltd. |
| Length | 46.250 ft |
| LOA | 46.250 ft |
| LWL | 40.830 ft |
| Beam | 13.330 ft |
| Displacement | 33300 lb |
| Ballast | 15105 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.670 ft |
| Year Built | 1980 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 54 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.25 ft |
| p | 48 ft |
| e | 16 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 ft | 18.25 ft | 48 ft | 16 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Kelly Peterson 46 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.91 ft - (15213 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.02 ° |
| Diagonal | * 50.07 ft - (15261 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 383.61 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Kelly Peterson 46 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 45.6 ft - (13899 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.4 ft - (7437 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.24 ft - (11960 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.99 ft - (6398 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 478.52 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Kelly Peterson 46 - GENOA
| Luff | * 54.15 ft - (16505 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 29.67 ft - (9043 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.73 ft - (15463 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.38 ft - (8345 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 741.2 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Kelly Peterson 46 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 54.15 ft - (16505 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 32.85 ft - (10013 mm) |
| Foot | * 32.85 ft - (10013 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1512 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.