Design and Construction
The 46 RK displaces 23,000 pounds, carries 7,500 pounds of ballast, and has a 13-foot-3-inch beam, making its hull relatively narrow for its length. Sailing magazine described the boat as nicely constructed and well styled. It also reported that the relatively narrow hull held its course well through a leftover ocean swell without slamming.
A 32.6 percent ballast-displacement ratio and a capsize screening number of 1.86 place the design among reasonably offshore-capable cruisers. Its waterline measures 44 feet 10 inches.
Rig and Handling
The 46 RK has a masthead sloop rig, a 62-foot mast, and 1,006 square feet of sail area. In 10 to 12 knots of breeze, test sailors found that the self-tacking jib made the boat easy to handle.
Twin rudders and twin skegs protecting the propellers contribute to excellent course-keeping. After a grounding, a flick of a switch lifted the keel enough to sail the boat free. With the keel raised, draft shrinks to 2 feet 5 inches.
The builder also claimed plans for a cantilevered mast that would allow the boat to slip beneath low bridges. It remained a designer plan, however, rather than a delivered option.
Accommodations and Command Station
Belowdecks, a central command station offers near-panoramic vision and is paired with the twin diesels. Fuel and water capacities are each 180 gallons, supporting the boat’s extended-cruising brief.
Period reviews framed the 46 RK as capable of blue-water sailing but ideally suited to the thin waters of the East Coast and the Bahamas. Its shallow draft with the keel raised reinforces that emphasis.
Production and Ownership
The 46 RK entered production in 2012 as the flagship of the RK line. No end-of-production date or total hull count is stated.
Its twin engines and lifting keel bring more mechanical complexity than a conventional single-engine cruiser, but the design centers on easy handling and shallow access. At the same time, the design centers on easy handling and access to shallow cruising grounds.
The Verdict
The Seaward 46 RK is a genuinely unusual 48-foot cruiser: a narrow, solidly built boat with a lifting keel, twin rudders, twin diesels, and a panoramic belowdecks helm. It combines blue-water capability with features particularly well suited to shallow cruising, though that versatility comes with added mechanical complexity.
Pros
- Retracting keel and twin rudders open thin-water cruising grounds
- Self-tacking jib and balanced hull make for easy handling
- Twin diesels and a central command station provide redundant propulsion and good visibility
- Narrow hull holds its course well in a seaway without slamming
Cons
- Greater mechanical complexity than a single-engine, fixed-keel cruiser
- No stated end-of-production date or total hull count
- Cantilevered mast for bridge clearance remained a designer plan, not a delivered option
