Design and Construction
Southern Ocean Ltd. built the Ocean 60 in fiberglass with a solid hull and solid fiberglass deck, the keel itself being iron beneath a fin profile. Rascoe gave her a length-to-beam ratio of 3.88 and a displacement-length ratio of 266, figures that describe a beamy, heavy-volume hull rather than a lithe racer. The wetted surface runs about 818 square feet, and her immersion rate is roughly 2,537 pounds per inch—so she sits deep and moves slowly in the waterline as load comes aboard. The theoretical hull speed for a displacement vessel of this length is 9.2 knots, while the calculated top speed settles nearer 6.8 knots, the gap being the practical penalty of her bulk and cruising trim.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig splits sail area between two masts, and the standing and running gear is sized for a big boat: jib and genoa sheets run 60 feet at 5/8-inch diameter, the mainsheet stretches 150 feet, and the spinnaker sheet is 132 feet, all at the same 16 mm diameter anchor. That is a great deal of line to handle, and the ketch configuration traditionally eases single-sail loads on a vessel of this size. The fin keel and 7.84–8.14 feet draft—dependent on load—mean she draws enough to limit her to major marinas anchor, a real constraint for the cruiser who likes to tuck into shallow anchorages.
Accommodations and Cruising Profile
At 60 feet overall with a 15.5-foot beam, the Ocean 60 was laid out for extended living aboard rather than weekend coasting. The 500-gallon diesel and 500-gallon water capacities speak to self-sufficiency on long passages, and the 110-horsepower Yanmar single diesel provides a substantial auxiliary for a sailboat of this era. Her capsize screening value of 1.57 places her among steadier offshore candidates, and the comfort ratio of 48.93 reinforces the impression of a stable, soft-riding hull in a seaway.
The Verdict
The Ocean 60 is a serious bluewater ketch from the early Rascoe era, built in solid fiberglass by Southern Ocean Ltd. and sized for load-carrying ocean cruising. She is not quick by modern standards, but her numbers describe a stable, voluminous passage-maker with the tankage and power to roam.
Pros
- Heavy, stable hull with capsize screening of 1.57 and comfort ratio near 49
- Generous 500-gallon fuel and water capacity for long-range independence
- Ketch rig divides sail-handling loads on a 62,000-pound vessel
- Solid fiberglass construction throughout hull and deck
Cons
- Load-dependent draft of 7.84–8.14 feet restricts her to major marinas
- Calculated top speed of 6.8 knots is well below theoretical hull speed
- Large-diameter sheet lengths demand considerable handling effort
