Design and Construction
The 48's bones are uncompromising. The hull and deck are a vacuum-bagged, oven-cured monocoque using a foam-core laminate of epoxy, biaxial and unidirectional glass, Kevlar, and carbon fiber, while the daggerboards, lifting rudders, stringers, ring frames, and crossbeams are all carbon fiber anchor. That structure wraps a 24-foot 3-inch beam and a 20,100-pound displacement, with boards-up draft of just 1 foot 1 inch opening to 7 feet 5 inches when the daggerboards drop. Morrelli & Melvin's follow-up to the larger Tribe kept the performance cruising brief intact: Yachting World notes the smaller model still managed 300–400 mile days anchor.
Deck Layout and Rig
The deck is organized around a forward cockpit reached through a door from the central bridgedeck saloon, wheelhouse, and galley—an arrangement the builder credited to earlier influences rather than a Gunboat original anchor. Nearly all running rigging and sailhandling gear sits at chest height near the base of the carbon spar, with a suite of Harken blocks and winches and Spinlock clutches close to hand. Steering wheel, engine controls, chart plotter, and instruments are tucked just inside the forward door, so a short-handed crew can steer and trim from one sheltered station. A Raymarine autopilot keeps her coursing while the watch relaxes.
Accommodations
Inside, the bridgedeck flows aft to a roomy back porch suited to dining or drinks, with practical access to dinghy davits and transom steps. Below, a pair of staterooms with queen berths is joined by a third cabin with a single, and two heads with showers sit forward in each hull. The saloon centers on a folding dining table veneered in Brazilian mahogany, fronting a forward-facing settee—a calm, bright command post rather than a mere galley corridor.
Power and Systems
Twin Westerbeke 35-horsepower Universal diesels provide direct drive, matched to 120 gallons each of fuel and water. The spec sheet's 1,106 square feet of sail area on the fractional sloop rig, paired with the daggerboard hull form, underpins the passage-making range noted by period reviews.
The Verdict
A rare, low-production performance cat that punches far above its six-boat run, the Gunboat 48 rewards owners who want Tribe-level ambition in a tighter, more manageable hull. The carbon-heavy build and forward-cockpit workflow are genuine strengths; the scarcity and bespoke systems demand a disciplined survey.
Pros
- Exceptional performance-cruising pedigree from Morrelli & Melvin in a 48-foot hull
- Carbon fiber throughout structure, boards, rudders, and crossbeams
- Forward cockpit layout places all sail handling at chest height near the spar
- 300–400 mile daily range per Yachting World
Cons
- Only six built, limiting brokerage availability
- Bespoke vacuum-bagged construction and twin Westerbeke diesels require specialist care
