Design and Construction
LeComte Yachts built the 52 as a solid-fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. Her 13.5-foot beam and 35-foot waterline, combined with her displacement, produce a displacement-to-length ratio of 385.26—the numerical signature of a heavy, volume-rich cruising hull.
The boat carries 14,700 pounds of lead ballast, giving her a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 39.73 percent. Along with a comfort ratio of 44.60 and a capsize ratio of 1.62, those figures describe a stiff, stable platform with excellent righting capability if capsized. Tripp’s hull is best understood as a heavy bluewater cruiser, not a light-air performer.
Rig and Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries 1,088 square feet of sail at 100 percent: a 503.5-square-foot mainsail and a 585-square-foot fore sail. The I/J/P/E dimensions are 60, 19.5, 53, and 19 feet.
Against the 37,000-pound displacement, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 15.67 to 15.74, depending on published rounding. That loading makes the LeComte 52 slightly under powered for her weight, and the same sources classify her plainly as a heavy sailboat.
What she gives up in acceleration, she returns in steadiness. The design is stable and stiff, while the modest hull speed of 7.93 knots is consistent with a long, heavy cruiser that rewards patient sailing.
Accommodations
The 51.83-foot overall length and 13.5-foot beam provide the envelope for a serious cruising interior. However, the published specifications leave the cabin arrangement, number of berths and heads, water capacity, headroom, and tankage unstated. Those details must therefore be established from the individual yacht.
Machinery and Ownership
The specification record shows a single engine fitted but gives no horsepower, fuel capacity, or drive-type data. Prospective owners should verify the propulsion system and tankage on the specific hull, since the source data doesn’t quantify them. The boat has been in production since 1965.
The Verdict
The LeComte 52 is a Tripp-designed, LeComte-built fiberglass cruiser that wears her bluewater purpose openly. She is heavy, stiff, and forgiving if capsized, but she isn’t quick to accelerate. This is a long-term cruising proposition rather than a regatta boat. Because published interior information is thin, a buyer will need to learn the layout and equipment of each individual yacht.
Pros
- Excellent righting capability if capsized, with a capsize ratio of 1.62
- Stiff, stable hull with a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 39.73 percent
- Purpose-built heavy bluewater cruising design by William Tripp
Cons
- Slightly under powered for her 37,000-pound displacement
- Published accommodation and tankage figures are unrecorded
- Engine horsepower and fuel capacity aren’t quantified in the source data
