Design and Construction
The Pacific Seacraft 44 measures 44 feet 1 inch overall, with a 33-foot 7-inch waterline and a 12-foot 8-inch beam. Hull weight is 27,500 pounds. Crealock’s canoe stern, semi-long keel, and skeg-hung rudder give the boat directional steadiness for offshore work.
Construction changed in 1993. Earlier boats used solid mat-and-woven-roving hull laminates and plywood-cored decks. From 1993 onward, the hulls used stitched bi-axial fabrics, while the decks had balsa cores with plywood inserts at mounting points.
At the hull-to-deck joint, an inward-turning flange is bedded with 3M 5200 and secured with through-bolts on 4-to-6-inch centers. Although materials evolved, the boat’s build history reflects refinement rather than redesign, and hulls from every era draw on the same molds.
Rig and Handling
The 44 carries a Bermudan cutter rig with 976 square feet of sail. The cutter arrangement is intended for shorthanded handling.
Buyers could choose between a 6-foot 3-inch standard draft and a 5-foot 3-inch shoal draft. The standard fin provides useful bite to weather; the shoal option reduces draft at the expense of windward grip.
With a displacement-to-length ratio above 300 and a 38-percent ballast fraction, the Pacific Seacraft 44 is a steady sea boat rather than a sprinter. Its high displacement also limits light-air acceleration compared with lighter cruisers.
Accommodations and Tankage
A length of 44 feet 1 inch and beam of 12 feet 8 inches provide useful volume for extended liveaboard cruising. The canoe stern shapes a broad transition from cockpit to transom, while the interior follows Crealock’s familiar cruising approach, with an enclosed saloon and a forward owner’s space.
The boat carries 90 gallons of diesel and 120 gallons of water low in the hull. The builder lists a single-engine installation with a 56-horsepower diesel.
Production and Ownership
Pacific Seacraft ownership passed to Singmarine Industries in 1988. A private investor owned the company from 1998 until its 2007 bankruptcy. Stephen and Reid Brodie then restarted production in Washington, North Carolina, in 2008.
The model has remained in production since 1990, with its tooling preserved.
The Verdict
The Pacific Seacraft 44 is a purpose-built bluewater cruiser with a Crealock pedigree and a construction history defined by material improvements rather than a fundamental redesign. It is heavy, steady, and spacious, with the tankage, rig, and displacement suited to extended cruising.
Pros
- Bill Crealock bluewater design with his signature canoe stern
- High 27,500-pound displacement and 38-percent ballast fraction provide offshore steadiness
- Cutter rig with 976 square feet of sail for shorthanded handling
- Continuous production since 1990, with tooling preserved
Cons
- High displacement limits light-air acceleration compared with lighter cruisers
- Pre-1993 boats have plywood-cored decks rather than the later balsa-cored construction
- The 5-foot 3-inch shoal draft trades windward performance for reduced draft
