Design and Construction
McCreary's hull is solid fiberglass, eschewing lightweight coring to maximize impact resistance, while the deck of this flagship is cored with Divinycell rather than the marine plywood used on smaller sisters. Caliber glassed every structural bulkhead and furniture component directly to the hull through its proprietary multi-bulkhead bonding system, avoiding molded liners. The tankage is integral: each tank, fitted with a viewing port, is bonded to the hull below the waterline, which strengthens the hull and creates a double bottom anchor. Trademark collision bulkheads, dedicated impact-resistance zones, a watertight rudder dam, and a single sea chest drilled through the hull rather than a scatter of through-hulls round out a structure built around containment and redundancy.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig wears a Seldén in-mast furler on the main and, in the tested configuration, carried full main, genoa, and staysail to beam-reach at 7 to 8 knots over the ground in 18 to 25 knots apparent anchor. Reefed down, Eclipse jogged comfortably through 2-foot beam seas at 5.8 knots. All winches are two-speed and self-tailing, powered not by expensive electric units but by a single 18-volt Cinch Winch 1600. Wide decks with aggressive nonskid, lifelines running to a true pulpit with stainless rails and twin anchor chocks, and four large deck lockers plus a double anchor locker make the boat a practical work platform. The standard 1,014 square feet of sail area on a 75-horsepower Yanmar backbone signals a boat tuned for passage-making, not pinwheel acceleration.
Accommodations
Below, a varnished teak interior with teak-and-holly sole greets the crew. The dinette to port folds its table up onto the bulkhead, opposite twin easy chairs with a table or cabinet between them. A nearly straight-line galley sits just aft of the dinette, and the nav station to starboard sits at the companionway foot where it can be worked from the helm. The aft stateroom holds a full queen berth, cedar-lined hanging locker, and bureau, with access to the galley and via the aft head to the nav station; a walk-in closet to starboard drew particular praise from the reviewing owner. Forward, a cozy cabin offers a full-double bunk to port with bookshelves above and a hanging locker to starboard. Many opening ports and hatches give cross ventilation throughout.
Equipment and Systems
The 47 LRC SE series lists a Caliber Smart Fuel System with intelligent auto-routing for rapid filter change underway, an electric redundant fuel feed, an electric polishing pump, a vacuum gauge, two coarse pre-strainers, two independent Racor 500 filters, dual pickups for polishing, and E-Z view inspection plates—all wrapped around extraordinary dual-system tank capacity. A 6-kilowatt genset with 360-degree access was fitted on the test boat. Optional gear ranged from a Northern Lights 5.5KW unit with sound shield and slide-out mounts to a Vetus bow thruster, Lofrans Progress 1500 windlass, hi-output alternator, and insulated SSB antenna with copper grounding plane.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping the series will see factory options that shape later resale: Selden roller furling mast, MDS internal main batt car, Doyle Stackpack, convertible cutter rig, Furlex headstay, and Lewmar winch upgrades to #58, #54 electric, #50 manual, and #48 electric. Bottom protection from the factory could include Pettit epoxy and Trinidad paint. The builder's own transition to a brokerage specializing in pre-owned Caliber sailboats means a structured aftermarket exists for the marque.
The Verdict
The Caliber 47 LRC is a thoughtfully engineered long-range cruiser whose bonded tankage and safety bulkheads reflect a builder philosophy centered on structural honesty and flooding containment. She is roomy without being precious, and her systems—especially the smart fuel layout—anticipate offshore independence.
Pros
- Integral below-waterline tankage that stiffens the hull and forms a double bottom
- Collision bulkheads, rudder dam, and single sea chest reduce flooding risk
- Practical deck plan with aggressive nonskid and ample lockers
- Versatile accommodations with walk-in closet and multiple berths
Cons
- Modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio suggests limited light-air pace
- Non-cored solid hull adds weight versus cored competitors
