One period assessment called the Maramu a serious go-anywhere yacht. That character is evident in its generous volume, heavy-cruiser proportions, and extensive factory equipment.
Design and Construction
The Maramu 46 has a solid fiberglass hull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. It carries 7,700 pounds of lead ballast on a displacement of 28,050 pounds, giving it a ballast ratio of 27 percent and a displacement-length ratio of 278. These figures place it firmly among heavy cruisers rather than lightweight performance boats.
Its length-to-beam ratio is 3.45. With a beam of just over 13 feet, the hull is beamy for its length, trading outright speed for stability and interior room. The theoretical hull speed is 8.0 knots, while the calculated maximum is about 6.4 knots.
A capsize screening value of 1.72 and Motion Comfort Ratio of 36.6 both point to a boat shaped around offshore steadiness rather than coastal sprinting. Wetted surface is about 527 square feet, and an immersion rate of 1,635 pounds per inch indicates how reluctantly the boat changes trim under load.
The fin keel draws about 6.6 feet. That draft restricts the Maramu to larger marina entrances, but it also gives the boat a predictable underwater profile for tradewind passages.
Rig, Machinery, and Handling
The Maramu carries a ketch rig and has a single 63-horsepower Perkins diesel with shaft drive. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 17.75, making it moderately powered for its weight—enough to keep moving in a cruising breeze without being overcanvased.
Period running-rigging guides specify 45.3-foot jib and genoa sheets with a 5/8-inch diameter, a 113.2-foot mainsheet of the same diameter, and a 99.6-foot spinnaker sheet.
Accommodations
The Maramu 46 particularly distinguished itself below. It was supremely spacious for its era, with a layout centered on en suite cabins at each end of the boat.
The aft cabin is especially large. A walk-through from the main saloon provides access, and the cabin includes a small settee and a dressing table/desk. This arrangement allows two couples to live aboard for extended periods with a reasonable degree of privacy.
The central saloon is spacious, with a huge table that can seat the whole crew comfortably. The boat also provides two decent sea berths for passagemaking. A proper navigation station sits beside the companionway, while the well-appointed galley is arranged for easy use at sea.
Headroom is above average, and well-thought-out stowage helps keep long-term provisions and cruising gear organized.
Equipment
From the outset, the Maramu 46 carried a high level of equipment for a production cruiser of the late 1970s and 1980s. The standard specification was aimed at serious offshore sailing rather than weekend coast-hopping, and the boat’s reputation as a prepared cruiser begins with that factory fit-out.
Verdict
The Maramu 46 is a thoughtfully laid-out heavy cruising ketch whose interior volume stood out in its length class during the late 1970s and 1980s. Its two-couple layout, walk-through aft cabin, and sea-kindly motion figures make it a credible long-range liveaboard. However, its 6.6-foot draft and heavy-cruiser speed envelope won’t suit every cruising ground or sailing temperament.
Pros
- Supremely spacious accommodations for its era, with en suite cabins at each end
- Heavy-cruiser stability and comfort ratios suited to offshore work
- Well-thought-out stowage and a sea-friendly galley
- High level of factory equipment for the period
Cons
- 6.6-foot draft limits marina access
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio favors cruising rather than racing
