Design and Construction
Humphreys Yacht Design was responsible for the hull, rig, keel, and sail plan of the Southerly 49, a 2008 design that pairs a long waterline, fine entry, and beam carried aft with the aim of delivering the highest degree of performance, stability, and safety anchor. The hand-laid hull is solid laminate below the waterline and foam-cored above, with the keel box built in as an integral part of the mold. Transverse frames and longitudinal stringers stiffen the structure, and multi-axial and unidirectional fabrics are used in high-load areas. Bulkheads are fully bonded to hull and deck, while the deck joint itself 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, driven by a hydraulic ram powered by an electric pump with a manual back-up system anchor; a keel-control display makes it easy to see how much keel is deployed. On top of the moving keel there is a great deal of fixed ballast at 11,530lb, and nearly all the heavier systems — tanks, generator, and batteries — sit low and amidships under the saloon. A pair of short semi-balanced rudders allows for grounding and gives instantly responsive steering with precise directional stability anchor. Buyers could also order an optional fixed keel in place of the swing arrangement.
Rig and Handling
The Southerly 49 comes standard with Seldén spars and Lewmar hardware, and all working lines from the mast are led under the coachroof to a pair of companionway winches. The mid-boom mainsheet and the 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 forward of the jib and sheets over conventional tracks, while an asymmetric spinnaker or gennaker can be flown from a removable bowsprit.
Test sailors found her a willing performer: under the working jib with the keel down she sailed at about 5 knots at a tight 30-degree apparent wind angle, and with the genoa out that improved to over 5.5 knots. Widening the angle to 45 degrees brought well over 6 knots, and raising the keel added another half knot there though with noticeable leeway. With a big nylon gennaker on a close reach and the keel partway down she hit 7.2 knots. Under power with the keel up she made 6.7 knots at 2,200 rpm and 8.4 knots at full 3,400 rpm. The boat was quite maneuverable, with excellent directional control in reverse thanks to its twin rudders, turning in about 1¾ boatlengths with the keel up and tightening to just one boatlength with it down.
Accommodations
Below, the Southerly 49 shows a raised saloon and a forward owner's stateroom with an island double berth and an ensuite head with a separate shower stall. Aft, twin double staterooms sit under the cockpit with proper doubles that can be easily split into singles. The wraparound dinette settees can accommodate two sleeping bodies, letting the yacht sleep as many as six comfortably in a seaway with lee cloths deployed. Headroom runs 6ft 3in in the saloon and 6ft 10in in the galley.
The interior finish includes fine hardwood, sumptuous leather trim, and cedar-lined lockers with integral LED lights on the hanger rods. The galley is set low in the hull on the starboard side in a trench along the dinette and keel box; the only downside is that this is a very narrow space, and passage to or from the forward cabin must entirely displace the cook. Up top, the cockpit has high coamings for back support and a footwell narrow enough that crew seated to weather can easily brace themselves.
Equipment and Systems
The Southerly 49's primary feature is a digital distributed-power electrical system that greatly simplifies the wiring harness and enables advanced computerized diagnostics, backed by a 115AH engine start battery and two 150AH house batteries. The swing-keel hydraulics and the distributed-power architecture were strong enough to earn the boat a SAIL magazine 2012 Best Boats award in the systems category. Tanks hold 90 gallons of fuel, 120 of water, and 28 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 speak to a builder focused on bluewater integrity. The accommodations are generous for six, though the trench galley will frustrate a working cook on passage.
Pros
- Swing keel gives 2ft 11in raised draft for gunkholing and 10ft 4in lowered for windward grip
- Twin semi-balanced rudders deliver excellent reverse control and tight turning
- Sailed by two people with all 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 out of the way for forward-cabin access
- No walk-through transom, only a small fold-down swim platform
- Raising the keel for speed incurs noticeable leeway
