Design and Construction
Hood's 46 carries a designed displacement of 32,500 pounds, and the displacement/length ratio sits well over 300, marking her as a genuinely heavy boat for her length heavy boat for its length. The hulls were built with core-composite construction using Airex foam, while the decks used Divinycell foam rather than the more conventional balsa core. The stated rationale for cored construction was sound and thermal insulation rather than weight savings, and the fiberglass skin thickness remained quite substantial. Joiner work is exceptionally well crafted, rivaling custom cabinetmakers. Notably, the "as built" specifications of the final 46 list a displacement of 47,000 pounds and a board-up draft of five feet eight inches, against the original five-foot board-up draft — a real-world growth in mass across the series that buyers and surveyors should keep in mind.
Rig and Handling
The 46 was offered with either a sloop or yawl rig, though one reviewer noted having never seen anything beyond a drawing of a yawl-rigged example. The sloop-rigged, center-cockpit arrangement was by far the most popular, while aft-cockpit versions are rare. On deck, the layout is well suited to offshore sailing, with secure teak overlaid decks, substantial teak toe rails, a large unobstructed foredeck, large dorades for ventilation below in foul weather, and secure rails and lifelines. The cockpit itself, on both models, is quite small for a 46-foot yacht and is obstructed by a large helm console and a fixed drop-leaf table. Under way, like all heavy boats she suffers when it comes to acceleration and is not likely to win a tacking duel against a Farr 40, yet few if any boats of this size will be more comfortable at sea.
Accommodations
Because the Little Harbor 46 was built on a semi-custom basis, interior arrangements differ slightly from boat to boat, but the general plan follows a standard layout with a V-berth cabin, head, and hanging locker forward, then a main saloon with a starboard dinette and port settee. Water and fuel tanks are fiberglass, located below the berths and cabin sole and integral with the hull — a construction choice that saves space but ties tank condition directly to hull integrity.
Machinery and Systems
Auxiliary power has been provided by both Westerbeke and Yanmar marine diesels, and most examples carry constant-velocity drives between engine and shaft to keep vibration minimal. Access for service and maintenance is good, and there is room forward of the engine for an auxiliary generator. The builder's specified 70-horsepower single diesel, 100 gallons of fuel, and 200 gallons of water situate her firmly in the long-range cruiser class.
The Verdict
The Little Harbor 46 is a limited-production Ted Hood cruiser that trades outright speed for sea-kindly motion and first-rate craftsmanship. Her cored hull and deck were engineered for insulation and quiet, not lightness, and the semi-custom interiors mean a buyer must evaluate each vessel on its own merits. The small, console-obstructed cockpit is the clearest concession to her prioritized comfort-over-competition philosophy.
Pros
- Exceptionally well-crafted joiner work rivaling custom builders
- Few boats her size are more comfortable at sea
- Good engine access and provision for an auxiliary generator
- Cored construction chosen for sound and thermal insulation
Cons
- Heavy displacement brings poor acceleration and weak tacking performance
- Small cockpit obstructed by helm console and fixed table
- Only 21 built, with rare aft-cockpit and yawl configurations hard to find
- Final hulls show markedly higher displacement than original design
