Design and Construction
The Amphora measures 37.14 feet overall and 33.77 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 12.8 feet and a maximum draft of 6 feet. She displaces 17,637 pounds, including 7,385 pounds of lead ballast. That gives her a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 41.87 percent, placing her firmly in the serious cruising camp rather than among weekend racers.
Construction is solid GRP throughout, with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. Combined with a moderate displacement-to-length ratio of 204, this configuration presents a considered offshore profile rather than a coastal compromise. The hull has the volume and seaway manners suited to passage work.
Holman & Pye’s bluewater brief is also clear in the overall arrangement. The Amphora was designed as a spacious center-cockpit cruiser, not as a deck-saloon dayboat.
Rig and Handling
The Amphora carries a ketch rig designed to divide the sail plan into more manageable sections. The standard dimensions include a foretriangle 45.25 feet high with a 14.60-foot base. The mainsail has a 38.50-foot luff and an 11.70-foot foot, while the mizzen measures 24.67 feet on the luff and 7.63 feet on the foot.
This divided rig reduces the weight of individual sails for short-handed offshore handling and helps keep the center of effort manageable as the wind builds. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.36 and a capsize screening value of 1.97 describe a stable, load-carrying hull rather than a lively planing shape. The skeg-hung rudder also gives the steering gear a measure of protection in following seas and during groundings that a spade rudder wouldn’t enjoy.
Accommodations
Below, the Amphora sleeps up to seven in a roomy center-cockpit layout. Standing headroom exceeds 6 feet 2 inches throughout the cabin and approaches 7 feet in places—generous dimensions for a 37-footer of her era.
The center cockpit separates the forward owner’s quarters from the saloon and aft cabins. The interior also includes a full galley, a dedicated navigation station, and easy engine access. The survey found the boat well suited to comfortable coastal or offshore passagemaking with a small crew or family. Its interior volume, full galley, and navigation station reinforce the sense that it was conceived for extended liveaboard cruising rather than short harbor hops.
Refits and Ownership
Production ended in 1981 after 138 boats, leaving the Amphora as a finite and readily identifiable class. Its solid GRP hull and conventional period systems offer relatively straightforward refit paths compared with cored structures. Even so, prospective buyers should allow for four decades of owner history, particularly where original rigging and tanks are concerned.
The survey’s note about easy engine access points to a genuine ownership advantage when it’s time to service the single diesel.
Verdict
The Amphora is a thoughtfully conceived small bluewater ketch from the Holman & Pye and Wauquiez collaboration. She combines conservative construction, a divided rig that makes offshore sail handling more manageable, and genuinely generous accommodations for her length. She isn’t a performance boat, but she was never intended to be.
Pros
- Solid GRP hull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, giving her offshore credibility
- Ketch rig divides the sail area for short-handed passage work
- Roomy center-cockpit layout sleeps seven, with standing headroom nearly everywhere
- Full galley, dedicated navigation station, and easy engine access suit liveaboard cruising
Cons
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air pace
- Finite production of 138 boats from 1976 to 1981 means sparse brokerage availability
