Design and Construction
The hull is laid up in solid fiberglass for impact resistance and strength, while the deck is cored with end-grain balsa to keep weight down and add stiffness laid up with solid glass for impact resistance and strength. Construction details carry ABS approval, and the lead keel is externally hung on no fewer than fifteen one-inch bolts—a serious attachment for a 12,000-pound casting. The rudder is a deep semi-elliptical spade balanced off a partial skeg, and the fin-keel underbody is matched to a low-freeboard profile that keeps the center of effort modest. Period testers described the general interior construction as essentially a fine wood boat fitted inside a glass hull and deck, and the overall build quality as exceptional. Below the waterline the easily-driven hull form, combined with a sail-area-to-displacement figure around 22 in light trim, gives her enough canvas to push through the water without feeling over-canvased.
Rig and Handling
The Kemp rig uses double spreaders with split lower shrouds, and the mast section is stout enough to dispense with running backstays entirely. All running rigging is led aft to the cockpit, so sail handling stays within reach of the helm. The test boat flew a conventional full-batten main with lazy jacks, though later cruising versions are often fitted with electric furling on both genoa and main, making the boat manageable single-handed. Writing in Yachting Monthly, test sailors found her pleasing to steer—tight and responsive—and as bluewater cruisers go, genuinely rewarding at the helm, even if the partial-skeg rudder does not deliver the linear feedback of a fully balanced spade. In cruising trim with full tanks she displaces nearly 21,000 kilograms and her sail-area-to-displacement number drops to about 14.4, the mark of a heavy-displacement cruiser that will comfortably cope with heavy weather.
Accommodations
The aft owner's cabin is the more sumptuous of the two, centered on a 60-inch island berth larger than a queen, with an en suite head. The forward guest cabin is well appointed with decent stowage and its own berth of 42 inches amidships, also en suite. In the saloon, the main settee converts to a double berth and the starboard settee folds to twin bunks, while the main cabin table serves as a small cocktail table in its normal mode and expands to a full dining surface. The cockpit in its midship configuration is high and compact but very comfortable, and the elevated helm position feels secure rather than exposed. Plenty of opening hatches—all with fly screens—and a maximum headroom of six feet eight inches keep the interior airy, with air conditioning and fans available below.
Equipment and Systems
The engine sits beneath the main companionway under the galley island, and access is excellent: full reach from the front plus panels on the other three sides. Plumbing and through-hulls are meticulously labeled and easy to get at. The standard Yanmar diesel of around 62 to 75 horsepower drives a shaft, and tankage is generous at 100 gallons of fuel and 200 of water. Safety gear includes substantial grab rails over the Dorade vents, high lifelines, clean decks, and a secure cockpit, with full-length teak-and-stainless rub rails just beneath the sheer. A transom locker, folding bathing ladder, deck shower, and a bow saltwater hose for anchor and chain round out the deck conveniences.
The Verdict
The Hylas 46 is a thoughtfully engineered Frers cruiser that balances a robust solid-glass hull with a light, stiff balsa-cored deck and a heavily bolted lead keel. Her accommodations are genuinely livable for two couples, and her rig is modern enough to be handled shorthanded without sacrificing sea-kindly manners. She is not a lightweight racer, but in full cruising trim she is built to absorb heavy weather with composure.
Pros
- Solid-glass hull with ABS-approved construction and fifteen one-inch keel bolts
- Versatile three-berth saloon plus two en-suite cabins with a 60-inch aft island berth
- All running rigging led aft; stout mast permits no runners; manageable shorthanded
- Excellent four-sided engine access and labeled, reachable plumbing
Cons
- Partial-skeg rudder lacks the feedback of a fully balanced spade
- Low freeboard lets occasional spray reach the cockpit
- In cruising trim sail-area-to-displacement drops to heavy-displacement numbers, slowing her in light air
