Design and Construction
The 49’s hull architecture reads as a purposeful ocean-going tool. Tall, slim, slightly flared bows overhang a forefoot that is only just immersed, while powerful bows and a well-proportioned coachroof mark the profile Powerful bows and barely immersed forefoot. The hulls show a progressive gain in volume, but the lack of any “belly” and the flattened aft sections generate tight, disciplined lines, and a wedge-shaped counter is intended to help the hulls plane. At the expense of interior volume, the 49 carries a rounded trunk cabin smaller than those of similarly sized cats for enhanced structural integrity, and the hard foredeck is cut back almost to the cabin to eliminate flat surfaces exposed to boarding seas. Safety is addressed with forward crash boxes and watertight bulkheads.
Rig and Performance
Slender hulls, fine entries, light weight, and twin daggerboards combine with a massive sail plan to drive the vessel at blistering speeds on or off the wind, and the boat’s natural attitude is intentionally a little tail-down. A 1,336-square-foot sail area on a 49-foot 2-inch waterline hull with 20,944 pounds of displacement explains the acceleration reviewers felt; writing in Cruising World, the editors called her one exhilarating boat to sail and noted the slender hulls are exceptionally fast. A special feature is the pair of twin tillers aft that let the sailor feel the boat directly, separate from the main helm’s hydraulic steering system.
Accommodations
Below, the 49 is functional yet elegant, with a lustrous cherry interior and spacious cockpit areas and decks. The galley is equipped to handle a large and hungry crew, and consistent with the yard’s core philosophy is a full-size, thoroughly equipped navigation station. The boat is aesthetically very pleasing to the eye, a quality that carries from the deck lines into the living spaces without sacrificing the bluewater brief.
Specifications
The 49 measures 49 feet 2 inches overall and on the waterline, with a beam of 24 feet 5 inches. Draft is adjustable between 2 feet 9 inches and 7 feet 7 inches via the daggerboards. Tankage includes 116 gallons of water and 80 gallons of fuel. The spec record lists a 40-horsepower Volvo Penta D2 diesel, while one review quoted a 49-horsepower Yanmar; the discrepancy is unresolved in the sources.
The Verdict
The Outremer 49 is a recovery-era bluewater cat that distills the builder’s seaworthy-fast-simple ethos into a visually coherent, structurally deliberate platform. It trades interior volume for a smaller trunk cabin and tight hull lines, yet delivers speed, direct sailing feel, and serious safety provisioning.
Pros
- Slender, fast hulls with twin daggerboards and massive sail plan
- Forward crash boxes and watertight bulkheads
- Twin tillers aft for direct helm feedback
- Full-size navigation station and crew-capable galley
Cons
- Reduced interior volume from smaller trunk cabin
- Hard foredeck cut back limits flat working space forward
