Morris Yachts M46
Morris Yachts in Maine has added a new M46 to its list of M-Series Modern Classic sailing yachts. The M46 fits snugly in the line between the M42 and the M52, which is the M-Series flagship. The M46 is meant to be a sister, not an identical twin, to the models that preceded her launch.
The M46, like all of the Morris M-Series builds, was designed in partnership with Sparkman & Stephens. She has a performance-oriented hull, flush-mounted hatches and the first-ever fold-down transom with steps to the water on an M-Series yacht. (It’s an uncommon feature on any sailing yacht with a classic hull design from the 1920s or 1930s.)
“The draft is ample but not excessive, resulting in optimal balance between sailing performance and shallow inlet cruising,” says designer Brandon Abbott at Sparkman & Stephens. “The rig, too, has been optimized for a wide range of wind strengths. Simply put, the M46 is designed to provide safety and performance at sea while allowing for accommodations down below that rival boats 25 percent larger in her class.”
The M46 has an LOA of 46 feet, 9 inches with a beam of 12 feet. Draft is 6 feet, 3 inches, and displacement is 28,250 pounds. Sail area is 1,054 square feet. There are two guest cabins onboard, both with en suite bathrooms, and the main salon’s dinette converts into a third sleeping area.
A longer waterline is part of the new hull design, as are an enhanced tumblehome and a more traditional bow than prior M-Series yachts offered. Morris also achieved a lower displacement-to-length ratio, which should provide increased acceleration and better performance. The new hull shape further offers a higher length-to-beam ratio, which means less resistance and higher overall speed.
Morris Yachts CEO Dough Metchick says the M46 is not only the builder’s newest offering, but also the start of a five-year plan to revitalize and increase marine jobs in Maine by renewing the company’s focus on new products and technology development.
“The M46 is an excellent expression of our company’s ability to combine style, craftsmanship and performance in a way that nobody else in sailing can,” Metchick says. “The M46 is an extraordinary design which encompasses many innovations that will find their way into our M-Series line for years to come.”
He apparently means features large and small, since in addition to the M46’s fold-down transom, the yacht also includes a specially designed inflatable standup paddle board with a custom stowage locker. The folks at Morris may be holding fast to tradition in some areas, but when it comes to fun on the water, they’re as interested in new toys as the rest of us.
Learn more at www.morrisyachts.com.
