2004 Hylas 46
“Southern Cross”
Description
A Circumnavigated, Custom-Rigged, Offshore-Ready Hylas 46
Southern Cross, hull #52 of the world-renowned Hylas 46 series, is one of the most capable and proven blue water sailboats ever built. Originally launched in 2004 as Fetching Light, she was commissioned by a detail-obsessed couple who worked closely with Queen Long Marine in Taiwan to elevate the standard design into a high-performance, self-sufficient passage maker, customized for long-term, off-the-grid voyaging in the Pacific.
Her first chapter spanned nearly 10 years of sailing from California to Mexico to the South Pacific and to the Pacific Northwest. Based on the owners’ sailing experiences and engineering background, she was customized at the factory with a rare combination of modifications: 7.5-foot titanium bowsprit, repositioned inner forestay, enlarged working staysail, enlarged sail locker, and a cockpit-controlled Code 0 system that remains one of a kind for a Hylas 46. The custom-built hard dodger and bimini were added later to provide additional safety, security, and comfort in the cockpit. These enhancements complement a robust three-headsail rig with dual whisker poles and triple-reefed mainsail—built for safe, shorthanded, offshore sailing in all conditions.
In 2015, Fetching Light was sold to her second owners, who renamed her Southern Cross and set off on an extraordinary eight-year circumnavigation. Departing from the West Coast, they sailed through the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea—eventually reaching the Mediterranean and returning to the States via the Atlantic and Caribbean. Everywhere she went, Southern Cross impressed with her performance, safety, and self-reliance.
Now back in Fort Lauderdale and under her third ownership as of January 2025, Southern Cross has received over $110,000 in upgrades—transforming an already well-maintained and remarkable yacht into a fully modernized, turnkey blue water cruiser. The current owners had plans for an extended voyage, thus completed a comprehensive systems refresh before their plans changed, making Southern Cross available to an adventurous new owner.
Notable 2025 Upgrades (Over $110,000 Invested):
- New Yanmar 4JH110 (110HP) engine (upgrade from original 75HP)
- New MaxProp 3-blade feathering propeller
- New Simrad Autopilot with hydraulic drive
- New 960Ah Lithium House Battery Bank
- New Victron GX Touch Display & BMS
- New B&G Chartplotter at helm
- New North Sails 135% Genoa
- New Force 10 Stove/Oven
- New Highfield Aluminum RIB with storage cover
- New Yamaha 15HP Outboard
- New Starlink Satellite Internet System
- New anti-foul bottom paint, hull polish, and anodes
Additional Highlights:
- New mainsail, stack pack, and standing rigging (2022-2023)
- Forward-relocated inner forestay for true working staysail
- Custom, removable, 7.5’ titanium bowsprit with Code 0
- Large 65 cu. ft. sail locker forward, accessible from deck and interior
- Stainless steel & armored Lexan hard dodger and hard bimini with full enclosures (isinglass and bug screens) plus solar panels
- Three furling headsails, dual carbon telescoping whisker poles, two asymmetrical halyards
- Fischer Panda 8000i Generator with 250 hours (2023)
- Significant number of spare parts and tools, valued at over $10,000.
Why Southern Cross?
This is not a typical Hylas 46. Southern Cross is a yacht with pedigree, serious ocean miles, and real-world systems that have been tested and proven around the globe. She is fully equipped for immediate offshore sailing—no need for years of prep or a refit yard period. Whether your dreams include the ARC, a return to the Pacific, or simply coastal cruising with confidence and grace, Southern Cross is the rare Hylas 46 that’s ready today to fulfill those dreams.
Dunigan Marine Group is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by David Walters Yachts. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel
Overview
Key Specifications
Weight & Measurements
Accommodation
Tankage
Registration & Documentation
Engines
Full Details
Accommodations
Southern Cross features a two-stateroom, two-head layout, offering exceptional comfort and functionality both underway and at anchor.
The master stateroom aft is outfitted with a centerline queen berth, excellent natural ventilation, and extensive storage throughout. It includes a private en-suite head with a separate stall shower, located to port. The guest stateroom forward features a pullman double berth offset to port and an en-suite head and shower forward, providing privacy and comfort for guests or additional crew.
The main salon is midships and features a U-shaped settee and dining table to port, with a straight settee to starboard. The table includes a fold-out leaf and a sliding centerline loveseat provides additional seating while allowing full access to the bilges below. Storage is abundant throughout the salon and cabins, with cabinetry and lockers above and below the settees.
The walkthrough galley is located aft to starboard and leads into the master stateroom. Opposite the galley, to port, is the navigation station, which also provides a second walkthrough into the aft head.
Interior Highlights:
- Satin-finished hand-rubbed teak joinery throughout (refinished 2024)
- Cedar-lined hanging lockers
- Solid teak handrails overhead and at hip level for safe movement offshore
- Locking cabin sole floorboards for offshore safety
- All new LED reading lights throughout (2024)
- Unique salon sleeping berths set up, allowing two on-watch berths on each of the starboard and port, depending on the tack
- Lee cloths attachments for all berths
- Thermal insulation behind interior hull and deck panels
- Taylor Made high-efficiency 12V lighting
- Mermaid Marine 16,000 BTU air conditioning (salon and aft cabin)
- Dickinson 9000 BTU propane fireplace-style cabin heater with vents in all cabins
- Fusion stereo system with AM/FM, MP3, and 10-CD changer, with 4 interior speakers
- Samsung TV with HDMI connectivity
- Pre-rigged for clothes washing machine installation in the aft head
Galley
The galley is designed for long-range cruising, with excellent refrigeration and storage, secure handholds, and thoughtful systems.
- New Force 10 three-burner propane stove and oven (2025)
- Two top and side-loading refrigeration and freezer boxes (approx. 10 cu. ft. total). All door gaskets replaced in 2025.
- Frigoboat refrigeration and freezer system all serviced in 2025.
- 12V Katadyn 160E watermaker (approx. 140 gallons per day)
- Deep double stainless steel sinks
- Saltwater and freshwater foot pumps (both replaced in 2025)
- Pressurized hot and cold freshwater system
- Salt-and-pepper Corian countertops
- Galleyware included (Magma cookware, Galleyware Co. dishes)
Sails & Rigging
Southern Cross is rigged as a cutter, but with a uniquely modified sail plan that dramatically improves performance and versatility across all wind ranges. A custom 7.5-foot stainless steel leeve and titanium bowsprit was added at the bow to support a powerful Code 0 on a Facnor furler, which is cockpit-controlled via the electric windlass capstan using a dedicated rope clutch. This setup enables singlehanded deployment and dousing of the Code 0 without leaving the cockpit—perfect for light-air trades and downwind ocean passages.
To improve performance in heavy weather, the inner forestay chainplate was moved forward on the deck and higher on the mast, allowing for a larger working staysail and creating room below for a dedicated 65 cu. ft. sail locker forward. This modification enables the use of a storm staysail and brings the sail plan’s center of effort aft for better balance and comfort in higher winds.
The result is a rare Hylas 46 that sails exceptionally well across the wind spectrum—from light breezes to storm conditions—all while being manageable by a couple in the safety of the hard dodger and bimini enclosed cockpit.
Rigging & Hardware:
- Selden aluminum double-spreader mast, keel-stepped
- Selden aluminum boom with 3 internal single-line reefing systems
- Selden Rodkicker rigid vang
- Antal System 5 mainsail track with low-friction batten cars
- Two Forespar carbon fiber telescoping whisker poles (18'–29'), vertically stowed
- (2022) New standing rigging with Stalok terminals
- Furlex 400 furler for genoa
- Furlex 300 furler for staysail
- Running backstays deployable from the cockpit
- Garhauer adjustable headsail cars and movable snatch blocks
- Three Lewmar line clutches servicing the electric winch for halyards and furlers
- Masthead LED tricolor and anchor light
Sails:
- (2022) Zoom fully battened North Sails mainsail, 10.5 oz Dacron, three reef points
- (2023) North Sails Stack Pack with Sunbrella cover and lazy jacks
- (2025) North Sails 135% genoa, 6 oz Dacron with Sunbrella UV cover
- Doyle working staysail, 10 oz Dacron with Sunbrella cover
- Doyle 165% Code 0, 2 oz Dacron, radial cut, with sunscreen cover
Winches:
- (1) 12V Antal electric ST48 cockpit winch (mainsail halyard, reefing, and furlers)
- (3) Antal chrome ST48 secondary winches
- (2) Antal chrome ST64 primary winches
- (3) Lewmar chrome ST48 mast winches
Electrical
Southern Cross is equipped with a robust and modernized 12V DC / 120V AC system, fully updated for bluewater cruising and capable of global shore power compatibility. In 2025, the electrical system received a major upgrade with a new 960Ah lithium house battery bank, new AGM start and windlass batteries, and enhanced Victron BMS and monitoring.
DC System:
- (2025) 960Ah lithium house battery bank Epoch Lifepo4 with integrated battery management system (Victron Lynx)
- AGM start battery and AGM windlass battery, with ProNautic 30A charger
- (2025) Victron GX Touch display with Bluetooth connectivity and remote monitoring
- (2025) Victron MPPT 100 | 30 SmartSolar charge controller with twin 120W solar panels
- (2024) New TriMetric voltmeter for AGM batteries
- Balmar Series 6 12V 100A alternator with Balmar MaxCharge 618 regulator (for lithium bank)
- Balmar Series 7 12V 110A alternator with Balmar MaxCharge 618 regulator (for AGM bank)
- Spare Balmar Series 7 alternator and spare MaxCharge 618 regulator
- All wiring and terminations to ABYC standards
- Interior LED lighting throughout (2024)
AC System:
- (2023) Fischer Panda 8000i 220V generator (approx. 250 hours)
- Victron MultiPlus 3000w inverter/charger
- Victron 220V–110V isolation transformer, allowing shore power connection anywhere in the world
- Dual 120V/240V capability with full onboard distribution panel
Navigation & Instruments
Southern Cross is fully equipped for offshore cruising, with an extensive suite of navigation electronics and communication systems, thoughtfully arranged for redundancy, ease of use, and shorthanded passage making. The navigation system was recently upgraded with a new Simrad autopilot, B&G chart plotter at the helm, and Starlink satellite internet, bringing her electronics package up to modern cruising standards.
Navigation & Instrumentation:
- (2025) Simrad autopilot with hydraulic quadrant drive
- (2025) B&G multifunction chart plotter at helm
- B&G multifunction chart plotter at nav station
- B&G forward-looking sonar / depth sounder
- B&G Broadband 4G radar with self-leveling mount
- Raymarine ST60 speed, depth, and wind instruments
- Standard Horizon VHF radio with RAM mic at helm
- AIS transceiver (receiver & transmitter)
- Sea-Me active radar reflector (masthead mounted)
- Masthead tricolor and anchor lights (LED)
Communications:
- ICOM 802 SSB marine radio with AT140 tuner
- Iridium GO! satellite communicator with internal and cockpit-mounted antennas
- Starlink satellite internet system (2025)
Hull & Deck
Southern Cross features the rugged build and thoughtful detailing that define the Hylas 46, enhanced by smart owner upgrades for offshore safety and comfort. A key highlight is the custom hard dodger and hard bimini, both constructed in stainless steel and fiberglass—offering unmatched protection and structural integrity in heavy weather. The dodger includes 1/2" Lexan glazing, a 24" opening center hatch, molded handholds, and a Sunbrella sun cover. The bimini features molded handholds and includes both full isinglass and bug screen enclosures.
She underwent a full haulout in August 2025, including new bottom paint, hull compounding, and waxing.
Anchoring & Ground Tackle:
- Maxwell 2200 12V windlass with bow and cockpit controls (new motor 2018)
- Dual stainless steel bow rollers
- Stainless steel bow plate and integrated bobstay support for bowsprit
- Saltwater anchor chain washdowns
- 66 lb. Bruce primary anchor with 300' of 10mm chain (chain new in 2022)
- Fortress FX-55 secondary anchor with 250' ¾" nylon rode
- Fortress stern anchor with 100' of ¾" nylon rode
- Removable stern anchor roller + two stainless roller fairleads
- Second 66 lb. Bruce anchor in aft lazarette
Deck Details:
- Grey molded nonskid fiberglass decks (no teak)
- Four stainless steel handrails on deckhouse (no exterior teak)
- 14 oversized stainless steel mooring cleats (6 more than standard)
- Aluminum toe rail with stainless striker; no teak caprail
- Stainless steel and teak boarding ladder, mounts port or starboard
- Garhauer stainless steel outboard hoist on stern rail
- Two stern pushpit seats (fold-down)
- Large sail locker in bow (approx. 65 cu. ft.)
- Two large stern lazarettes
- Locker in swim step for storage
- Six Manship stainless deck hatches with bug screens and Sunbrella covers
- Eleven Manship stainless opening ports with screens
- Four fixed stainless ports
- Four removable dorade vents with stainless guards
- Full cockpit cushions
- Two cockpit speakers
Tender & Accessories:
- (2025) Highfield 9.5’ aluminum RIB with storage cover
- (2025) Yamaha 15HP 4-stroke outboard
- Small dinghy anchor with chain
- Hookah system for bottom cleaning (good to 15')
Engine, Mechanical & Tankage
In 2025, Southern Cross received a major mechanical upgrade with the installation of a brand-new Yanmar 4JH110 diesel engine, replacing the original 75HP unit. This powerful and smooth 110HP engine gives her ample thrust under power, especially helpful in tight quarters or heavy seas. The engine is paired with a new MaxProp 3-blade feathering propeller, further improving propulsion efficiency under both sail and power.
The boat’s legacy mechanical systems are intelligently laid out for offshore reliability, including a fuel polishing system, dual Racor filters. All systems have been maintained to high standards.
Engine & Fuel Systems:
- (2025) Yanmar 4JH110 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine (upgrade from 75HP)
- (2025) New MaxProp 3-blade feathering propeller
- Dual Racor 500 fuel filter system with bypass
- Walborough in-line fuel pump with manifold system for fuel transfer and polishing
- Maintenance by certified Yanmar technicians
Water Systems:
- 12V Katadyn 160E watermaker, approx. 140 gallons/day
- Saltwater and freshwater foot pumps at galley sink
- Pressure hot and cold freshwater to galley, heads, and swim step
- Dual in-line freshwater pumps for redundancy
- 6-gallon hot water heater (12V + engine heat exchanger)
Tankage:
- (1) Stainless steel freshwater tank – 135 gallons
- (4) Stainless steel fuel tanks – Total capacity 169 gallons
- (2) Fiberglass holding tanks – Forward 20 gallons, Aft 30 gallons
Safety Equipment
Southern Cross is equipped with a comprehensive offshore safety package, with gear appropriate for bluewater sailing and long-range passagemaking. Several systems have been recently serviced or updated, while others may require recertification prior to next offshore use.
Lifesaving & Emergency Gear:
- Zodiac 6-person offshore life raft, automatic release cradle (last serviced 2022 – recertification recommended)
- Ocean Signal EPIRB1 Pro, Category 1 auto-release
- MOM-8A auto-inflatable man overboard module
- Hard-canister MOB lifering, serviced 2022
- Lifesling MOB recovery sling, hard case mount
- Two USCG-approved inflatable PFDs with built-in harnesses and tethers
- Emergency tiller with above-deck linkage for steering via quadrant
- Full emergency steering system, linking helm to emergency tiller
- Complete offshore emergency signal kit, including parachute flares and smoke signals
- Complete offshore medical kit with basic surgical tools and supplies
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