Ct 56 Ketch
Description
The CT 56 Ketch (also known as the Ta Chiao CT 56) is a classic Taiwanese heavy-displacement cruising sailboat designed by renowned naval architect Robert H. Perry and introduced in 1986 by Ta Chiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Production ran until the early 1990s, with approximately 20–30 units built, many customized for blue water voyages. Inspired by Perry's earlier designs like the CT 54 (a stretched version of his pirate-ship style, influenced by Bill Garden), it's renowned for its robust solid fiberglass construction, full keel for seaworthiness, and spacious teak interior—ideal for couples or small families on coastal or offshore passages. The ketch rig provides balanced sail plans for short-handed sailing, and it's proven on global adventures (e.g., circumnavigations).
Construction Details
| Designer | Robert H. Perry |
|---|---|
| Builder | Ta Chiao Enterprises |
| Length | 55.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 64 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 24 ft |
| p | 59 ft |
| e | 19 ft |
| p2 | 39 ft |
| e2 | 13 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 ft | 24 ft | 59 ft | 19 ft | 39 ft | 13 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 59 ft - (17983 mm) |
| Foot | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | * 61.08 ft - (18617 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 61.35 ft - (18699 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 573.04 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 54.68 ft - (16666 mm) |
| Foot | * 32.75 ft - (9982 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.2 ft - (14082 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.6 ft - (8412 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 754.58 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 65 ft - (19812 mm) |
| Foot | 37 ft - (11278 mm) |
| Leech | 60 ft - (18288 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1804 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 37.59 ft - (11457 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.68 ft - (5694 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.45 ft - (8976 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 14.4 ft - (4389 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.02 ° |
| Area | * 270.63 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.