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Cruising sailboat in Mexico - $59,000 (San Diego)
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Rocinante is an extensively upgraded version of the well respected Formosa 46 / KP44 cruising sailboat. Renowned for their passagemaking abilities, speed and comfort, these highly sought-after cruising boats have many circumnavigations to their credit.
Rocinante has been well prepared for cruising and is easily sailed singlehanded. She would be an ideal vessel for a couple or small family to cruise and is prepared for coastal cruising or full offshore voyaging.
Rocinante is our fourth serious cruising boat and her refit benefits from extensive experience including an 18-month refit and 13,000-mile doublehanded Pacific voyage in 2012 aboard our prior 68’ sailboat. We bought and outfitted Rocinante planning on doing annual seasonal cruises to Mexico with an eventual longer Pacific cruise after retirement. We cruised her down from the SF Bay Area in 2023 and have done multiple 3-4 week cruises since, most recently in May 2025.
Marina Seca is a great place to keep a boat between seasonal cruises. Hauling and launching are hassle-free, storage is far less expensive than in a wet slip, and zincs and bottom paint become non-issues.
This family of hulls (the Kelley-Peterson 44 and clones like the Formosa 46, Spindrift 46) have outstanding passagemaking characteristics but also known issues that need to be addressed over time. We’d owned a sistership F46 years ago and when looking for another voyaging boat knew both that this was the hull we wanted and what upgrades to look for. In brief, Rocinante has had the important upgrades.
-The original teak decks have been professionally removed and refinished with nonskid.
-The problematic original fuel tanks have been replaced with a beautiful pair of custom aluminum tanks.
-The original hidden chainplates have been replaced by upgraded external plates that are readily visible for inspection.
Other recent upgrades include the following:
Custom stainless exhaust riser
Harken roller furling
Tides low-friction mainsail track
Andersen winches, Garhauer clutches
Custom stainless davits that comfortably accommodate a large RIB and 4-stroke
Solar arch with 1000w array
Raymarine type 3 hydraulic autopilot
Lowrance HDS Live chartplotter with 600w airmar sonar
Spectra 150GPD watermaker
Accommodation: Forward Private Guest cabin (sleeps 2), and large Private Owners Cabin Aft (sleeps 2). Plus dinette area in the Main Saloon converts to a double berth (sleeps 2) and the opposite settee berth sleeps (1). A pilot berth midships is currently used to house storage bins for the spare parts inventory. Headroom throughout is 6’3” (1.90m) with the exception of the passthrough to the aft cabin. Excellent ventilation and light is provided by 14 opening port holes, 3 large overhead opening hatches and two companionways.
Walk Through: Large center cockpit can be accessed from either side deck. These are wide side decks, spacious foredeck and deck space aft of the cockpit.
Upon entering the vessel from the Main Companionway, there is a full Nav station to Starboard, and complete U-shaped galley to Port (convenient to the cockpit). Forward of the companionway stairs is a comfortable saloon with a U-shaped settee and dining table amidships. The table can seat six. A full sized settee is to Starboard. The saloon has storage shelving, bookcases and louvered door lockers to Port & Starboard. Ample storage can be found under and behind the settees. Extensive handrails are built in throughout the interior for safe handholds when at sea. The salon table drops down to create a large double berth.
Forward of the saloon is the forward guest cabin with en-suite private head and shower.
Along the Starboard side, moving aft of the Main stairway is a passageway leading to the Aft Master Stateroom.
The passageway has a pilot berth (currently used for spare parts storage bins) and ample access to the engine compartment is provided from here via two removable sliding doors.
The private Owners Suite is aft and contains numerous storage lockers, hanging lockers, private head and shower, and queen-sized berth. There is also a stairway and companionway with access to the cockpit from the aft stateroom.
Master Stateroom is aft and has a private head and shower, and separate access to the cockpit via stairs and companionway hatch.
Queen size berth with 6” mattress
Opening hatch overhead and four opening ports
Large three door hanging locker
En-suite head and shower with opening port
Thirty gallon holding tank with manual and deck pump out
Forward stateroom is richly finished in teak wood, and has en-suite head and shower. Head has 2 separate entrances, one to the stateroom and one to the main saloon to be used as a day head.
V-berth has insert to form double berth
Storage cabinets with louvered doors plus under berth storage
Lockers and shelves above the berth.
Large hanging locker with louvered doors along starboard side
Drawers and storage on the port side
Opening overhead hatch and 2 ports
Access to chain locker
Main Saloon Rich teak wood interior, and white paneled upper area and overhead complement the spacious feeling to the Saloon.
Louvered doors with latches and shelving to port and starboard
Built in handrails and grab rails
Settee can be used as a single berth
Overhead hatch and opening ports to port and starboard
U-shaped dinette converts to a double berth
Ample storage is available under and behind settee and dinette benches
Galley Full sized U-shaped layout, convenient to cockpit and open to main saloon.
Double SS sink with hot and cold pressure water faucet
gimbaled, 4 burner propane range with oven
Solenoid safety shut-off valve for LP gas
12v. Refrigerator/freezer access through counter top
2 large storage cabinets with teak sliding doors
5 drawers for utensils, tea towels and miscellaneous storage
Countertop access to additional dry storage locker
Nav station
Full size opening table with chart storage under
Cushioned seat with storage under
Cockpit
Secure self bailing center cockpit with teak grating accommodates 8 persons
Comfortably sleeps 2 on watch
Fore and Aft companion ways with louvered boards
Teak cockpit table with drink holder.
Large dodger
Giant lazarette
Hull and deck
The vessel was designed by Doug Peterson, (3 time America’s Cup winning designer) and built by the Formosa Boat Building Co. to a very high standard of quality. The underwater configuration is a modified modern keel with cut-away forefoot. The rudder and propeller are protected by a heavy skeg.
She is a fully molded fiberglass hull; keel with encapsulated ballast. Hull to deck joint is fully through-bolted and bonded with a teak cap rail.
Sails and rigging
Keel stepped mast
Spectra reefing lines with single-line, cockpit-led reefing
Rigid vang, boom brakes for downwind control
On mast storage for spinnaker pole
Double reefing points on fully battened Mainsail
Boom gallows
Tides Marine low-friction mainsail track
Andersen winches, Garhauer clutches
Stack-pack type sail cover with integrated Lazy jacks; drop and stow the mainsail in seconds
Harken roller furling 130 Genoa.
Garhauer full-width traveler
Ground Tackle
Rocna 33kg primary anchor
Lofrans horizontal windlass with 150’ 3/8” HT chain spliced to 150’ 3/4” nylon brait.
Backup anchor/rode
Mechanical
Ford Lehman, 4 cylinder, 80 HP diesel engine. Complete top-end rebuild and new heat exchanger 2019
Dripless shaft seal
Velvet drive transmission
3 Blade bronze propeller
Racor fuel filter/water separator
Custom stainless exhaust riser with fiberglass water lift muffler
10 gallon hot water heater, 115volt A/C and engine heat exchanger
Electrical
1000w solar array
Xantrex 60-amp MPPT charge controller
6x Trojan T105 deep-cycle batteries
New Balmar high-output alternator and 3-stage charge controller
Xantrex inverter
Electronics
Raymarine Evolution Autopilot with oversized Type-3 Hydraulic Linear Drive
Standard Horizon Matrix VHF with integral AIS and GPS
Lowrance HDS Live chartplotter with 600w airmar sonar
Extras
10’6” AB hypalon/aluminum RIB with anchor and fishfinder
20hp Suzuki 4-stroke outboard
9’ Achilles hypalon roll-up dinghy
Switlik 6-person liferaft; ditch bag with manual reverse-osmosis desalinator
Specifications:
Built 1977; multiple updates
46’ LOA
40’ LWL
12.9’ beam
6.5’ draft
33,000 displacement
Fuel 130 gal in 2 tanks
Water 200gal in 4 tanks
Holding 60 gal in 2 tanks