Design and Construction
Van de Stadt designed a substantial monohull with an aluminum hull and deck, a long keel, and an attached rudder—a conservative underwater profile suited to sustained voyaging. The boat measures 49.21 feet overall and has a 15.09-foot beam. Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.26 makes her a roomy, moderate-displacement cruiser rather than a narrow racer.
The Trintella 49 A displaces 36,707 pounds and carries 14,330 pounds of lead ballast. That gives her a ballast ratio of 39 percent. Combined with a displacement-length ratio of 223, it places her firmly in the heavy-cruiser band.
Wetted surface is about 753 square feet. Her immersion rate of 2,105 pounds per inch indicates how reluctantly she settles under additional load—a relevant figure when stowing provisions for a long passage.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The 49 A carries a ketch rig and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 20.51. That figure suggests she’s intended to drive comfortably under sail without requiring extreme sail loads.
Her calculated maximum speed is about 7.5 knots, compared with a theoretical displacement-hull limit of 8.5 knots. A capsize screening value of 1.90 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 30.9 frame her as a stable, forgiving sea boat.
Depending on load, draft ranges from 5.58 to 5.88 feet. Together with the long keel, this allows her to enter most marinas while maintaining a predictable track.
Sheet specifications are generous for a boat of this size. Jib and genoa sheets are 49.2 feet long and 5/8 inch in diameter. The mainsheet is 123 feet of the same diameter, while the spinnaker sheets measure 108.3 feet. These dimensions indicate the leads and winch capacities a buyer should expect.
Accommodations
The standard arrangement provides two cabins and four berths, though this is a baseline rather than the only possible layout. Headroom is above average for the class, a genuine asset aboard a boat intended for liveaboard use. The beamy hull also pays off below: its roughly 15-foot beam provides interior volume that a narrower design would give up.
Verdict
The Trintella 49 A is a low-production, van de Stadt-designed aluminum ketch that makes no secret of her cruising priorities. Heavy ballast, a long keel, and comfort-oriented ratios matter more here than outright speed. She’s also scarce, which cuts both ways for an owner who values individuality over the support available to a larger fleet.
Pros
- Aluminum hull and deck with a long-keel configuration for offshore durability
- 39 percent ballast ratio and 30.9 Motion Comfort Ratio indicate stability and an easy motion
- Above-average headroom
- Two-cabin, four-berth baseline layout
- Moderate draft permits marina access despite the boat’s 49-foot length
Cons
- Only a few were built, limiting the scale of the spares network and owner community
- Modest calculated maximum speed of 7.5 knots, compared with an 8.5-knot theoretical limit
- Available accommodation detail extends only to two cabins and four berths
