Chung Hwa Boatworks in Taiwan produced 56 Lafitte 44s between 1980 and 1989. The design’s seagoing pedigree is matched by a structural approach that favored reinforcement over lightness.
Design and Construction
Perry gave the Lafitte 44 a moderately fine entry, a fairly high bow, and a canoe stern. Its deep keel draws 6 feet 4 inches, while its beam is a modest 12 feet 8 inches.
The hull and deck are hand-laid fiberglass with a foam core. Foam-filled frames and longitudinals, together with glassed-in bulkheads, massively reinforce the hull. Every interior partition and cabinet divider is tabbed to the hull as a frame with multiple layers of 2-ounce cloth, resulting in a very well-framed structure.
The external lead-ballast keel is solidly secured with stainless-steel bolts. A stainless-steel plate mounted on the hull frames carries the step for the Sparcraft mast.
The Lafitte 44 displaces 28,000 pounds and carries 11,310 pounds of ballast. Its ballast-to-displacement ratio is 0.40, and its displacement-to-length ratio is 279. Those figures place it firmly among heavy, offshore-capable boats rather than in the light-displacement racing lineage.
Rig and Deck Layout
The cutter rig uses a rather smallish mast section, backed by heavy rigging with conventional double uppers and lowers and StaLoc fittings.
More than 22 feet of flush deck extends forward of the deckhouse, creating an unobstructed foredeck. Twin bronze anchor rollers are mounted at the stem. A foredeck locker houses the windlass, wash-down spigot, and deck-gear storage.
Two chain lockers serve the ground tackle: one directly beneath the windlass and another farther aft under the V-berth. Many boats have been refitted with a hawsepipe so the chain can run more freely to the after locker.
The side decks are 2 feet wide and have well-placed handholds, an important detail on a boat with this much open foredeck.
Accommodations
The interior is both functional at sea and elegantly fitted out in solid teak. Its extensive woodwork is well beyond the run of the mill.
The boat has two companionways, one amidships and one aft. The second companionway hatch, forward of the cockpit, leads down a very steep ladder into the galley and saloon.
The U-shaped galley to port is the interior’s most prominent feature. It has deep double sinks inboard, large work surfaces, and substantial cold-storage volume divided between a top-loading freezer and a separate fridge. A bin, along with numerous drawers and lockers, provides abundant dry storage. Opposite the galley is a spacious navigation station.
In the saloon, both the U-shaped settee to port and the straight settee to starboard convert into sea berths. The space offers more than adequate seating. Four hatches and eight opening ports provide light and ventilation, while ventilated lockers and drawers are plentiful. Deep storage lies outboard of the settees and on two levels beneath the V-berth.
The forward stateroom has an en suite head and shower. Aft, the stateroom has a queen Pullman berth to port and a settee to starboard that also converts. The engine warms the wet locker, a practical feature for drying gear offshore.
Machinery and Range
Early boats left the factory with a 60-horsepower Lehman diesel, while later models switched to a Perkins. Depending on conditions, the boat’s 115-gallon fuel capacity can provide a motoring range of more than 800 miles.
Engine access, however, is a recurring complaint. The engine is buried in a hole with very poor access, making routine service a genuine ordeal.
Known Issues
The teak decks are the Lafitte 44’s principal chronic problem because of the way they were fastened. On most hulls, screws driven from below secured the teak. After 20 years of wear, their tips become exposed, leading to cut feet and leaks. Some later boats had teak screwed from above with the holes bunged, but that system has also proved prone to leaks. Surveyors routinely find decks worn down to the screw heads.
Another issue concerns the forward-cabin air-conditioning unit. This self-contained box is stowed on a shelf behind paneling and has leaked condensate and rotted the surrounding wood.
On affected boats, the cabin-sole foundation wasn’t laid correctly, causing the sole to squeak underfoot throughout the interior.
Refits and Long-Voyage Use
The most common structural refit addresses the chain run. Many owners have added a hawsepipe so the ground tackle can reach the aft locker cleanly.
The deep bilges and heavily framed hull have supported decades of bluewater use. The passage-making layout—including dual companionways, ventilated stowage, and a galley designed around a liveaboard cook—reflects a boat conceived for long voyages rather than weekend coastal hops.
The Verdict
The Lafitte 44 is a genuinely offshore cutter with a massively reinforced hull and a passage-maker’s interior. Its teak-deck detailing and wretched engine access are significant drawbacks that any buyer must budget to manage.
Pros
- Heavily framed foam-core hull with glassed-in bulkheads and tabbed partitions
- Proven circumnavigation record, including a double circumnavigation
- Galley and stowage layout designed for long-term liveaboard voyaging
- Solid lead keel secured with stainless-steel bolts
Cons
- Teak decks can leak whether screwed from above or below, with screw tips becoming exposed as the teak wears
- Engine is buried and has very poor service access
- Forward-cabin air-conditioning condensate leaks can rot hidden wood behind the paneling
- Cabin sole can squeak because of flawed foundation lay-up
