Cheoy Lee Offshore 44 Buyer's Guide
The Cheoy Lee Offshore 44 is a center-cockpit ketch with lines by John G. Alden and construction by Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. in Hong Kong between 1968 and 1974, with only 17 hulls completed. On the brokerage market it appears as a rare semi-custom bluewater cruiser, often cherished and kept in good condition by long-term owners, and a buyer should approach it as a distinctive Alden-designed classic rather than a volume-production boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example shares the aft-cabin, center-cockpit arrangement with a lavish Burma teak interior and laid teak decks. The 43-foot 8-inch hull on a 35-foot waterline and 13-foot beam gives the interior real volume, while the 175-gallon water and 240-gallon fuel capacity point to a boat equipped for extended passages. Because production was limited to 17 boats, layout variation is minimal; what differs between listings is mostly equipment and owner refit history rather than the core plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the used market carry a short-handed setup with electric winches, a furling main, and a self-tacking jib, which suit the ketch's manageable sail plan for a small crew. Navigation and safety gear commonly fitted includes chartplotter, AIS, radar, autopilot, EPIRB, and life raft. For comfort and power, buyers will frequently find heating, a cockpit shower, hardtop, bimini, dodger, dinghy davits, swim platform, teak decks, bow thruster, and Starlink. The takeaway is that a typical Offshore 44 will already be heavily equipped for offshore living, and a buyer's survey should focus on the condition of those systems rather than their absence.
What to Inspect
The molded fiberglass hull, deck, and cabin trunk form a structural unit built to Lloyd's 100A1 specification, so the core molding is a known strength anchor. The natural teak exterior trim, cockpit grating, and laid teak decks are the recurring maintenance items; inspect for soft spots, caulking failure, and hidden fastener corrosion. Original Sitka spruce spars were standard with aluminum optional, so verify spar material and look for rot or compression damage at fittings. With a 63-horsepower diesel and pedestal wheel steering, confirm engine service history and steering linkage condition.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are typically available in the United States and United Kingdom. For a shopper, the checklist is straightforward: confirm Lloyd's-spec hull integrity, survey the teak deck and trim closely, identify spar material, verify the ketch rig and Barient winches, and review the autopilot, radar, and life-raft currency. A well-kept example rewards its owner with a rare Alden-designed bluewater ketch that few others will meet at anchor.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cheoy Lee Offshore 44. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $165,000 | — |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $95,441 | -42.2% |
Where they're listed
Cheoy Lee Offshore 44 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $95,441 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nauticat 44 | 43.67' | $ 154,297 | 40 | 3 |
| Nordic 44 | 43.83' | $ 81,500 | 26 | 11 |
| Bruce Roberts 44 | 44' | $ 70,036 | 16 | 1 |
| Hylas 44 | 44.17' | $ 109,990 | 15 | 2 |
| Hardin 44/45 | 44.5' | $ 62,500 | 15 | 1 |
| Gulfstar 44 Kth | 44.67' | $ 44,500 | 12 | 0 |
| Peter Ibold 44 | 44' | $ 98,372 | 10 | 2 |
| Cheoy Lee Offshore 44You are here | — | $ 95,441 | 1 | 1 |