Design and Construction
The DALU 47's aluminium hull places her in META's metal-built cruiser lineage, and her 14.32-meter hull length with a 4.44-meter beam yields a length-to-beam ratio of 3.23 — a relatively broad, volume-oriented section for a cruiser of this size hull length of 14.32 meters. The wetted surface measures about 49 square meters, and the immersion rate runs roughly 425 kg per centimeter, or 2,385 pounds per inch, telling you how deeply she sits as load comes aboard. With a capsize screening value of 1.71 and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 25.31, the published figures describe a boat built for loaded cruising rather than all-out performance, accepting a moderate rig proportioned to her mass.
Rig and Handling
Her shallow draft is the defining handling trait: dependent on load she draws only about 0.90 to 1.00 meter, letting her tuck into shallow marinas that deeper keelboats cannot reach draft is just about 0.90 - 1.00 meter. The standing and running gear follow a practical cruising scale — jib and genoa sheets run 14.3 meters at 16 mm diameter, the mainsheet stretches 35.8 meters at the same 16 mm, and spinnaker sheets measure 31.5 meters, all sized for a large foretriangle and a powerful main. A shaft-drive inboard diesel of around 68 hp provides auxiliary power, a sensible match for an 18-tonne aluminium hull needing authority in close quarters and under load.
Accommodations
Below, the DALU 47 is laid out for a full cruising crew, carrying eight berths in her monohull accommodation plan. The broad 4.44-meter beam supports that berth count without the compromised passageways of narrower hulls, and the aluminium construction gives a durable structure. The design brief is clearly extended voyaging with companions rather than minimalist shorthanded coasting.
Refits and Ownership
Any surviving example will be at least four decades from her 1980–1984 production window, so rigging and diesel systems will have seen cycles of service. The specified 68 hp inboard with shaft drive is a straightforward layout to maintain, and the standard 16 mm sheet diameters are easy to source. Prospective owners should treat the original aluminium hull as a long-lived but inspection-dependent structure rather than a consumable.
The Verdict
The DALU 47 DI is a purpose-built aluminium cruiser from the Joubert & Nivelt partnership with META, offering shallow-draft access, a voluminous beamy hull, and berths for eight in a 1980s offshore package. Her ratios mark her as a loaded cruiser, not a racer, and the shaft-drive diesel backs that intent.
Pros
- Aluminium hull from a noted French design collaboration
- Shallow 0.90–1.00 m draft for marina and gunkhole access
- Eight berths across a 4.44 m beam
- 68 hp shaft-drive diesel suited to her displacement
Cons
- Moderate sail-area/displacement ratio limits light-air acceleration
- Production ended in 1984; age demands thorough survey of systems
