There’s something about Maine-built boats that sets them and their owners apart. It has to do with tradition, honesty and a deep commitment to craftsmanship. It is no wonder that some of the most renown custom boat builders in the country are found along the state’s rugged coast and Lyman-Morse is certainly a leader among them.
The LM 46 is not a brand-new design, but it does combine elements deeply rooted in seafaring and families sailing together. Founder Cabot Lyman has made at least two full circumnavigations, the second with his two sons. And, son Drew now runs the family business, based in Thomaston up the St. George River.
The 46 is the fruit of all that sailing experience and all of the many custom boats, power and sail, they have built for discerning customers. Cabot and Drew had a huge amount of input to the design, but they turned to Kiwi Kevin Dibley for the 46’s actual lines.
The 46 is built in a series, with hull number two, Arcadia, launched in 2022, but the hulls are cold-molded wood instead of composite. This construction method gives the boat the ambience of a classic wood hull –Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar– with the lightness and shape of a true performance cruiser.
The LM 46 has a 43-foot waterline, a displacement of 24,250 pounds and a displacement-length ratio of 133. In the right conditions it will sail at 10 knots or better and can turn in 200-mile days at sea. Yet, even at 10 knots, the wood hull provides enough insulation to keep the noise of fast sailing to a minimum.
The layout below has that immutable quality that builders and owners of wood boats call soul. It combines the smell of wood and varnish with the softness of the light off wood surfaces. In the 46, that soul is both very old and very new.
In the salon you find a U-shaped galley that will be very good at sea, an L-shaped dinette and a drop leaf table. And, there is a pilot berth to starboard, which makes an excellent sea berth. The forward cabin has a center-line double and there is a quarter berth aft on the starboard side.
A couple will be able to live aboard the 46 for extended cruises. Yet, if you want to race her to Bermuda, you can fit a crew of six aboard for the duration of the race. In both cases, the 46’s sailing performance will provide truly fast passages.
For many admirers of Maine-built boats, a LM 46 might well be an ultimate couple’s cruiser. Read more here.
