Design and Construction
The Formosa 47's hull is solid fiberglass with a fin configuration and a rudder mounted on a skeg fin hull type with a rudder on a skeg, and the keel itself is cast iron. Her displacement-to-length ratio sits at 289 by the waterline figure, placing her firmly among heavy, volume-oriented cruisers, while a comfort ratio of 36.09 and a capsize screening result near 1.79 to 1.80 put her in the range that period analyses considered acceptable for ocean racing evaluation on that formula alone. The beam-to-length ratio of 3.30 yields a hull that reviewers described as roomier than about two-thirds of comparable designs, and the designer appears to have deliberately chosen a slightly roomier hull form. A ballast-to-displacement ratio of about 32 to 37 percent — higher than the majority of similar sailboats — gives her a righting moment that period commentary tied to an above-average ability to resist heeling.
Rig and Handling
She was delivered as a masthead ketch with a reported sail area of 125 square meters and an SA/D ratio near 21.9, and a cutter rig was also offered. The fin keel gives splendid maneuverability in close quarters but trades away some directional stability compared with a long-keel arrangement. With a wetted surface of about 59 square meters and a hull speed around 8 knots, she is built for steady passage-making rather than acceleration. Sheet sizing from period data runs to 16 mm diameter for jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker leads, the mainsheet alone specified at just over 35 meters.
Accommodations
Below, the boat is equipped with 11 berths, a count that reflects the three-cabin owner layouts and the ex-charter interior plans that appeared in the fleet. The 340-gallon water capacity and 180-gallon fuel capacity support long independent stretches away from port, and the 80-horsepower Lehman Ford diesel drives a direct shaft installation suited to her displacement.
Known Issues
The principal operational limitation is draft: at roughly 2.25 to 2.35 meters depending on load, the yacht draft confines her to major harbors. This is a flat constraint of the fin-keel geometry rather than a defect, but it shapes where she can be berthed and refueled. (Sources differ on exact draft: SailWiki lists 2.26 m, yachtdatabase 2.25–2.35 m.)
The Verdict
The Formosa 47 is a heavy, beamy, fin-keel ketch from the last years of Formosa's Taiwanese production, offering voluminous accommodations and a reassuring ballast profile for offshore use. Her draft and limited production year are the main caveats for a buyer weighing her against shallower-draft contemporaries.
Pros
- High ballast ratio improves righting moment and heel resistance
- Roomy hull form with 11 berths and large tankage
- Fin keel gives strong close-quarters maneuverability
Cons
- Deep draft restricts her to major marinas
- Fin keel loses directional stability versus a long keel
- Single-year 1980 build limits fleet commonality
