For Sale: Crusing Sailboat: Cal 2-46 Motorsailer

[AdagioCal246]

World ready. This ketch offers speed under sail (8 kts reaching) and thrift & quiet under power (6.3 kts at 1,100 rpm, 0.6 gph - talk at normal voice levels). 2 heads, 3 cabins, 6+ foot headroom, wine cellar, deep freeze & refrig, ability to stow 3+ months dry goods, separate stand-up engine room with work bench, fully encloseable center cockpit, and long keel, provide comfort & stability for everybody under all conditions, as well as safe and easy use of tidal grid. Specs & equipment includes: 250 gal diesel, 250 gal water, pressure fresh water system, pressure salt water system, Lectrasan, 300 ft 3/8 HT chain w/300 feet 5/8 nylon, 3 anchors, windlass, solar panel, Caribe RIB w/9.8Hp in davits, 26 X 21 X 3 Gori prop, sunshades, full cockpit enclosure made of Sunbrella, LP stove and BBQ, many many spare parts for extended time in the wilderness. Dimensions: 45.5 Ft LOA, 12.5 Ft beam, 5 Ft draft, 33,000 Lbs.

Location: San Diego, CA Asking $86,000 USD

[SV.Maverick]

That's a great looking boat have you owned it long? I looked at one in my area about a week ago that's going to need a good deal of work. Has the boat been surveyed of late?

[AdagioCal246]

Lonestar, she's in proper condition as we've cruised her as live-aboards for several years. The only difficulty I foresee in passing another survey is some surveyors are insisting upon GFI outlets. What is your specific interest in our boat?

[Bosun Bill]

Adagio, how is she for single sailing or two ppl. Looking for a motorsailer to go from San Diego to Mexico coastal.

[AdagioCal246]

A quick response: My wife & I (age 64) have cruised her for the past 8 years in the Pacific Northwest. On several occasions I sailed her alone. This summer we took her from the Pacific Northwest to San Diego. A very easy boat for 1 or 2 persons. Hull design, mass, sail area, ketch rig and a few extra conveniences make her more than up for the job SD - Mex - SD safely & comfortably.

[AdagioCal246]

There is always great interest from other boaters in the anchorage about our Cal 2-46 motorsailer. So, let us help all interested with some history of the boat.

Hull 1 (Fram) was designed for Hail Field by Bill Lapworth. Field and his wife sailed her for 2 years in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle through Alaska) and then took several years to go around the country via Panama. While the hull design has remained unchanged since Hull 1 the below decks has changed twice. Version 2 & 3 share basic interior cabin layout, HOWEVER, version 2 has large portlights (windows) in the main cabin and also the galley in the main cabin. Version 3 has small portlights in the main cabin and the galley in the walk-thru.

There has been much written by various 'arm-chair Admirals' about the potential problems of the large portlights, and there remains no owners complaining of having them pushed in by a sea. Go figure. Our has 1/2 inch thick plexiglass storm shutter (in storage). Also, there is some talk about leakage around the frames. . .none that we are aware of, and after 8 years in the Pacific Northwest, we'd have noticed, eh?

The Version 2 also has walk-thru doorway to the engine room and thereby complete access to the entire engine without pulling apart a section of the galley. Version 3 has engine room access through the shower stall. Both have access through a cockpit hatch.

The engine in all is a Perkins 4-236, without a doubt the best of the Perkins 4 bangers. She's dry sleeved, low RPM with high, flat torque curve, 2.9:1 reduction, and swings a 26 inch diameter propeller. For those readers with a smattering of physics still in their memory, the larger the diameter prop and the slower it turns, the more efficiently power is transferred to the water (reference Propeller Handbook by Gerr or Schene's Elements of Yacht Design). For those who've forgotten their HS physics, look at the prop wash and look for air bubbles. Without air bubbles indicates very limited and perhaps no cavitation - an efficient prop. The Cal 46 series are more efficient under power than any other motorsailer. None in her size swing a 26 inch prop!

Sailing. Like all cruising boats, we do not expect the strong windward sailing character of an IOR racer. We find we are hard to weather at 40 degrees. With the shoal draught (5 feet) we keep her trimmed for low heel to avoid leeway. The short ketch rig helps this. On a broad reach in 12 kts apparent wind, we easily make 6 kts; at 18-20 kts wind, we're holding 8 kts.
With the asym chute figure 1/2 apparent wind speed up to 12 kts apparent wind (we take the chute down at 12 kts).

Construction is robust. The hull is reinforced by 2 large longitudinal stringers from stem to stern. All bulkheads are fully taped into place. All cabinetry is integral to hull stiffness. She does not flex, creak, oil-can, groan or make any objection to the wind and seas. We, on the other hand cannot endure for long what the boat easily accepts!

Living aboard is lovely. Ample storage for 3-4 months dry goods. Frig & deep freeze run well (Haagen-Dazs is scoopable; not rock hard, and always ice cubes for a drink), solar panel keeps the batteries charged, robust ground tackle invites good sleep, and basic electronics keeps it simple and safe. Ample water for daily showers.

There are several Cal 46s that have gone around the world. Before we bought ours, we contacted Jimmy Cornell who was running an around the world regatta and asked if any had gone on one of his cruises. He wrote back advising 2 had made the trip. He went further to state that in the really light air (these are days before asym chutes) while boats with greater sail to weight ratios ghosted along, the Cal 46s simply fired up their engines and moved along; all the while recharging batteries, running their water makers, enjoying whatever convenience bountiful electricity affords, and kept along with the others. (I calculate that at 5.3 kts - 850 rpm - she'll do about 13 mpg)

To believe you'll find a better boat for the money is the second silliest thing ever. The silliest thing is thinking you'll buy a cheap Cal 46 and not quickly come up to $95,000 total cost making her sea-worthy. Quality cost one way or the other.

Safe travels.

[missviss]

Hi Adagio,

I am in SD, and would be interested in taking a look at your boat. I am considering a Cal 2-46 for future cruising.

Please let me know how I can get in touch with you and your Cal!

Sandy

[AdagioCal246]

Dear MissViss,

Let's take this discussion off line, okay? Please contact me at Adagio246@gmail.com.

TNX, Jeff

[SkiprJohn]

My old friend sailed his from the east coast through the canal in into the South Pacific mostly single-handing. My biggest complaint was the long step from cockpit onto the main deck. I'm 6 feet and he was 6'7".

It's a very room boat and not a great sailer to weather but when the engine is clicking over at 900 rpm does reasonably well against the wind. She'll sail well on a beam reach and off the wind.

[AdagioCal246]

John, TNX for your commentary. The Cal 2-46 easily accommodates your 6 foot height, but at 6'7". . .well, that's a problem with any sailing boat. To weather, as you stated, she is not an IOR, but really, all boats are compromises. Good weather performance comes at the costly expense of space below, wet decks due to narrow bow with limited reserve buoyancy (also such a pointed bow is ill suited to carry necessary cruising ground tackle) and typically shorter waterline to length ratio.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by AdagioCal246

John, TNX for your commentary. The Cal 2-46 easily accommodates your 6 foot height, but at 6'7". . .well, that's a problem with any sailing boat. To weather, as you stated, she is not an IOR, but really, all boats are compromises. Good weather performance comes at the costly expense of space below, wet decks due to narrow bow with limited reserve buoyancy (also such a pointed bow is ill suited to carry necessary cruising ground tackle) and typically shorter waterline to length ratio.

One other really great thing about the Cal 2-46 was easy access to the engine once in the engineroom. I had to bleed the engine when the fuel tank selector switch got thrown the wrong direction. Even in a bouncy sea it was easy to reach everything. That, to me, was a big plus.

[AdagioCal246]

John, so very accurate! The Version 2 (versus version 3) permits easy access to the entire engine. Maybe you remember the starboard side of the engine is 'front & center' when you opened the engine room door in the 'walk-thru'. This access also made changing the oil filter and the zinc for the heat exchanger very simple.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by AdagioCal246

John, so very accurate! The Version 2 (versus version 3) permits easy access to the entire engine. Maybe you remember the starboard side of the engine is 'front & center' when you opened the engine room door in the 'walk-thru'. This access also made changing the oil filter and the zinc for the heat exchanger very simple.

And, like you said, the very best of engines. My friend rebuilt his engine from crankshaft up in the engine room without taking it out. He just rolled it over on it's side. Amazing engine space. I loved it.

[AdagioCal246]

John, the Perkins folks offer a fully fitted dry sleeve rebuild kit; I reckon that's what your friend used in the rebuild. Our engine was removed from the boat, in pieces, and rebuilt in a diesel shop. The only puzzle to me is the aluminum timing gear cover. . .why would Perkins would use Al in place of a stamped steel part - saving weight??? To preserve the raw water side, after our week or so use, when we dock her, we run fresh water and anti-corrosive through the raw water side to flush the salt water. Maybe the ultimate Cal 46 question is: Did Bill Lapworth really know precisely what he was doing vis-a-vis the design (you know he never designed any slugs) or was he the luckiest designer ever? Our trip from British Columbia to San Diego was a breeze, even through the sea swells along the Los Angeles coastline on August 27th (biggest seas recorded since 1997).

[Gasser9]

I know it is a long shot, but I am voming to San Diego the first week of January. Due to work constraints can't make it sooner. I am looking for a sailboat for retirement years and yours looks like a beauty. Is there a contact that I can try in January to see if she is still available?


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