Review of Dehler 46
Basic specs.
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One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
The Dehler 46 has been built with more than one type of keel.
One option is a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.But be aware that even though a T keel is very good for speed racing, a fishing nets and the like in the water can easily make you into a troublesome situation.
Another option is a L keel. The keel is an L-shape and therefore less exposed to seaweed, fishing nets and lines.
The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated. As the surface of a fin type keel is just a fraction of the total wet surface, the difference between an iron keel and a lead keel can in reality be ignored for cruising yachts.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.25 - 2.35 meter (7.38 - 7.68 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Dehler 46 is typically equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta D2-55 diesel engine at 53.0 hp (39 kW).
The transmission is a saildrive.
The fuel tank has a capacity of 210.0 liters (55 US gallons, 46 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
Dehler 46 holds one CE certification:
The boat is by European Union certified as Class A. OCEAN:What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.7 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Dehler 46 is about 375 kg/cm, alternatively 2105 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 375 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 2105 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Dehler 46 is 3.21.
The ballast ratio for Dehler 46 is 31%.
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 64m2 (688 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 45.3 m | (148.6 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 45.3 m | (148.6 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 45.3 m | (148.6 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 13.9 m | (45.8 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 13.9 m | (45.8 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 34.9 m | (114.4 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 30.7 m | (100.7 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Cunningham | 6.2 m | (20.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 12.5 m | (41.0 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 12.5 m | (41.0 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 45.5 m | (149.3 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 45.5 m | (149.3 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 45.5 m | (149.3 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 13.9 m | (45.8 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 13.9 m | (45.8 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 34.9 m | (114.4 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 30.7 m | (100.7 feet) | 16 mm | (5/8 inch) |
| Cunningham | 6.5 m | (21.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 13.1 m | (43.0 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 13.1 m | (43.0 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
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