Mayflower 48/Stadel 48 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Mayflower 48 — also badged Stadel 48 or, on certain hulls, Mariner 48 — means looking at a small population of Taiwanese-built ketches from a George H. Stadel III design intended for ocean cruising. With under 100 afloat, each boat reflects decades of individual ownership, and the wise buyer reads the specific hull rather than the nameplate.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example carries the same fundamental plan: two cabins and six berths, a galley, and a head, with teak throughout the interior and a solid fiberglass hull and deck. The 199-gallon fresh water tank and 150-gallon iron fuel tank are part of that built structure, so unlike many boats of the era there is no mystery about baseline capacity. Hulls numbered 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 17 were sold as Mariner 48, but the accommodation shell is the Stadel design regardless of the name on the stern.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, a watermaker and solar are commonly fitted, reflecting the boat's role as a long-range cruiser rather than a marina dweller. A buyer should focus on the systems that matter offshore: a watermaker reduces reliance on the 199-gallon built-in tank, and solar helps keep house batteries up without running the Perkins 4.236 diesel. Beyond those, equipment varies by owner, but the ketch rig and shaft-drive transmission are standard, and any rig or canvas additions should be judged on condition rather than novelty.
What to Inspect
The keel and fuel tank are both iron, so corrosion at the keel joint and inside the 568-liter fuel tank deserves close inspection. The iron fuel tank in particular should be opened and checked for internal rust or leakage, since a failed tank is a structural and safety item on this design. The solid fiberglass hull and deck avoid core-rot questions, but a surveyor should still sound the iron keel attachment and confirm the shaft-drive seal on the Perkins installation is sound.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the checklist is short and specific: confirm the hull number against the Mariner 48 list if name matters; pressure-test the iron fuel tank; inspect the keel-to-hull joint for corrosion; verify the Perkins 4.236 and shaft seal; and assess any watermaker and solar as the common cruising additions rather than surprises.