The result is a high-spec cruising yacht that can be sailed by two people. Its swing keel varies the draft from 10ft 4in with the keel down to 2ft 11in with it raised.
Design and Construction
Humphreys Yacht Design was responsible for the Southerly 49’s hull, rig, keel, and sail plan. The 2008 design combines a long waterline, fine entry, and beam carried aft, with the aim of delivering the highest degree of performance, stability, and safety.
The hand-laid hull is solid laminate below the waterline and foam-cored above it. The keel box is integral to the mold, while transverse frames and longitudinal stringers stiffen the structure. High-load areas use multi-axial and unidirectional fabrics. The bulkheads are fully bonded to the hull and deck, and the deck joint is bonded with Plexus adhesive and through-bolted on a generous flange.
The cast-iron swing keel weighs 4,519lb and pivots on a stainless steel pin. A hydraulic ram operates the keel, powered by an electric pump with a manual backup system, and a keel-control display shows how much of the keel is deployed. In addition to the moving keel, the boat carries 11,530lb of fixed ballast. Nearly all the heavier systems—including the tanks, generator, and batteries—sit low and amidships beneath the saloon.
A pair of short, semi-balanced rudders allows for grounding and provides instantly responsive steering with precise directional stability. Buyers could also specify a fixed keel instead of the swing-keel arrangement.
Rig, Sail Handling, and Performance
The Southerly 49 comes standard with Seldén spars and Lewmar hardware. All working lines from the mast run beneath the coachroof to a pair of winches at the companionway. The mid-boom mainsheet and single sheet for the 100 percent self-tacking jib are double-ended and led under the deck to power winches just forward of the twin steering pedestals.
A larger overlapping genoa sets on a separate stay just ahead of the jib and sheets to conventional tracks. An asymmetric spinnaker or gennaker can be flown from a removable bowsprit.
Test sailors found the boat a willing performer. With the working jib set and the keel down, she sailed at about 5 knots at a tight 30-degree apparent-wind angle. Setting the genoa increased that to more than 5.5 knots. Widening the angle to 45 degrees produced well over 6 knots; raising the keel added another half knot, though with noticeable leeway. On a close reach, carrying a big nylon gennaker with the keel partway down, she reached 7.2 knots.
Under power with the keel raised, the Southerly 49 made 6.7 knots at 2,200 rpm and 8.4 knots at the full 3,400 rpm. She was also quite maneuverable. The twin rudders gave excellent directional control in reverse, and the boat turned in about 1¾ boatlengths with the keel up. Lowering it tightened the turning circle to just one boatlength.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit has high coamings that provide back support and a footwell narrow enough for crew seated to weather to brace themselves easily. There is no walk-through transom, only a small fold-down swim platform.
Below, the Southerly 49 has a raised saloon and a forward owner’s stateroom with an island double berth. The ensuite head includes a separate shower stall. Aft, two double staterooms sit beneath the cockpit; their proper double berths can easily be divided into singles.
The wraparound dinette settees can accommodate two people for sleeping. With lee cloths deployed, the yacht can sleep as many as six comfortably in a seaway. Headroom is 6ft 3in in the saloon and 6ft 10in in the galley.
The interior is finished with fine hardwood, sumptuous leather trim, and cedar-lined lockers. Integral LED lights are fitted to the hanger rods.
The galley sits low in the hull to starboard, in a trench alongside the dinette and keel box. Its narrowness is the one downside: anyone passing to or from the forward cabin must entirely displace the cook.
Equipment and Systems
A primary feature of the Southerly 49 is its digital distributed-power electrical system. This greatly simplifies the wiring harness and enables advanced computerized diagnostics. The system is backed by a 115AH engine-start battery and two 150AH house batteries.
The swing-keel hydraulics and distributed-power architecture earned the boat a SAIL magazine 2012 Best Boats award in the systems category. Tank capacities are 90 gallons of fuel, 120 gallons of water, and 28 gallons of waste.
The Verdict
The Southerly 49 is a thoughtfully engineered offshore cruiser that balances shallow-draft access with serious passage-making ability. Humphreys’ hull and twin-rudder package give two-handed crews precise control and surprising speed, while the integral keel box and bonded structure reflect a builder focused on bluewater integrity.
The accommodations are generous for six, although the narrow trench galley will frustrate a working cook on passage.
Pros
- Swing keel provides a 2ft 11in raised draft for gunkholing and a 10ft 4in lowered draft for windward grip
- Twin semi-balanced rudders deliver excellent control in reverse and a tight turning circle
- Can be sailed by two people, with lines led to companionway and pedestal winches
- Award-winning digital distributed-power electrical system
- Raised saloon, island-berth owner’s stateroom, and convertible aft doubles
Cons
- Narrow trench galley forces the cook to move aside whenever someone needs access to the forward cabin
- No walk-through transom, only a small fold-down swim platform
- Raising the keel for speed produces noticeable leeway
