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Seller's Description

This center cockpit design of this Kelly Peterson 44 provides perfect accommodations for the cruising couple with occasional visitors or a cruising family. The two staterooms, two head layout provides for separation and privacy.

The interior is spacious, bright and warm with and new LED cabin lighting, and new aluminum opening ports and hatches.

The salon has 6’4” headroom with a dinette to port and a straight settee to starboard with thick comfortable cushions. The dining table seats four and can squeeze six in a pitch.

The aft cabin is private with a big double berth and its own private head.

The forward cabin is a classic V berth arrangement with an insert to make a big double.

Additionally, the salon dinette makes a big double berth and storage is massive, both under and outboard the settees.

There is a real sit-down chart table, navigation station.

The galley works at sea or dockside. It is safe, well-ventilated, and bright. There is a large refrigerator/freezer combo and a new gimbaled 3 burner stove that makes preparing meals easy and safe in almost any sea conditions.

The galley also includes plenty of storage compartments keeping food and galley items easily accessible. There is a large double stainless steel sink with a new faucet and generous counter space.

The separate engine room is accessed by large, insulated sliding doors that are easily removed when necessary, and the opening hatch ensures good light and ventilation. The location of the engine room means that engine or mechanical work can be done without disrupting activity in the other parts of the vessel.

The passageway next to the engine room contains the batteries and 2400W inverter/charger.

Proceeding aft thru the passageway the aft cabin features a king-size berth. Opening ports, access hatch, and a companionway to the cockpit insure that the aft cabin will be comfortable and private in all conditions. The separate head includes a shower.

This KP44 is powered by a Cummins 65HP diesel engine. Engine mounts were added in 2016 as well as a new starter. The engine drives a Velvet Drive transmission pushing a stainless steel shaft and a Max Prop feathering prop. The shaft seal was replaced in 2014 and the cutlass bearing was replaced in 2018.

Other mechanical features include 2 engine room blowers, Groco bronze strainer, dual Racor 500 fuel filters, and a 90-gallon aluminum fuel tank.

Navigation and communication equipment:

  • Mast mounted Garmin 4G radar (2018);
  • Garmin GPS/Plotter 12”(in cockpit);
  • New Garmin AP
  • ICom 802 SSB w/Pactor modem (Nav station);
  • Two (2) Standard Horizon VHF radions 9 Helm/Nav station).

Additionally, there is an almost new Hydrovane Windvane steering system.

Electric generation/storage includes a 1000W pole-mounted wind generator (2018) and three (3) Siemens 75W solar panels mounted on the arch. There are six (6) 200 amp batteries and a Gel 1000 amp HD start battery.

There are two (2) 2000 Lumen LED deck lights mounted under the spreaders and a 1000 Lumen LED aft deck light.

The sail inventory includes a fully battened mainsail (2018) with three (3) reef points, a Yankee cut 125% headsail (2018) on a Schafer roller furler, a Yankee cut staysail (2018) on a Schafer roller furler, a barely used 200% drifter, and a spare Genoa.

Standing rigging includes an aluminum keel-stepped mast with SS steps that was refurbished in 2017. The rigging is 1/19 SS wire new in 2018 and the SS chainplates were also replaced in 2018. There is a new aluminum boom with boomvang and boom end sheeting to a traveler aft of the cockpit. All lines lead to the cockpit through clutches.

Winches include: - (2) #55 Barient winches and (4) new Anderson 2-speed self-tailing winches; - Primaries: extra large two speed, self-tailing sheet winches on the cockpit combing; - (2) secondary winches for staysail sheets and roller furling on combing; - Mainsheet: New Anderson two speed, self-tailing winch; - Halyard: new Anderson winch in the cockpit on the cabin top; - Traveler replaced new 2015.

The ground tackle includes a Mawell 155 electric up windlass, a Rocna 75# w/275’ 3/8 BBB chain (primary) and a Bruce 30# w/ 12’ chain, and 400’ rode (secondary). There is as a Danforth 60# on the stern rail.

Please note: the seller has provided lots more detail about the equipment on this vessel and it is in the DOCS file. Please ask your broker to provide a copy for you if interested.

This 1977 Kelly Peterson 44 is built and equipped for serious cruising. If you are looking for a high-quality vessel that is built to deal with whatever Mother Nature might throw at you, then this KP44 will let you sail with confidence.

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Specs

Designer
Doug Peterson
Builder
Jack Kelly Yachts/Yu Ching (TAIWAN)
Association
Kelley-Peterson 44 Cutter Web Site
# Built
200
Hull
Monohull
Keel
Fin
Rudder
Skeg
Construction
FG w/plywood cored deck
Also Known As
Peterson 44, KP44

Dimensions

Length Overall
43 9 / 13.4 m
Waterline Length
38 8 / 11.8 m
Beam
12 11 / 3.9 m
Draft
6 3 / 1.9 m
Displacement
30,000 lb / 13,608 kg
Ballast
10,000 lb / 4,536 kg (Iron encapsulated)

Rig and Sails

Type
Cutter
Reported Sail Area
780′² / 72.5 m²
Total Sail Area
779′² / 72.4 m²
Mainsail
Sail Area
331′² / 30.8 m²
P
45 4 / 13.8 m
E
14 7 / 4.5 m
Air Draft
60 0 / 18.3 m
Foresail
Sail Area
448′² / 41.6 m²
I
50 11 / 15.5 m
J
17 7 / 5.4 m
Forestay Length
53 10 / 16.4 m

Auxilary Power

Make
Perkins
Model
4-154
HP
54
Fuel Type
Diesel
Fuel Capacity
117 gal / 443 l
Engine Hours
?

Accomodations

Water Capacity
132 gal / 500 l
Holding Tank Capacity
?
Headroom
?
Cabins
?

Calculations

Hull Speed
9.5 kn
Classic: 8.33 kn

Hull Speed

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Formula

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

9.45 knots
Classic formula: 8.33 knots
Sail Area/Displacement
12.9
<16: under powered

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

Formula

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3

  • SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D: Displacement in pounds.
12.93
<16: under powered
16-20: good performance
>20: high performance
Ballast/Displacement
33.3
<40: less stiff, less powerful

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Formula

Ballast / Displacement * 100

33.33
<40: less stiff, less powerful
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Displacement/Length
231.4
200-275: moderate

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

Formula

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
231.41
<100: ultralight
100-200: light
200-300: moderate
300-400: heavy
>400: very heavy
Comfort Ratio
37.9
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Formula

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
37.85
<20: lightweight racing boat
20-30: coastal cruiser
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
40-50: heavy bluewater boat
>50: extremely heavy bluewater boat
Capsize Screening
1.7
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

Formula

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
1.66
<2: better suited for ocean passages
>2: better suited for coastal cruising

Notes

From BlueWaterBoats.org:

A collaboration between designer Doug Peterson and yacht broker Jack Kelly birthed the Kelly Peterson 44, she was quite ahead of her time at her introduction in 1975. A long distance center-cockpit cruiser by design, she has earned a reputation for speedy passages. 180 miles days are not uncommon, with useful performance coming in all wind conditions and points of sail.

Today the design is a classic, Kelly Petersons have traveled far and wide and are often seen in far flung locations the world over, especially in the South Pacific. Many have circumnavigated.

History

Legend has it Jack Kelly, a San Diego yacht broker in search of his ultimate cruising boat, approached yacht designer Doug Peterson who at the time was already starting to make his mark on the racing scene. The boat he drew for Kelly kicked off a narrative, not all that uncommon in the cruising boat industry. It reminds us of the tales behind the Valiant 40 and the Alajuela 38 to name a couple. In this particular case the plan was to build ten boats, sell nine, keeping one to sail away. A couple of hundred hulls later, Kelly hadn’t left for his voyage but had a thriving boat building business instead.

Kelly’s boats were built by the Taiwanese yard Yu Ching Marine located in Kaohsiung, they built over 200 boats between 1975 and 1983. The boats were then outfitted in the United States or wherever they were shipped. Kelly also built an extended version which was called the Kelly Peterson 46 using another yard, Queen Long Marine, these were manufactured between 1980 and 1990.

Between 1979 and 1986 another Taiwanese yard called Formosa Yachts built an extended version called the Formosa 46, this string of boats eventually become known by the cruising community as “Cheaterson” boats. Digging deeper behind this story, Sea Magazine reported in May 1987 that Kelly had quality problems while building his original molds and had them destroyed, finding an alternative company to build a second set. During the interim the line drawings were stolen. In the months that followed two boats from Taiwan appeared on the U.S. market with a striking resemblance to the Kelly Peterson 44.

From here the facts surrounding the boats become sketchy, some say the original builder Yu Ching built an additional 400 hulls (though we are dubious about this figure). It’s likely that Queen Long and Formosa who built the 46s also built some 44s, and rumours abound that other Taiwanese yards got in on the act of building the 44s and 46s. Such was the case around the Taiwanese boatbuilding industry who had a unique interpretation to the Western concept of intellectual property.

Other examples of the basic Peterson hull design being matched with alternate interior designs were produced under names as Spindrift 46 and the Hillyer 46.

Between the 200 plus genuine Kelly Petersons and copies built by competing yards some estimates put the total of boats in excess of 600.

Configuration

Probably the most noticeable feature of the Kelly Peterson 44 is a near vertical transom, the boat was designed as a double ender with her transom lopped off, making for an abrupt finish to an otherwise pleasing shape. The bow has a fine entry with a moderate rake and the maximum beam is carried slightly aft of midships.

Below the waterline there’s a fin keel cutaway at the forefoot and aft which reduces her wetted surface, good for both light-air performance and a nimble turning radius. The keel has a relatively long run which helps the boat to track well. A full-size molded-in skeg supports the rudder and provides good protection during the occasional grounding. Protected also is the prop, mounted in an aperture between the skeg and the rudder.

One third of her light to moderate displacement of 30,000 pounds is encapsulated in her ballast slung low on her 6′ 4″ keel. This combined with her clean bow entry helps her produce a nice soft motion.

Above deck the on this center-cockpit boat is a low-profile cabin trunk which is both sleek and practical in that it aids a lower center of gravity. The cockpit is capaciously social with seating for 8 at a squeeze under anchor. The deck layout is good, with wide side decks bordered by 4” bulwarks and comfortingly high lifelines. There’s both bow and stern pulpits. A large cockpit locker provides for deck storage.

Designed for Californian conditions, the Kelly Peterson 44 is driven by a beefy twin spreader cutter rig carrying more than 1000 square feet of canvas, ample for a boat of this displacement. It’s also very manageable for a short-handed crew.

The mast rises 60 feet above the waterline, keel-stepped, with 3/8” cap shrouds, headstay and backstay. The mainsail sheeting line is on the end of the 17-foot boom, which keeps it out of the cockpit area. The original boats had large mainsails going to the end of the boom, which produced too much weather helm, subsequent boats trimmed the length of the foot 30 inches.

Layout

Down below there’s a useful three cabin layout (including the saloon) that serves well for both cruising and living aboard. The interior is bright and well ventilated from the three large hatches and twelve portlights. The forward cabin has a vee berth with full standing room and shares an enclosed head with shower aft. The saloon is a bright and open space featuring a straight settee to starboard. Opposite, the main cabin dinette to port has a two position table which converts to another double berth. Centered in the saloon, the keel stepped mast makes for a safe handhold when at sea.

The offset companionway hatch allows for a well-equipped U-shaped galley sited to port and has large capacity refrigeration and a gimbaled stove. The double stainless steel sink is close to the centerline and works well on any tack. Starboard of the galley is a full sized, sit down chart table and electrical switch panel.

Although described by some as a crawl space for the lack of headroom, there is an inside passageway to the aft cabin on starboard which provides access to a large engine room encompassing the remainder of the mid ships beam. The master stateroom aft includes a full double berth, and a private head. Additional access to the aft stateroom is offered through a second companionway from the cockpit.

Access to the bilge and engine is excellent. Most boats had a 62hp Perkins 4-152 Diesel while a few were fitted with a 80hp Ford Lehmans.

Construction

The boats were heavily constructed in hand-laid fiberglass matt and roving with polyester resin. Thicknesses range from nearly one inch at the bilges, tapering to 3/4 inches at the waterline and a half inch at the deck. The integral keel encapsulates 10,000 pounds of iron ballast packed with concrete. The rudder consists of a stainless-steel frame, packed with plywood and sheathed in fiberglass. Some of these have been replaced over time after leaks developed and corroded the stainless steel.

The deck-to-hull joint is a lip-tongue arrangement with a wood brace inserted between the joint in some areas, then fiberglassed over. A teak cap rail was screwed into the wood brace. This area can be prone to leaks, especially where long bolts holding the genoa track to the top of the bulwark protrude through into the cabin. The plywood-cored decks were finished in non-skid gelcoat as standard but some were optionally fitted with teak decking.

Overall construction is known to be solid, one story goes that a Kelly Peterson went aground on a reef in the South Pacific. The boat was pulled across the reef over a hundred feet before sailing away.

The original Kelly Petersons were shipped without rigs and then set up where they were delivered, so there’s variations between boats of differing destinations. The Californian boats usually had LeFiell spars and Navtec rigging.

The Formosa boats and those from other yards can have quite different construction details from the Kelly yachts. Kelly had an American overseer in Taiwan who reported construction problems to Kelly and these were repaired when the yachts were delivered to California and instructions then sent back to the yard to correct the problems in subsequent boats. Market prices reflect a higher price on the genuine Kelly Peterson boats, however today the consensus between owners is that the condition of their boats is more of a function of their use and upkeep than original manufacturer quality.

Under Sail

True to Doug Peterson’s reputation as a racing boat designer, the Kelly Peterson 44 is well known to make fast passages. The theoretical hull speed is 8.3 knots and owners report this is possible on all points of sail given the right conditions. 180 mile days are very attainable.

She is well balanced and despite long rudder control lines reaching from her centre cockpit, the feedback at the helm is surprisingly good. The boat is relatively easy to single hand, even in a blow. And importantly, her motion at sea is comfortable.

Buyers Notes

  1. The original chainplates developed crevice corrosion where they pass through the deck, it’s important that these have been replaced. Even if the chainplates have been replaced it’s worth double checking
  2. Verify that the rudder support inside the canoe stern (with the bronze rudder gland) is solid fibreglass and does not have a wood plug covered with a thin layer of fibreglass.
  3. The original rudder was built with stainless-steel frame, packed with plywood and sheathed in fiberglass. The stainless welds would invariably fail leading to leaks, make sure the rudder has been rebuilt.
  4. Check freshwater tanks for evidence of leaks. These can sometimes be repaired with epoxy but other yachts have replaced the tanks. Also check the iron diesel tanks for evidence of leaks.
  5. Check the chain and cable for steerage for signs of corrosion.

Links, References and Further Reading

» The official website of the Peterson Cutter Owner’s Group
» The Kelly Peterson and Formosa owners mailing list hosted on Yahoo Groups.
» Peterson 44 Review by Joe Minick, Cruising World Magazine, November 1997
» The Good-Old Peterson 44 – After 45,000 Miles by Jack Kimball, Blue Water Boats Magazine, May 1998
» Brilliant II, a Peterson 44 by Sharon Smallwood, Cruising Helmsman Magazine, July 2007
» Sea Esta, A Peterson 44 Can Get You Where You’re Going by Zuzana Prochazka, Latitudes and Attitudes Magazine, May 2005
» Sea Magazine a Kelly Peterson article by Peter Bohr, May 1987

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