The Little Harbor 54 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Little Harbor 54

Underwater Profile: Centreboard & skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 54'0" (16.5m)

Waterline Length: 43'2" (13.2m)

Beam: 15'0" (4.7m)

Draft (centreboard up): 6'4" (1.9m)

Draft (centreboard down): 12'1" (3.7m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 62,359lb (28,286kg)

Designer: Ted Hood

Builder:  Little Harbor Yachts (USA)

Year First Built: 1989

Published Design Ratios for the Little Harbor 54

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 13.0

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 30.5

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 346

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 56.4

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.5

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Little Harbor 54

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 13.0 suggests that the Little Harbor 54 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. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 30.5 means that a sailboat like the Little Harbor 54 (which doesn't have its ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of a deep keel), is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 346, tells us the Little Harbor 54 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 54.6 suggests that crew comfort of a Little Harbor 54 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of an extremely heavy bluewater boat - and that's as comfortable as life ever gets on a sailing boat!

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.5 tells us that a Little Harbor 54 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.