Peterson 46 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Hull type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Cutter

LOA

47.5' · 14.48 m

Displ.

33,300 lbs · 15,105 kg

First year

1980

The Peterson 46 is a quintessential example of the "performance cruiser" era, a design movement that sought to blend the seaworthiness of traditional bluewater vessels with the speed of the International Offshore Rule (IOR) racing circuit. Designed by the legendary naval architect Doug Peterson in the late 1970s, the 46foot hull is essentially a stretched and refined evolution of the iconic Peterson 44. While the original 44s were primarily built by the Yu Ching yard, the Peterson 46 saw production across several prominent Taiwanese shipyards, including Ta Chiao and Formosa. As detailed by Jordan Yachts, the 46foot version replaced the somewhat abrupt "cutoff" doubleender stern of the 44 with a more elegant counter stern, extending the waterline and improving both aesthetics and stowage. This model represents the highwater mark of Taiwanese "Leaky Tiki" era construction—characterized by heavy handlaminated fiberglass and exhaustive teak joinery—but with a hull shape that remains surprisingly competitive today.