Design and Construction
By textbook definition the 45 is a full-keeled yacht, and the keel form shapes her entire personality full-keeled yacht. There is no distinction between the forefoot and the leading edge of the keel, a geometry that removes the separate leading bite found on cutaway or fin keels and makes her forgiving to sail. The big rudder is hung so that some balance area falls ahead of the pivot, which lightens helm loads despite the long-keel appendage. Underbody numbers reinforce the cruising bias: a displacement-to-length ratio of 238 (or 239 by another reading) on a 37'7" waterline, and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.39, put her firmly in the heavy, voluminous camp. The hull is a solid fiberglass unit and the lead ballast is encapsulated inside the keel cavity.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig is built around a short bowsprit that pulls the headstay forward, opening the foretriangle so a jib and a staysail can be carried together without fouling. Sail area measures 931 square feet in the basic rig and 1,100 square feet once the staysail is counted, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16 on foretriangle alone and 17.18 including the staysail. Those figures sit low for a performance hull but suit a boat whose stability comes from ballast and hull form rather than canvas. The helm is kept manageable by the rudder's balanced hang, and the full keel's tracking favors long offshore passages over tight harbor turns.
Accommodations
The interior is laid out for two couples, with both staterooms adjoining heads so each pair has private facilities. The forward cabin uses a Pullman-style berth with the head placed forward, a configuration that sacrifices some floor space for a proper double and separated sanitation. A nav station sits in the main layout, sized large enough for two people to stand and study charts at once, and a wet locker is placed outboard of the nav seat for foul-weather gear. The 240 gallons of water and 140 gallons of diesel support extended liveaboard timelines, and the 62-horsepower fresh-water-cooled diesel gives a margin of auxiliary power unusual in this size bracket.
The Verdict
The Island Packet 45 is a purpose-built bluewater cruiser whose full keel, encapsulated ballast, and balanced rudder deliver a forgiving, track-stable platform with serious tankage and a two-couple layout. She is not a light-air performer, but her rig and hull numbers describe a boat engineered for passage-making comfort and structural simplicity rather than speed.
Pros
- Full keel with no forefoot distinction makes her forgiving under sail
- Balanced rudder hang lightens helm loads on a long-keel hull
- Two-couple layout with adjoining heads and a large nav station
- 140-gallon fuel and 240-gallon water capacity for long autonomy
Cons
- Low sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air performance
- Heavy displacement and full keel trade maneuverability for stability
