The Bowman 46 Corsair Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Bowman 46 Corsair, a heavy displacement yawl, was designed by Holman & Pye Ltd and built in the UK by Bowman Ltd.

Published Specification for the Bowman 46 Corsair

Underwater Configuration: Fin keel & skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 46'0" (14.0m)

Waterline Length: 32'0" (9.7m)

Beam: 12'11" (3.9m)

Draft: 7'0" (2.1m)

Rig Type: Yawl

Displacement: 23,500lb (10,659kg)

Designer: Holman & Pye Ltd

Builder: Bowman Ltd (UK)

Year First Built: 1972

Published Design Ratios for the Bowman 46 Corsair

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 14.1

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: Not published

Displacement/Length Ratio: 321

Comfort Ratio: 33.3

Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bowman 46 Corsair

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 14.1 suggests that the Bowman 46 Corsair will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. The Ballast/Displacement Ratio of the Bowman 46 Corsair has not been made public - unless you know differently, in which case please contact us...

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 321, tells us the Bowman 46 Corsair is clearly a heavy displacement cruising boat. You can load her down with all your cruising gear and equipment and it will hardly affect her waterline. Not an ideal choice for coastal sailing, but she'll come into her own on an offshore passage in testing conditions.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 33.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Bowman 46 Corsair 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 Bowman 46 Corsair would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

Article: The Bowman 46 Corsair

The Bowman 46 Corsair is a 14m ketch with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder. It has a spacious and well-appointed interior that can accommodate up to five people in one cabin plus the salon. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat that can handle various weather conditions and sea states.

Accommodation
The Bowman 46 Corsair has a traditional layout with a V-berth cabin forward, followed by a head with shower to port and a hanging locker to starboard. The main salon has a U-shaped settee and a folding table to port, and a straight settee to starboard. The navigation station is aft of the starboard settee, facing outboard. The galley is aft of the port settee, along the walkway to the aft cabin. The aft cabin has a double berth to port and a single berth to starboard, with a head and shower in between. The interior is finished in teak woodwork and has plenty of storage space and natural light. The headroom is about 1.9 meters throughout.

Hull and Deck
The hull of the Bowman 46 Corsair is made of fiberglass with a balsa core above the waterline and solid below. The deck is also fiberglass with a balsa core and has teak overlay on most areas. The hull-deck joint is bonded and bolted with an aluminum toe rail. The cockpit is central, with a single wheel steering system and an emergency tiller. The cockpit has ample seating space, a folding table, and a large locker to starboard. The deck has wide side decks, stainless steel stanchions and lifelines, and teak handrails. There are two dorade vents forward, two hatches on the coachroof, and four opening ports on each side. The bow has an anchor locker, an electric windlass, and a bow roller. The stern has a stainless steel davits for a dinghy, a swim ladder, and an outboard bracket.

Mast and Rigging
The mast of the Bowman 46 Corsair is keel-stepped, made of aluminum and has two sets of spreaders. The mainsail has slab reefing with three reef points and lazy jacks. The foresail is roller-furling with UV protection. There are also two spinnaker poles, one mounted on the mast and one on the deck. The sail area is 66.9 square meters. The winches are all self-tailing and include two primary winches, two secondary winches, two halyard winches on the mast, and one reefing winch on the boom.

Keel and Rudder
The keel of the Bowman 46 Corsair is a fin keel with lead ballast. It has a draft of 2.1 meters. The rudder is supported by a full skeg, with bronze fittings and stainless steel stock.

Conclusion
The Bowman 46 Corsair is a beautiful and seaworthy sailboat that offers comfort, performance, and safety for long-distance cruising. It has a classic design that appeals to many sailors who appreciate its quality construction and craftsmanship. It has enough space and amenities for living aboard or entertaining guests. It is also easy to handle and maintain, with simple systems and reliable equipment.

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.