The Outbound 44/46 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Outbound 44, an aft-cockpit masthead sloop, was designed by Carl Schumacher and built in Shanghai by the Hampton Yacht Building Co. The Outbound 46 differs from the 44 in that it has an extended boarding platform.

An Outbound 44 'Frannie B' sailboat at anchor in Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica, West Indies

This Outbound 44 'Frannie B' sports a double-headed Solent Rig.

Published Specification for the Outbound 44

Underwater Profile: Bulb Fin Keel with Spade Rudder

Hull Material: GRP (fiberglass)

Length Overall: 44'9" (13.6m)

Waterline Length: 40'3" (12.3m)

Beam: 13'6" (4.1m)

Draft: 6'6" (2.0m), or shoal draft version 5'6" (1.7m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 28,000lb (12,700kg)

Designer: Carl Schumacher

Builder: Outbound Yachts

Year First Built: 2001

Number Built: 50

Published Design Ratios for the Outbound 44

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 18.9

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 35.8

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 192

4. Comfort Ratio: 32.5

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Outbound 44

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 18.9 suggests that the Outbound 44 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 35.8 would usually mean that the Outbound 44 would have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of the keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 192, tells us the Outbound 44 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 32.5 suggests that crew comfort of a Outbound 44 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 tells us that a Outbound 44 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

More about the Outbound 44

Accommodation

The Outbound 44 sailboat has a spacious and comfortable interior that can accommodate up to six people. The layout features a large owner's cabin forward with a centerline queen berth, a hanging locker, drawers, and an ensuite head with a separate shower stall. Aft of the saloon, there is a guest cabin with a double berth, a hanging locker, and access to the aft head. The saloon has a U-shaped settee to port that can convert to a double berth, and a straight settee to starboard. The galley is located to starboard of the companionway and has ample counter space, storage, and appliances. The navigation station is to port and has a large chart table, instrument panel, and seat. The interior is finished in teak with white overhead panels and cushions.

Sail Plan & Rigging

The Outbound 44 sailboat has a high-aspect solent rig that can carry up to 1,151 square feet of sail area. The standard rig includes a two-spreader aluminium mast from Ballenger, with continuous 1x19 stainless wire stays. The mainsail has full battens and two reef points, and is controlled by a Harken mainsheet traveler and boom vang.

Keel options

The Outbound 44 sailboat has only one keel option: a medium-chord fin keel with a lead bulb. The keel has a draft of 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 10,000 pounds. The keel is encapsulated in fibreglass and bonded to the hull with stainless steel bolts.

Sailing Performance
The Outbound 44 sailboat is designed to be a fast and seaworthy cruiser that can handle a variety of conditions. The boat has a long waterline length of 40 feet 3 inches and a moderate beam of 13 feet 6 inches, which give it a low drag coefficient and a high stability factor. The boat also has a high righting moment due to the low centre of gravity of the keel and the tanks located under the cabin sole.

The boat can sail close to the wind with the help of the staysail, and can reach speeds of over 9 knots on a beam reach or downwind with the spinnaker. The boat is easy to steer with the balanced spade rudder, and responsive to the helm with the powerful rig. The boat is well-balanced and does not need much weather helm or autopilot correction.

Average Cost
The Outbound 44 sailboat is not a mass-produced boat, but rather a semi-custom boat that is built to order according to the owner's preferences. Therefore, the cost of each boat may vary depending on the options and upgrades chosen. However, based on some online listings, the average cost of a secondhand Outbound 44 sailboat ranges from $350,000 to $450,000. Of course, this may change depending on the condition, location, and availability of the boat.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.