Kelly Peterson 44

[kosullivan]

I''m getting ready to buy what will be my home for next 10 or 15 years. Plan circumnavigating/liveaboard life. Want a strong, seaworthy yet comfortable boat. All of my research has the Peterson 44 way out in front. I have not found any negative comments about this boat anywhere (unusual). Any comments from experience here?

[Pangaea]

You wont receive any negative comments from me. It would be one of my choices also.

Dennis .L.

[Jeff_H]

The Kelly Peterson 44 would be quite high on my list of offshore boats if I was going to go the heavier displacement cruiser route. They generally offer really nice sailing capabilities combined with decent accomodations. They offer a tremendous amount of boat for the money.

On the negative side, They tend to be deep, I have seen listings that show them with between 6''1" and 7''-0 draft. Also early KP44''s has black iron fuel and water tanks. These are now approaching the end of their useful lifespan. Apparently early KP 44''s used a lot of glassed in wood in their mast supporting structures and over time these can be rot out and becoem problematic. Lastly many KP 44''s have teak decks which can be a major maintenance issue as a boat ages and water can get down in the deck coring and rot it out.

As a contrast I would suggest also looking at Brewer 12.8''s. These are keel centerboard cutters and offer a similar interior plan and similar sailing characteristics but in a shoal draft. My father has one (which he will be putting on the market before too long) that has proven to be an excellent boat for distant cruising.

Regards
Jeff