North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48
Description
The North Star 48 Yawl (also known as the Hughes 48 Yawl) is a heavy-displacement fiberglass bluewater cruising sailboat designed by the prestigious firm Sparkman & Stephens (design #2280) and built by North Star Yachts Ltd. in Canada from 1970 to 1981 (later under Hughes Boat Works after 1977). Approximately 20 units were produced, with the yawl rig offering excellent sail balance and reduction for short-handed ocean passages—preferred for its stability in heavy weather over the sloop variant. Featuring a center-cockpit layout for safety, a fin keel with skeg-hung rudder for protected steering and tracking, and robust hand-laid fiberglass construction (balsa-cored deck), it's renowned for seaworthiness, spacious accommodations, and timeless lines. The teak-interior sleeps 6-8: V-berth forward, guest cabin amidships, aft master stateroom, U-shaped galley, large saloon with dinette and settees, two heads (one with shower), and nav station. Standard power was a Perkins 4-236 diesel (85 hp).
Construction Details
| Designer | Sparkman and Stephens |
|---|---|
| Builder | North Star Yachts Ltd. |
| Length | 48.167 ft |
| LOA | 48.167 ft |
| LWL | 33.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.916 ft |
| Displacement | 30000 lb |
| Ballast | 15700 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1970 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 54.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.33 ft |
| p | 48.10 ft |
| e | 18 ft |
| p2 | 23.50 ft |
| e2 | 9.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54.50 ft | 18.33 ft | 48.10 ft | 18 ft | 23.50 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 48.1 ft - (14661 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.49 ft - (15389 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 50.77 ft - (15475 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 443.13 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.49 ft - (7465 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.61 ft - (12073 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.08 ft - (6425 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 484.85 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - GENOA
| Luff | 53 ft - (16154 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Leech | 49 ft - (14935 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.39 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 23.9 ft - (7285 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.57 ° |
| Area | * 633.47 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - GENOA
| Luff | * 54.62 ft - (16648 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 29.79 ft - (9080 mm) |
| Leech | * 51.18 ft - (15600 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.5 ft - (8382 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 751.01 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 54.62 ft - (16648 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 30.24 ft - (9217 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.25 ft - (15316 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1239 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 54.62 ft - (16648 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 32.99 ft - (10055 mm) |
| Foot | * 32.99 ft - (10055 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1532 ft² |
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North Star 48 Yawl / Hughes 48 - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 23.5 ft - (7163 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.75 ft - (2972 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 24.92 ft - (7596 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88.02 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 118.38 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.