Production began in 1980, and only 40 boats were built. At just under 48 feet overall, with a 13-foot-9-inch beam and a solid fiberglass hull, the Perry Offshore 48 is a serious offshore cruiser rather than a coastal weekender.
Design and Construction
The Perry Offshore 48 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck, a fin keel, and a skeg-hung rudder. Its 13,000 pounds of lead ballast gives it a ballast-displacement ratio of 40.25, placing it firmly in the loaded-cruiser category.
A 38.96-foot waterline and 32,300-pound displacement produce a displacement-length ratio of about 244. That figure helps explain the boat’s hefty feel, while its theoretical hull speed is about 8.4 knots—the speed a displacement hull of this length approaches before wave-making resistance dominates.
The hull has a length-beam ratio of 3.45 and roughly 602 square feet of wetted surface. It’s a form intended to carry provisions and gear across oceans rather than win buoy races.
Cheoy Lee’s specification sheet lists both aft-cockpit and mid-cockpit versions. These gave buyers a choice of companionway placement without changing the underlying hull.
Rig and Sail Plan
The yacht was available with either a 1,033-square-foot ketch rig or a 984-square-foot cutter rig. The cutter figure matches the builder’s quoted sail area for that configuration.
Standing and running rigging dimensions are generous for a boat of this size. The mainsail, jib, and genoa halyards are each 126.8 feet long and 14 mm in diameter. Sheets are 16 mm, with a 119.3-foot mainsheet. The spinnaker halyard matches the headstay halyards, while the boom vang, cunningham, and clew outhaul all use 14 mm line in specified lengths.
The builder quotes a draft of 6 feet 6 inches, while a period review gives a loaded draft of about 6.5 to 6.8 feet, depending on load. An immersion rate of 1,911 pounds per inch indicates how much additional payload is required to lower the boat one inch in the water.
Accommodations, Machinery, and Tankage
Both the mid-cockpit and aft-cockpit arrangements preserve a full interior below. Factory documentation lists a freshwater capacity of 200 gallons and a 130-gallon fuel tank. The boat has a 60-horsepower diesel driving a single propeller. Those capacities support long, independent passages.
The capsize ratio is 1.73, and the comfort ratio is 36.56. These figures describe a vessel whose stability curve and motion damping were drawn for extended liveaboard use rather than sportboat responsiveness.
The Verdict
The Cheoy Lee Perry Offshore 48 is a purpose-built bluewater cruiser from Perry’s early-1980s portfolio. It was offered with two cockpit arrangements and two rigs, backed by tankage and ballast suited to serious passage-making.
With only 40 hulls built, it’s comparatively rare. Even so, its specifications describe a coherent, well-balanced offshore platform.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull with 13,000 pounds of lead ballast and a ballast ratio of about 40%
- Choice of ketch or cutter rig
- Choice of aft- or mid-cockpit arrangement
- 200 gallons of water and 130 gallons of fuel, with a 60-horsepower diesel for self-sufficient cruising
- Theoretical hull speed of about 8.4 knots, with documented stability and comfort ratios
Cons
- Draft of about 6.5 to 6.8 feet limits access to shallow cruising grounds
- Only 40 were built, so finding one takes patience
