Design and Construction
Garden’s hand is evident in the traditional profile and the raised quarter deck, which shelters the aft cabin. The solid fiberglass hull is built mostly with chopped strand mat—about as far from high-tech as a production boat gets. Hardwood longitudinal and transverse stringers provide reinforcement, while plywood structural bulkheads are bonded in with chopped strand mat and polyester resin in this structural arrangement.
Designed displacement is 40,000 pounds, including 11,000 pounds of ballast. The boat has a 13.42-foot beam and a 35.75-foot waterline. Together with the full keel and attached rudder, those dimensions give her the volume and directional steadiness expected of a proper offshore ketch.
Nearly all examples left the yard with teak overlays on the weather decks, quarter deck, and cockpit. The deck boxes and hatch covers are teak-overlaid plywood—an important consideration for long-term ownership as these boats age.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Vagabond 47 was offered with either a wood or aluminum mast. Wood masts were generally painted rather than varnished because painting was easier and less expensive, according to this review of the rig options.
The sail plan includes:
- A 406.73-square-foot mainsail
- A 516.67-square-foot working jib
- An 800.21-square-foot genoa
- An asymmetrical spinnaker of about 1,365 square feet for offwind passage work
At the designed displacement of 40,000 pounds, the displacement/length ratio is 383 and the sail area/displacement ratio is 15. At a more realistic cruising weight of 44,000 pounds, those figures shift to 421 and 14.1, respectively. The comfort ratio is over 50.
These numbers describe a stiff, settled sea boat rather than a light-air sprinter. Its known bluewater capability rests on that mass and long-keel configuration, not on technical refinement in the construction.
Deck and Accommodations
Wide side decks and deep bulwarks suit a boat intended for moving about in heavy weather. Seats on the quarter deck double as lockers, and there are additional deck lockers at the main mast.
Below, the typical layout begins with a forward stateroom fitted with either a double berth or upper-and-lower bunks. A head and the main salon follow. The engine room is centered beneath the small center cockpit, the galley runs along the port side, and a starboard passage leads aft to the master stateroom.
The aft cabin sits beneath the raised quarter deck and contains a large double berth, along with a separate head and shower. It’s a practical use of the extra volume created by the raised afterdeck.
Known Issues
Age is the central caveat. On older Vagabond 47s, the decks and superstructure are major areas of concern. Poorly executed fastenings, window installations, and hardware attachments allowed water intrusion from the time the boats were built, as noted in this account of the original construction problems.
The original stainless steel hardware, tanks, and rigging chain plates also deserve close attention. Poor material quality and welding have caused a number of premature failures.
Wood masts add another concern. Latent defects can be very difficult to identify, even for experienced surveyors and riggers. Any surveyed example therefore needs close attention to the decks and superstructure, original stainless steel hardware, tanks, rigging chain plates, and wood mast where fitted.
Verdict
The Vagabond 47 is a heavily built, long-keeled William Garden design that earned its place among serious offshore cruisers through mass, volume, and a practical deck-and-cabin layout rather than modern construction methods. Careful inspection of its weakest original details is essential, but a sound example offers a roomy, seakindly platform for extended cruising.
Pros
- Iconic William Garden heavy-displacement staysail ketch with bluewater pedigree
- Solid fiberglass hull with a structural grid of hardwood stringers and plywood bulkheads
- Roomy aft cabin with a separate head and shower beneath the raised quarter deck
- Settled, high-comfort motion from the 40,000-pound displacement and full keel
Cons
- Decks, superstructure, and hardware have built-in weaknesses involving leaks and corrosion
- Original stainless steel components and chain plates are prone to premature failure
- Wood masts can conceal defects even from expert surveyors
