Voyager 45

The Voyager 45 design offers an exceptional blend of sailing performance with a comfortable cruising interior. The overriding design concept was to utilize the conventional aft cockpit layout in conjunction with a central deck house that contains a large "living room". A completely unique, low profile deck house design was developed in order to: 1) allow good forward visibility from the cockpit, 2) improve windward performance by reducing windage, and 3) create a truly monocoque structure that yields incredible strength and stiffness which in turn allows a reduction in structural weight.

To achieve the "exceptional blend" it was essential to use modern materials and construction technology throughout the design in order to maximize strength and minimize weight. Cored epoxy/composite construction is used throughout. High performance uni-direction carbon fiber laminate carries the primary structural loads. Weight of interior furnishings is minimized by extensive use of lightweight aircraft grade honeycomb panels that are surfaced with thin hardwood veneer to provide a rich traditional look.

For a cruising cat to really perform it must have some type of retractable keel or fin. The V-45 utilizes a single large daggerboard in the starboard hull. Board down draft of 7'9" allows fast, sure tacking and pointing similar to a good monohull. When gunkholing the board is fully retracted and a very shoal draft results- the best of both worlds.

The V-45 was originally designed for Jim Hunt. I have particularly enjoyed working with the Jim on this design. He has sailed all of his 60 years, raced very competitively (won an Olympic Gold Medal) and ran a large production boatbuilding company. From the beginning, the sailing nature of this design was preeminent. But rather than build a stripped-out machine that could sail fast but do nothing else we took the hard road and worked to combine all of the wonderful features the cat has to offer without sacrificing any of them. I feel very satisfied that we achieved our aims. The V-45 sails very well; she tacks crisply, power reaches into the high teens without effort and surfs large ocean waves with complete control. She will easily accommodate 6 and sleep 8 or 9 if needed by conversion of the settee into a double berth and use of the amidships child's berth on the port side. Personally, I find all of the interior spaces to be very pleasing and functional and I especially like the large aft double cabins.