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Cal Cruising 46
Designer: C. William Lapworth  ·  Builder: Jensen Marine (Usa)  ·  First built: 1967
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About the Cal Cruising 46

Designed by the renowned C. William Lapworth and built by Jensen Marine from 1967 to 1972, this substantial cruising yacht represents the California builder's foray into serious offshore sailing. With only 18 hulls produced during its five-year production run, the Cal Cruising 46 remains a relatively rare find among vintage fiberglass sailboats. The yacht's impressive 30,000-pound displacement and moderate comfort ratio of 40.21 make it well-suited for extended offshore passages and coastal cruising. Lapworth's design features a fin keel with spade rudder configuration that provides good maneuverability while maintaining directional stability. The masthead sloop rig with 827 square feet of sail area delivers respectable performance, with the SA/Displacement ratio of 13.76 indicating a boat that moves well in moderate conditions without being overpowered. Built during Cal's golden era, this model embodies the transition from racing-oriented designs to more comfort-focused cruising boats. The robust construction and generous proportions, including a 12.50-foot beam, provide ample interior volume for extended living aboard. With its favorable capsize screening value of 1.61, the Cal Cruising 46 demonstrates the seaworthiness expected from serious offshore cruising vessels of this vintage.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 45.50 ft / 13.87 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 37.50 ft / 11.43 m
Beam 12.50 ft / 3.81 m
Max Draft 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
Displacement 30,000.00 lb / 13,608 kg
Ballast 8,000.00 lb / 3,629 kg
Sail Area (Reported) 827.00 ft² / 76.83 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Fin w/spade rudder
Rigging Type Masthead Sloop
Construction FG
Designer C. William Lapworth
Builder Jensen Marine (USA)
First Built 1967
Last Built 1972
Number Built 18
Related Sailboats ["Morgan 45" · "Columbia 45" · "Cal 46 Iii 1975" · "Cc 46" · "Coronado 45"]
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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
 13.76
Ballast/Displacement Ballast to Displacement ratio shows what percentage of the boat's total weight is ballast. Higher values generally mean better initial stability and stiffer sail carrying.
30–35% — Typical cruiser35–45% — Stiff performance boatOver 45% — Racing oriented
 26.67
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
 253.97
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
 40.21
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
 1.61
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 8.21 kn
S# (Speed Number) The Speed Number (S#) is a quick performance index. Higher values indicate a faster, more powerful design relative to its size.
Under 3.0 — Slow cruiser3.0–5.0 — Average cruiser5.0–7.0 — Performance cruiserOver 7.0 — Racer
 1.81
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 1,674.90 pounds/inch
SA/Displacement (Calc) Calculated Sail Area to Displacement ratio using actual measured sail dimensions rather than reported values. More precise than the reported SA/Disp figure. 13.76
Rig Dimensions
I (Foretriangle Height) 47.50 ft / 14.48 m
J (Foretriangle Base) 20.50 ft / 6.25 m
P (Mainsail Luff) 40.00 ft / 12.19 m
E (Mainsail Foot) 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
SA Fore 486.88 ft² / 45.23 m²
SA Main 340.00 ft² / 31.59 m²
SA Total (100%) 826.88 ft² / 76.82 m²
Est. Forestay Length 51.73 ft / 15.77 m
Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Perkins
Engine Model 4-236
Engine Type Diesel
Horsepower 85
Fuel Capacity 270 gals / 1,022 L
Water Capacity 170 gals / 644 L
How It Compares

vs. Cal 46 Iii 1975, Cc 46, Columbia 45

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Cal Cruising 46 ★
45.5 ft
Cal 46 Iii 1975
45.5 ft
Cc 46
45.6 ft
Columbia 45
45.3 ft
LWL
Cal Cruising 46 ★
37.5 ft
Cal 46 Iii 1975
37.5 ft
Cc 46
38.8 ft
Columbia 45
34.5 ft
Beam
Cal Cruising 46 ★
12.5 ft
Cal 46 Iii 1975
12.5 ft
Cc 46
13.0 ft
Columbia 45
12.3 ft
Displacement
Cal Cruising 46 ★
30 lbs
Cal 46 Iii 1975
30 lbs
Cc 46
26 lbs
Columbia 45
25 lbs
Ballast
Cal Cruising 46 ★
8 lbs
Cal 46 Iii 1975
8 lbs
Cc 46
—
Columbia 45
10 lbs
Sail Area
Cal Cruising 46 ★
827 sq ft
Cal 46 Iii 1975
855 sq ft
Cc 46
939 sq ft
Columbia 45
698 sq ft
Performance
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
13.8
Cal 46 Iii 1975
14.2
Cc 46
16.9
Columbia 45
13.1
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
26.7 %
Cal 46 Iii 1975
—
Cc 46
—
Columbia 45
41.2 %
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
40.2
Cal 46 Iii 1975
40.2
Cc 46
33.2
Columbia 45
36.1
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
1.61
Cal 46 Iii 1975
1.61
Cc 46
1.74
Columbia 45
1.69
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
253
Cal 46 Iii 1975
—
Cc 46
—
Columbia 45
271
Hull Speed
Cal Cruising 46 ★
8.2 kts
Cal 46 Iii 1975
8.2 kts
Cc 46
8.4 kts
Columbia 45
7.9 kts
Speed Number (higher = faster)
Cal Cruising 46 ★
1.8
Cal 46 Iii 1975
1.6
Cc 46
2.7
Columbia 45
1.6
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