Ian Ross 48 Ketch

Description

The Ian Ross 48 Ketch (also referred to as the Ian Ross 48 or similar variants like a 42 ft ketch with 48 ft LOA including bowsprit) is a custom ferro-cement (ferro) bluewater cruising ketch designed by Ian J. Ross (or Ian Ross), a naval architect active in the 1970s–1980s era, primarily in Canada (e.g., Vancouver area influences). It was built as a plans-based design for amateur or professional construction, emphasizing rugged, low-cost offshore capability with heavy displacement, full keel for stability and tracking in rough seas, center or aft cockpit (often with pilothouse/wheelhouse additions for motorsailer versatility), aluminum masts, galvanized rigging, and spacious interiors for extended voyaging or liveaboard use—typical of ferro designs prioritizing durability, impact resistance, and simplicity over lightweight performance. Construction used multi-layer welded mesh with high-tensile rods and cement applied inside-out for a smooth finish, often with teak or mahogany interiors, stainless tanks, and auxiliary diesel (e.g., 85 hp Ford in examples). Production was limited and scattered (plans-sold, likely a handful to low dozens of hulls built worldwide by various owners/yards in the 1970s–1980s; exact totals untracked, with documented examples like a 1980-launched 42 ft ketch/48 ft LOA aft cockpit motorsailer and larger 63 ft variants like "Raincoast").