The new Discovery 48 is a big leap from the Pogo, but it’s a very comfortable jump with a plush landing. I don’t know who the designer is. The sales material is very nebulous about that. They list my old buddy  Ron Holland, Bill Dixon and the interior wizard Ken Freivokh. Then, at the bottom of the specs they say, “Ocean Design Team: Oscar Mayr Design and Discovery Yachts.” Whoever designed this handsome boat did a nice job. 

Like almost all modern boats, the max beam is pulled almost to the transom. The L/B is 3. The D/L is 155 using 48 feet for the DWL. The specs don’t list a DWL. There are two keels offered with a shoal draft of 5 feet 9 inches and deep draft of 7 feet 3 inches.  I would not want to cripple this boat with the shallow draft. If Ron drew the hull we can rest assured that the boat will sail very well. With no overhang aft at all, this boat will drag the transom quickly once it heels.

There are two layouts that correspond with two deck designs—the Ocean and the Riviera. In terms of layout, the difference is in how the accommodations aft are treated. In the Ocean layout you get a master stateroom aft with a centerline double with adjoining head and shower. In the Riviera model you get mirror image aft double staterooms. The aft head and shower is to starboard, so if you are living in the port aft stateroom you have a little trek to get to the head. The galley is in the port passageway going forward from the aft stateroom. I’ve done this before and would not say it is ideal, but it works. There is large engine room inboard of the galley. The forward stateroom has a centerline double berth and adjoining head. The shower stall is to port. The saloon looks very comfy and airy, as you would expect on a boat of these proportions.

The two deck configurations offer distinct approaches. The Ocean deck has a single wheel in a forward cockpit with a lot of flat lounging space aft of the wheel. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on this lounging area. The Riviera deck has twin wheels well aft with a walk through to the swim platform. The forward cockpit is big with a fixed dining table. There is an arch for the mainsheet spanning the cockpit. Either cockpit will work great but I think I favor the twin wheel Riviera layout. 

I call this type of rig a Solent rig. We could argue about that, but when you have the headstay right in front of the forestay you have terminology options. The working headsail is the inner jib on a self-tacking track. The outer jib on the headstay would be a lapper for lighter air or reaching. Clearly you would have to roll the lapper up before tacking.  The mainsail is an in-mast furling type with vertical battens. This can be quite effective and gives you more control of mainsail draft. The SA/D is on the sedate side at 16.46, almost half that of the Pogo. It’s a clean profile and overall a nice look.

If you favor comfort over speed this could be the cruiser for you.

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LOA 48’; LWL 46’10”; Beam 15’8”; Draft 7’3” (standard) 5’9” (shoal); Displ. 38,500 lbs.; Ballast 15,015 lbs.; Sail area 1,872 sq. ft.; SA/D 26.3; D/L 165.5; L/B 3.0; Auxiliary 80-hp Yanmar (100-hp option); Fuel 184 gal.; Water 184 gal.

Our best estimate of the sailaway price: $989,000

Discovery Yachts

Harbor Close Marchwood, Southampton
SO404AF UK

www.discoveryyachts.com