Out of the blue

The Outbound 46 is a tried and tested bluewater cruiser with a strong reputation in the US. Sam Jefferson steps aboard to see if she can impress on this side of the pond

Whatever your opinion of Donald J Trump’s trade war with China, it has thrown out a few strange repercussions. The case of Outbound Yachts is a classic example; the company specialises in building bespoke, high-quality bluewater cruising yachts in relatively small numbers. High-quality bluewater yachts are far from cheap to produce, as we all know, and Outbound mitigated this cost by having the boats built in China. This formula worked very well for the last 20 years and Outbound has built up a strong reputation within the US. Although there have been some European buyers, the focus has always been on Outbound’s home market.

All that has changed now because a swingeing tariff on goods from China has had a detrimental effect on the business model. As a result, Outbound needs to broaden its horizons, and the UK and European markets are firmly in its sights. The Outbound 46 is its longest-running model, and the hull design actually has a very impressive pedigree, dating back to 1999 and being the last design off the board of noted designer Carl Schumacher, who is better known for racing designs, such as the Alerion. His untimely death at the age of 52 made this boat one of his last. The 46 started life in 2000 as the Outbound 44 but, after hull number nine, it became the 46 with the doubling in length of the bathing step in the transom – and it has remained that way ever since.

First impressions

This was an intriguing test for me as, although the boat was new, the design was of a certain vintage – a time, in fact, when Donald Trump was just limbering up for his stint on The Apprentice. As such, this made for a fascinating contrast with some of the bluewater cruisers with more contemporary lines. While the modern trend is towards broad back ends and twin rudders, the Outbound 46 is reassuringly old school, with modest beam, an easily driven hull and plentiful taper aft.