Design and Construction
The Maramu 46 is a solid fiberglass hull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, carrying 7,700 pounds of lead ballast against a 28,050-pound displacement. Those figures yield a ballast ratio of 27 percent and a displacement-length ratio of 278, which places the boat firmly among heavy cruisers rather than lightweight performance vessels. The length-to-beam ratio sits at 3.45, and with a beam of just over 13 feet the hull reads as beamy for its length, a shape that trades outright speed for stability and interior room. The theoretical hull speed is 8.0 knots and the calculated maximum is about 6.4 knots; the capsize screening value of 1.72 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 36.6 both point to a vessel tuned for offshore steadiness rather than coastal sprinting. The wetted surface runs about 527 square feet, and the immersion rate of 1,635 pounds per inch tells you how reluctantly she changes trim under load.
Rig and Handling
The boat is built with a ketch rig and a shaft-drive transmission behind a single 63-horsepower Perkins diesel. Running rigging guides from the period list jib and genoa sheets at 45.3 feet with 5/8-inch diameter, a 113.2-foot mainsheet of the same diameter, and a 99.6-foot spinnaker sheet. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.75, the Maramu is moderately powered for her weight — enough to keep her moving in a cruising breeze without being overcanvased. The fin keel draws about 6.6 feet, which restricts her to larger marina entrances but gives her a predictable underwater profile for tradewind passages.
Accommodations
Where the Maramu 46 truly distinguished itself was below. She was supremely spacious for her era, with a layout built around en suite cabins at each end of the boat. The aft cabin is particularly large, reached by a walk-through from the main saloon and fitted with a small settee and a dressing table/desk. Two couples can live aboard for extended stretches with a reasonable degree of privacy. The central saloon is a spacious area with a huge table capable of seating the whole crew in comfort, and the boat provides two decent sea berths for passage making. A proper navigation station sits next to the companionway, and the well-appointed galley is configured to be easy to use at sea. Headroom is above average, and the whole package benefits from well thought-out stowage arrangements that keep long-term provisions and gear in order.
Equipment
From the outset the Maramu 46 carried a high level of equipment for a production cruiser of the late seventies and eighties, consistent with its go-anywhere brief. The standard spec was pitched at serious offshore use rather than weekend coast hopping, and the boat's reputation as a prepared cruiser starts with that factory fit-out.
The Verdict
The Maramu 46 is a thoughtfully laid-out heavy cruising ketch with volume that punched above its length class in the late 1970s and 80s. Its two-couple layout, walk-through aft cabin, and sea-kindly motion numbers make it a credible long-range liveaboard, though the 6.6-foot draft and heavy-cruiser speed envelope will not suit every cruising ground or temperament.
Pros
- Supremely spacious accommodation for its era with en suite end cabins
- Heavy-cruiser stability and comfort ratios suited to offshore work
- Well-thought-out stowage and a sea-friendly galley
- High factory equipment level for the period
Cons
- 6.6-foot draft limits marina access
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio suits cruising, not racing
