Design and Construction
Stan Huntingford drew the Maple Leaf 54 as a motorsailer. Cooper Enterprises built her predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. The solid-fiberglass hull carries 12,000 pounds of lead ballast in a fixed fin keel, for a ballast-to-displacement ratio of about 28.6 percent.
A raked stem, reverse transom, and skeg-mounted rudder complete the external profile. The rudder is controlled by wheel steering. Cooper Enterprises went out of business in 1990, and the Maple Leaf 54 is now out of production.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig carries 1,120 square feet of sail. Against the boat’s 42,000-pound displacement, that produces a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 14.8. It’s a modest figure, consistent with a motorsailer whose 120-horsepower diesel is central to its character under power.
The Maple Leaf 54 measures 54.25 feet overall and 45.25 feet on the waterline, giving a theoretical hull speed of nearly 9 knots. Her 7-foot-draft fin keel and skeg-hung rudder point toward a predictable cruising helm rather than a racing profile. A beam of 14.92 feet provides volume below without the extreme breadth of later performance cruisers.
Accommodations
The Maple Leaf 54 sleeps six across three distinct cabin zones. The bow cabin has two berths, with two more immediately aft, while the aft cabin contains a double berth.
Just forward of the companionway ladder, the L-shaped galley sits to port. It includes a three-burner stove and double sink. The navigation station is opposite, to starboard.
Two heads serve the interior. One is just aft of the bow cabin on the starboard side; the other is on the starboard side in the aft cabin. This layout separates the sleeping quarters from the boat’s working center and provides two private toilet spaces—a practical arrangement for a crew of six.
Verdict
The Maple Leaf 54 is a straightforward Canadian motorsailer of substantial displacement, designed by Stan Huntingford and built in solid fiberglass by a yard that is no longer in business. Her divided accommodations make sense for extended cruising, while the cutter rig and large diesel suit long-range motoring as much as sailing. The design is coherent and purpose-built.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass construction with wood trim and 12,000 lb of lead ballast
- Three-cabin, six-berth layout with two heads and a dedicated navigation station
- Cutter rig and 120 hp diesel suited to motorsailer cruising
Cons
- Modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air sailing performance
- Builder ceased operations in 1990, affecting long-term parts and support lineage
