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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
McKinna 48 Pilot-House
The published record on this model and what owners report, with the
questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page covers the model.
Every boat still needs its own homework.
A well-built Taiwanese semi-displacement pilothouse yacht with an underwater exhaust quirk and an air draft that leaves little Loop margin; model-specific data is thin.
The McKinna 48 Pilothouse is a solidly built Taiwan-built semi-displacement motoryacht that owners on Trawler Forum generally praise for hull quality and maintainable systems, comparing it favorably to Ocean Alexander. Published model-specific data is scarce — there is no dedicated owner group, no independent boat test of the 48 PH that I could locate, and The Hull Truth pilothouse threads turned out to be about unrelated small fishing boats. Engine fit and fuel tankage vary meaningfully by year and hull, so much must be confirmed on the specific boat. For Loop buyers the two headline items are a borderline air draft (~19 ft with the anchor light down per one listing) and the model's underwater-exhaust system, which has its own survey and operating implications.
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CLAIMstated by one source, not yet confirmed
QUESTIONopen, and settled by looking at the boat itself
CONTEXTbackground on how this model is built or used
Sources are linked where published.
Build Quality
CLAIM
Owners rate the hull and systems as high quality
A former owner of a 1997 48 PH reports the build quality is of the highest quality, hulls extremely solid, and electrical and plumbing well done and easy to maintain and update, with years of Florida/Bahamas cruising and no significant issues beyond normal maintenance. Another forum user compared a related McKinna 481 favorably to Ocean Alexander with no build issues. These are owner opinions rather than independent tests, so they describe the fleet's reputation, not the condition of any one boat.
src:
Trawler Forum (owner 'Summitgrpinc', 1997 48PH; comment on McKinna 481)
CONTEXT
Treat the scarcity of published data as part of the picture
There is no dedicated owner group, no independent boat test of the 48 PH that surfaced, and The Hull Truth pilothouse threads were about unrelated small outboard fishing boats. Most model knowledge comes from a few Trawler Forum threads and brokerage listings. This means fleet-wide generalizations are weaker than for better-documented trawlers, and the specific boat's survey carries more weight.
Air Draft
CLAIM
Air draft is borderline for the Loop and depends on what folds down
A 1999 48 PH listing states bridge clearance under 19 feet with the anchor light down. Listed clearances typically assume antennas are lowered, and fixed items such as radar arches, mast, or hardtop electronics may not fold. A pilothouse with an arch or mast tends to carry height here, so the deciding factor is which items can actually be lowered on this hull and how much.
src:
Curtis Stokes listing (1999 48 PH)
Your move: Measure actual air draft to the highest fixed point with antennas down, and get in writing what can be lowered or removed and the resulting height.
Hull & Performance
CLAIM
Semi-displacement hull rewards running at trawler speeds on the Loop
The 48 is a semi-displacement/modified-V hull, listed around 44,000 lb with cruise ~14 kn and max ~22 kn. Economy improves sharply at displacement speeds, as with comparable semi-displacement boats. No verified real-world 48 PH fuel-burn numbers were found; the published figures I located (66 gph at 22 kn) are for the larger, more powerful 58 PH and do not apply here.
src:
Denison listing; Yachting Magazine (58 PH, not 48 PH)
Your move: Log actual fuel burn at 7–9 kn displacement speed during the sea trial rather than relying on listing figures.
QUESTION
What is the actual fuel tankage on this hull?
Listings show widely varying fuel capacity by year — a 1993 listing shows a single 500-gallon tank, a 1998 shows 2 x 375 (750 total), and a 1999 lists 850 gallons. Capacity drives Loop range planning and trim, so the figure must come from the boat, not a generic spec.
src:
1993, 1998 (Denison), 1999 (Curtis Stokes) listings
Your move: Confirm tank count, capacity, and material from the builder's plate or a direct tank measurement, and get it in writing.
Systems
CLAIM
Underwater exhaust with a bypass line is a model-specific feature
McKinnas commonly run an underwater exhaust with a roughly 3–4 inch bypass line to the transom; at low power exhaust exits the bypass, and under load it goes fully underwater. Owners describe it as loud at idle and note gurgling and backpressure if the bypass is absent or blocked. Related threads document prop ventilation, vibration, and burping anomalies tied to underwater exhaust.
src:
Trawler Forum ('Underwater exhaust' thread)
Your move: Confirm the bypass line is present and clear, and have the engine survey measure exhaust back pressure through the full RPM range.
QUESTION
Is the raw-water exhaust and piping corroded or recently replaced?
On a neglected 2000 48 PH, a long-leaking salt-water pipe caused extensive external engine-room corrosion requiring stripping, painting, aftercooler replacement, and new hoses, belts and lines. Another prospective buyer noted stern exhaust tubes replaced after a survey found one leaking. These are hull/engine-room plumbing and exhaust routing issues rather than internal engine problems.
src:
Trawler Forum ('Underwater exhaust' thread; buyer survey comment)
Your move: Ask for invoices on any exhaust-tube or raw-water piping replacement and inspect the exhaust run and engine-room piping for corrosion and leaks.
QUESTION
Have the generators, wiring, and hoses been updated?
A prospective buyer's walkthrough of a 48 PH flagged original-looking, big heavy generators, electrical that looked a bit of a mess, and many original hoses needing replacement; water tanks were fiberglass and fuel tanks metal. The same boat reportedly had ~$100,000 in invoices over several years. On a boat of this age, these aging systems are a predictable cost center.
src:
Trawler Forum (prospective buyer walkthrough)
Your move: Ask for the age and service records of the gensets and a list of hoses/wiring already replaced; budget for original systems not yet updated.
CLAIM
Metal fuel tanks warrant inspection on an aging hull
Listings and an inspection note describe metal fuel tanks on the 48 PH. Older metal tanks can corrode, especially at the top and at hold-down points, and access for inspection or replacement is often limited on a motoryacht. This is a hull/tank-installation concern, not an engine one.
src:
1993 listing; Trawler Forum walkthrough
Your move: Inspect tank tops and surrounding bilge for corrosion or weeping, and ask whether tanks have ever been pressure-tested or replaced.
Reading the boat
CONTEXT
Decks and non-skid are a common wear point
A walkthrough of one 48 PH found all the non-skid decks in need of replacement. Deck and non-skid condition is a reasonable proxy for how hard the boat has been used and how current the exterior maintenance is.
src:
Trawler Forum (prospective buyer walkthrough)
QUESTION
Which engines does this hull actually carry, and is it a repair-era or repower boat?
Engine fit varied across the run — a 1997 is noted with Caterpillar 3406s, a 1999 with Cummins 6CTA 8.3 'Blue Diamond' 450s, and related models with Cummins 370s. The 3208s listed on this boat are consistent with an earlier hull, but the variation means the installed engines and any repower should be confirmed rather than assumed from the model year.
src:
Curtis Stokes (1999); Trawler Forum (1997 48PH); related-model listings
Your move: Confirm the engines on the plates and in the service records; if they differ from the original fit, get the repower date and scope in writing.
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