Design and Construction
The Landfall 48 was drawn by the Canadian maritime architect bureau C&C Design and built by the Canadian yard C&C Yachts in fiberglass, with both hull and deck of solid glass rather than a cored laminate. Her proportions place her firmly among heavy cruisers: the displacement-length ratio of 271 and a ballast ratio near 39 percent combine with a length-beam ratio of 3.39 to produce a beamy, weighty hull that draws 6.58 feet on the standard keel, rising to roughly 6.89 feet under load. A skeg-mounted rudder and fin keel summarize the underbody, while the pilothouse deck arrangement — with its large, slightly tinted windows affording panoramic visibility — distinguishes her from lower-freeboard cruisers of the era.
Rig and Handling
She carries a cutter rig that yachtdatabase's review found slightly underrigged, with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.3 on the reference sail and 18.4 with a 135 percent genoa, figures that leave her among the less aggressively canvased of her size class. The standard Perkins diesel of 85 horsepower gives a generous power margin for a 48-footer, and the theoretical hull speed of 8.2 knots sits close to the 7.5-knot calculated maximum cited by reviewers. A capsize screening value of 1.77 and a motion comfort ratio of 35.7 reinforce the impression of a stable, damped hull whose immersion rate of about 1,823 pounds per inch speaks to her heft when loaded for passage.
Accommodations
The pilothouse itself forms the main saloon, with a large dinette and a settee lounge that converts to a 36-inch pilot berth, all finished in teak joiner work that highlights the cabinetry. A wet locker sits at the foot of the companionway ladder, and ventilation is handled by four dorade boxes with cowl vents, four small vent hatches, five large deck hatches, and ten opening ports. Below, the after cabin tucked under the bridge deck and cockpit holds a double berth, private shower, and writing desk as standard, with an optional second starboard berth in place of the desk. The galley to starboard runs 9 feet of counter with a three-burner propane stove, double stainless sinks, and refrigeration, while opposite sits a second dinette that could instead be built as a double stateroom. Forward, a private cabin offers a double Pullman or V-berth with hanging locker and bureau to starboard, heads fore and aft — the forward with a separate shower stall, the aft with a bathtub-shower compartment — and a standard washer and dryer opposite the forward head.
The Verdict
The Landfall 48 is a rare, heavily built pilothouse cruiser whose accommodations rival far larger custom yachts and whose modest rig and deep ballast recommend her for comfortable passage-making rather than speed. Her scarcity means any example demands careful individual survey, but the design itself is coherent and well resolved.
Pros
- Pilothouse saloon with panoramic windows and inside steering option
- Exceptional accommodation density: washer-dryer, two heads with full baths, optional staterooms
- Heavy-cruiser stability and 300-gallon water capacity for long independence
Cons
- Slightly underrigged for her displacement per sail-area ratios
- Only a few hulls built, limiting spares and comparative market data
- 6.6- to 6.9-foot draft restricts marina access
