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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
Tollycraft 45 Cockpit Motor Yacht
What the published record establishes about this model, what owners report,
and the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page is about the
MODEL — a specific hull always gets its own homework.
A solid-glass Ed Monk sundeck-based cockpit motor yacht with genuinely Loop-friendly air draft and shallow draft — provided the arch and antennas fold.
The Tollycraft 44/45 Cockpit Motor Yacht is a solid-fiberglass, modified-V cockpit cruiser designed by Ed Monk, built on the same hull as the Tollycraft 40 Sundeck with a cockpit extension. Its low profile, shallow draft, and modest cruising burn make it a well-regarded Great Loop candidate, especially when run at displacement speeds. A key buyer trap: the "45" designation formally arrived in 1994 with a reverse transom and longer swim platform; a boat listed as a 1993 "45" is very likely a "44 CPMY." The two share the hull and most systems and differ mainly at the transom.
How to read this: 🟢 Fact = confirmed against a document, spec sheet,
or owner. Everything else — Claim, Pattern, Question, Context — is not yet
verified: things to check, not settled truth. Sources are linked where published.
Identity
QUESTION
Is this hull actually a 44 CPMY sold as a '45'?
The '45' formally arrived in 1994 with a reverse transom and lengthened swim platform; before that the boat was the '44 CPMY,' built on the same Ed Monk hull as the Tolly 40 Sundeck with a cockpit extension. A boat from 1993 or earlier is almost certainly a 44, even if a listing calls it a 45. The two share the hull and most systems and differ mainly at the transom, so this is about accurate documentation, resale comparables, and matching parts/canvas — not a defect.
src:
HMY model guide; Curtis Stokes brokerage listings
Your move: Confirm the model designation against the hull identification number and inspect the transom: a reverse transom with the longer platform indicates a true 45; a plumb/original transom indicates a 44.
Air draft
CLAIM
Base hardtop is low, but as-rigged height often lands well above it
The model's fixed hardtop profile is relatively low, which is a real strength for low-bridge cruising, but the height that matters is measured with everything installed. Broker and owner figures for these boats scatter widely depending on radar, antennas, and arch — the as-equipped number is commonly higher than the bare-hardtop number, and one owner documented separate heights to the arch, the radar, and the top antenna, each different.
src:
Curtis Stokes listings; searchingforcshels.com owner site
Your move: Measure this boat's actual air draft from the waterline to the highest fixed point, then itemize what folds or unbolts (arch, radar mast, antennas) and re-measure at the lowered configuration you would actually run.
CONTEXT
A folding arch and stowable antennas are what make this boat fit
On these boats the difference between fitting under low fixed spans and not is usually the arch and the electronics mast. Owners report meaningfully lower heights once the arch is folded and antennas are dropped, so the boat's Loop suitability hinges on what is designed to come down rather than on the base structure.
src:
searchingforcshels.com owner site; Curtis Stokes listings
Your move: Have the current owner demonstrate lowering the arch and antennas so you can confirm it is practical to do underway or at a dock, not a yard job.
Draft
CLAIM
Shallow draft is a genuine strength of the hull
The modified-V hull with hard chines draws relatively little water for its size, which is favorable for the thin water and lock approaches on the Loop. Actual loaded draft depends on fuel, water, and gear aboard, so the running-trim figure is what matters.
src:
Curtis Stokes / SI Yachts listings
Your move: Verify loaded draft with tanks and gear as you would cruise, and note running-gear (prop/shaft) as the deepest point.
Build
CLAIM
Solid-fiberglass hull, modified-V with hard chines
Tollycraft of this era is well regarded for build quality, and owners consistently describe the hull as solid (non-cored) fiberglass with a modified-V, hard-chine form. That reputation is a reason these boats hold value, but it does not exempt an individual 30-plus-year-old hull from moisture, blistering, or prior-repair issues.
src:
Trawler Forum owner discussion
Your move: Commission a survey including moisture readings on the decks/superstructure and a look for prior hull repairs or blistering.
Layout
CONTEXT
Sundeck-derived layout with an added cockpit
Because the boat is a Tolly 40 Sundeck stretched with a cockpit, it offers a large aft sundeck plus a cockpit aft of it — useful for line handling in locks and for boarding. The tradeoff is the length and windage that come with that extra deck.
src:
HMY model guide; Curtis Stokes listings
Your move: Walk the deck path you would use for lock work and confirm cleats, rails, and boarding points suit single- or short-handed line handling.
Fuel system
QUESTION
What is the actual fuel capacity and tank material/condition?
Reported fuel capacities vary between listings (figures around 398 gallons appear for the 44, with different numbers cited elsewhere), so range planning depends on confirming the real tankage on this specific boat. Age also raises the question of tank material and condition on a 30-plus-year-old hull.
src:
Curtis Stokes listings; Van Isle Marina brochure
Your move: Get the fuel capacity and tank material/age confirmed in writing, and if tanks are original metal, have them inspected for corrosion where they sit against the hull or stringers.
Range and running
CONTEXT
Documented easy cruise economy at displacement speeds
Owner and factory figures for this hull show modest fuel burn at trawler-like speeds around 8–8.5 knots, with consumption climbing steeply if pushed toward planing speeds. For the Loop the boat is comfortable run slow, which also suits the engines' longevity. This is a hull/operating characteristic; treat any specific mpg as boat-dependent.
src:
Soundings; Van Isle Marina brochure; owner site
Your move: Confirm the boat's own economy on sea trial by logging burn and speed at a steady low-rpm cruise, not just at wide-open throttle.
Systems
QUESTION
What is the age and condition of genset, AC, and steering?
Boats of this vintage often carry an Onan genset (an 8kW unit appears in listings) plus air conditioning, hydraulic or cable steering, and other systems that may be original or partially updated. On the Loop these support living aboard for months, so their state materially affects cost.
src:
Curtis Stokes / Trawler Forum listing
Your move: Ask for service records on the genset, AC, steering, and pumps, and get the age of each in writing before an offer.
Reading the boat
CONTEXT
Windage from the tall superstructure affects docking
The sundeck-plus-cockpit profile gives a lot of side area, so this boat handles wind noticeably at low speed in locks and marinas. Twin engines help, but crosswind docking takes planning.
Your move: Sea-trial the boat in wind if possible and practice a lock-approach and slow-speed spring-line dock before committing to long solo passages.