This is a substantial boat: 47.92 feet overall, 34 feet on the waterline, and 31,000 pounds of displacement, including 13,000 pounds of lead ballast. Her 41.94 percent ballast ratio places her firmly in the tradition of heavy, seakindly cruisers rather than light-displacement racers.
Design and Construction
Luders designed the Clipper 48 as part of the same series as Cheoy Lee’s 33-, 36-, and 42-foot models, almost all of them ketch-rigged. The 48 feels like the mature expression of that cruising philosophy.
The hull and deck are solid fiberglass. Below the waterline, she has a long keel and attached rudder—a simple, traditional arrangement that favors steady tracking over quick turns.
With a 13-foot beam and 6-foot draft, the Clipper 48 provides a stable, voluminous platform. Her displacement-to-length ratio of 352 and comfort ratio of 41.22 point to a boat designed to carry cruising loads and absorb motion rather than sprint. A capsize screening figure of 1.66 marks her as a conservative offshore hull, with modest but adequate sail power for her weight.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The standard masthead-ketch rig carries 1,182 square feet of total sail area. That comprises:
- 580 square feet in the foretriangle
- 396 square feet in the mainsail
- 206 square feet in the mizzen
Cheoy Lee also offered a schooner rig. It increased total sail area to 1,390 square feet, with a 441-square-foot foretriangle, a 423-square-foot mainsail, and a 525-square-foot staysail.
The ketch divides the total sail area among three manageable sails. The long keel and attached rudder provide predictable tracking, though at the cost of pivoting agility. Theoretical hull speed is 7.81 knots, consistent with the boat’s heavy displacement and low sail-area-to-displacement figure.
Accommodations and Tankage
Cheoy Lee offered the 48 with three interior layouts. Plan A slept nine people, a high berth count made possible by the volume within the 13-foot beam and 34-foot waterline. Plans B and C substituted a circular settee, trading some sleeping capacity for a more social saloon arrangement.
Tankage supports the boat’s long-range cruising intent. The Clipper 48 carries 200 gallons of water and 100 gallons of fuel, generous capacities for a hull of this size.
Verdict
The Clipper 48 Ketch is a rare, purpose-built Luders cruiser. With only 20 produced, examples are uncommon. She is a straightforward, heavily ballasted long-keel boat with offshore credentials reflected in her design ratios and a flexible interior program.
The choice of ketch or schooner rig and the availability of three layouts show that Cheoy Lee was willing to tailor the boat. Meanwhile, the solid-fiberglass hull and attached rudder keep the basic structure relatively simple to survey.
Pros
- Heavy 31,000-pound displacement and 41.94 percent ballast ratio provide stability
- Three interior layouts, including a nine-berth plan and circular-settee alternatives
- Choice of ketch or schooner rigs, with the ketch dividing sail area into manageable pieces
- 200-gallon water and 100-gallon fuel capacities suit extended cruising
Cons
- A production run of only 20 boats limits availability and familiarity with spares
- The long keel and attached rudder reduce maneuverability in tight quarters
- A modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.16 limits light-air performance
