Design and Construction
Jerry Cartwright drew the Cartwright 44 in the early eighties as a large sailboat built in solid fiberglass, with a monohull fin-keel hull and rudder on skeg anchor. The 40.42 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio is higher than two-thirds of comparable designs, and the 211.52 displacement-length ratio slots her among moderate racers while keeping 66 percent of similar boats heavier. A length-beam ratio of 3.57 makes her slimmer than 73 percent of her peers, a proportion that favors seaway manners over cavernous beam. The hull's wetted surface is about 505 square feet, and her immersion rate of roughly 1,591 pounds per inch means loaded cruising trim sits her at a draft between 6.0 and 6.3 feet depending on burden.
Rig and Handling
The cutter configuration carries a 100 percent sail area of 1,000 square feet, returning a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.23—enough canvas to drive the 37-foot waterline toward her 8.15-knot hull speed without requiring heroic crew work. Period reviews classify her as a good performer, very stable and stiff, with excellent righting capability if capsized anchor. The capsize screening value of 1.71 would, by that formula alone, admit her to ocean racing, and her Motion Comfort Ratio of 33.43 leaves her more comfortable than 58 percent of similar designs. Sheet specifications are substantial: mainsheet runs 110 feet, jib and genoa sheets 44 feet, and spinnaker sheets just under 97 feet, all at 5/8-inch diameter—a rig sized for real loads offshore.
Accommodations and Cruising Profile
The boat's 12.33-foot beam and 44-foot length frame a volume suited to extended living, and the 120-gallon water capacity (an estimate in the builder record) paired with 60-gallon diesel (also estimated) speaks to self-sufficient range. Her comfort ratio and stiffness under sail mark her as best suited to bluewater cruising rather than buoy racing, and the single engine installation is the lone mechanical plant aboard.
Known Issues
The one practical limitation worth flagging is draft: at 6 to 6.3 feet loaded, she can only enter major marinas anchor, which shapes where a cruiser can shelter or haul.
The Verdict
The Cartwright 44 is a thoughtfully proportioned offshore cutter whose stability numbers, righting ability, and ballast discipline mark her as a genuine bluewater vessel rather than a dressed-up coastal cruiser. Her slim beam and moderate displacement reward the sailor who values motion comfort and sea-kindliness over maximal interior square footage. The draft limits her to deeper ports, but that same keel underpins the stiffness reviewers praise.
Pros
- Excellent righting capability and very stiff, stable platform
- Ballast ratio higher than 66% of similar designs
- Cutter rig with substantial sail plan suited to offshore work
- Comfort ratio superior to the majority of comparable boats
Cons
- Draft of 6–6.3 ft restricts her to major marinas
- Slim beam means less interior volume than beamier contemporaries
