About 100 boats were commissioned from 1972 at Cheoy Lee’s Lantao plant. The Offshore 41 was offered as a sloop, yawl, or ketch, and a Custom 41 variant was also available.
Design and Construction
Richards designed the Offshore 41 to meet Lloyd’s specifications, and Cheoy Lee marketed it as meeting that standard. Richards noted, however, that no Lloyd’s inspector was on the premises during construction.
The hulls are solid fiberglass and, according to Richards, came out heavier than designed. His lamination schedule specified six plies of 2-ounce mat, plus another six plies of graduated widths, but he said that schedule wasn’t followed.
The deck, cockpit, and cabin sides were cored with mahogany encapsulated in two layers of 2-ounce mat, then overlaid with 3/8-inch teak planking. The hull/deck joint uses an inner facing flange forming a shelf. The deck was laid into wet mat and through-bolted, while the teak toerail was rabbeted to take the deck thickness and bolted through.
Instead of solid fiberglass stringers, Cheoy Lee used joinerwork flats and aprons, allowing the berths and cabinetry to act as hull stiffeners. Bulkheads were dropped in, bolted to webs and floors, and glassed to the hull. A molded grid in the bottom provides structural support and a floor framework, as well as the cavity for the internal keel. The keel carries an 8,700-pound slurry of lead and concrete and also provides 50 gallons of fuel tankage.
Rig, Hull, and Handling
The traditional full keel gave way to a 6-foot cruising fin with cutaway forefoot and a skeg-hung rudder. Richards described the boat as “stiff as a church.” She tracks well, with the skeg credited both for that steadiness and for emphasizing directional stability when running downwind in a swell.
Of the three rigs, the sloop is the best performer. It carries 833 square feet of sail and has a sail-area/displacement ratio of 17.5, compared with 18.1 for the yawl and 18.4 for the ketch. Sloop owners report sailing to weather as well as similarly sized boats and logging 5.5 to 6.5 knots in 10 to 15 knots of breeze. Owners of the two-masted versions say their boats are slower.
The sloop also points higher, tacking through 85 to 90 degrees. The ketch and yawls manage 100 to 110 degrees at best. Owners agree that the Offshore 41 performs best on a reach at 120 degrees to the apparent wind under a genoa, when speeds reach 7.5 to 8 knots.
Cockpit, Engine, and Deck Gear
The helm sits well aft in a 9-foot 11-inch T-shaped cockpit. Original equipment included four cockpit sheet winches and two winches at the mast, with the mainsheet led to a traveler forward of the companionway.
The standard Perkins 4.108 turns 2,500 rpm and, according to owners, burns less than a gallon per hour. An optional 40-gallon cockpit tank was also offered.
Accommodations
Richards laid out an 18-foot-long, nearly wide-open cabin that sleeps six. An 8-foot-diameter dinette seats 6 to 8 people. The enclosed forepeak berths are reached by removing a panel in the dinette back. They’re arranged toe-over-toe, with the port berth set higher.
Aft to starboard is the skipper’s stateroom, with a double berth and hanging locker. Opposite, to port, are wide quarter berths. The lower berth doubles as the navigator’s seat, while the upper folds away. Every berth is at least 6 feet 6 inches long.
The galley is typically U-shaped and positioned near the companionway. It includes two stainless-steel sinks, a gimbaled four-burner stove, and an 11-cubic-foot refrigerator/freezer. Opposite the galley, the head combines the toilet and shower in one room and has a 50-gallon holding tank.
Eight ports and three hatches bring light into the cabin, while two Dorades over the saloon provide ventilation. The interior joinery is usually finished in Burmese teak.
Known Issues and Ownership
Like many boats of its era, the Offshore 41 was susceptible to blistering on the bottom and rudder. Owners have reported rudder blisters ranging from quarter-sized spots to areas larger than a hand.
The teak-over-fiberglass decks need frequent re-caulking, and many owners have reported leaks between the two layers. Staying ahead of those leaks is a recurring ownership task.
Spruce masts on used boats aren’t as sturdy or weather-resistant as aluminum. They can rot at the base if water is allowed to stand and require annual varnishing. One owner gained a new lease after coating the mast with Awlgrip.
One owner also noted that the flywheel brings up bilge water, causing starter and alternator faults until a metal shield was installed. The boat has no anchor locker.
One owner’s Offshore 41 survived Hurricane Hugo with substantial damage but retained its structural shape through the strength of its components.
The Verdict
The Offshore 41 is a stout, traditional cruiser with serious ballast and a stiff, directionally stable hull. It rewards offshore work more than light-air sprinting. The sloop is the sharpest of the three rigs, while the use of joinerwork as part of the structure helps make the 18-foot cabin both roomy and integral to the hull.
Teak-deck maintenance and period blistering are the price of admission.
Pros
- High ballast ratio and a stiff, directional hull suited to ocean conditions
- Berths and cabinetry double as structural stiffeners in an open 18-foot cabin
- The sloop points higher and performs best of the three rig configurations
Cons
- Teak decks can leak and require frequent re-caulking; the bottom and rudder are susceptible to blistering
- Spruce masts on some boats need annual care and vigilance for rot
- No anchor locker
- The flywheel can throw bilge water onto the starter and alternator
