Bowman 48DS, LYDIA

Broker’s Comments

Bowman 48DS, LYDIA is a truly exceptional bluewater cruiser with a pedigree that speaks for itself. Designed by the celebrated Chuck Paine and built by Rival Bowman Yachts on the South Coast of England, she was conceived from the outset for serious ocean voyaging, and she has delivered on that promise in extraordinary fashion.

With a large, comfortable enclosed cockpit, up-to-date hybrid touch Raymarine chart plotter and autopilot. Below, a generous aft owner’s cabin with en-suite head and shower provides real comfort on longer voyages. The galley offers ample workspace while keeping users safe and secure in rougher conditions. The large saloon table provides comfortable, sociable seating for everyone aboard, and with vast storage to starboard there is more than enough space for provisions and belongings on extended passages. A dedicated chart table and navigator’s station sits a step down aft of the saloon, offering a dedicated spot for passage planning or simply a useful workspace when alongside.

Her previous owner sailed her from Lymington in 2014, completing the ARC+ from Las Palmas to St Lucia, finishing first in class on both legs. What followed was a full circumnavigation via the World ARC, the Caribbean, Panama, the Galapagos, French Polynesia, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, the Indian Ocean, South Africa, and back across the Atlantic, with many passages completed singlehanded. LYDIA has earned her sea miles.

The current owners purchased her in 2021, fresh from a comprehensive programme of works that included new Flexiteak decking and Lewmar electric windlass. Since then, she has had more recent work with notable improvements including new stainless standing rigging (2024), a hydraulic linear drive unit (2025), a new air-cooled fridge system (2025) and a new blackwater pump (2025).

LYDIA is an honest, capable, and thoroughly proven ocean yacht that has both circled the globe and navigated the south coast of the UK in great comfort and style.

Below we have detailed some of her cruising programme over the years:

LYDIA’s Voyages

2014:

• September, sailed from Lymington.
• ARC+ from Las Palmas to St Lucia. First in class both legs.

2015:

• West Indies.
• Laid up ashore for hurricane season at Grenada Marine.

2016:

• World ARC St Lucia to Tahiti via Panama, Galapagos, Marquesas.
• Laid up ashore for European summer at Chantier Naval des Iles, Raiatea.
• Raitea to Cook Islands, Tonga, New Zealand (single-handed).

2017:

• Opua, Bay of Islands.
• Laid up ashore for European summer at Norsand boatyard, Whangarei.
• November, sailed to Bundaberg, Queensland (single-handed).

2018:

• Laid up ashore at Bundaberg Marina for European summer.
• Re-joined World ARC in September.
• McKay, Darwin, Lombok, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling, Mauritius, Reunion, Richards Bay SA.
• First in class Cocos to Mauritius.

2019:

• Sailed independently to Cape Town, St Helena, Salvador.
• Re-joined World ARC.
• Cabadelo, Ile Royale, Grenada, St Lucia.
• Laid up ashore for hurricane season at Grenada Marine.

2020:

• Grenada to BVI ready for transatlantic home.
• Then came COVID, boat shipped back to Southampton aboard cargo vessel.
• Berthon marina.

2022:

• Cruise west country & Scilly Isles, SW Ireland and Channel islands.

2024:

• Cruise west country, East Coast of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

2025:

• Cruise west country and Channel Islands.

Owner’s Comments

Named after Captain Hornblower’s first command, LYDIA is equally as capable of crossing the Oceans as her fictional three masted frigate namesake. While not carrying the fictional 36 cannons, she is nevertheless well equipped and comfortable for blue water cruising as well as darting in and out of shallower waters and creeping up quiet rivers.

When we first met LYDIA we fell for her lines and beauty, and we remain entranced by both. With that grace comes a feeling of immense power as she cuts through choppy waters or rides over rough seas. She picks up speed with surprising alacrity and is so easy to handle being set up for short-handed sailing. Frankly as soon as we are aboard LYDIA immense grins settle over the crew as we look forward to a day’s sailing or a longer cruise.

Circumstances mean that we shall not be able to use her very much over the next few years, so we are looking for a new owner to make the best of her comfortable sea-kindly capability. We have powered through two days of force 6-8 on the nose down the Irish and Celtic seas and enjoyed champagne sailing up the channel all with equal lack of concern for the conditions. We have squeezed into a berth with a mere 6 inches fore and aft to spare, anchored in obscure holes in the Scilly’s and generally handled her as a small boat, and loved every moment. Whatever the new owner chooses to do we only ask that they make good use of her.

Builder’s Comments

One of the most outstanding ocean-going yachts in her class, the Bowman 48 has shown herself to be, “A sailing yacht designed to go anywhere, at any time, without problems”, that is how the international yachting magazine, “Yacht Premier”, described the experience of test sailing the Bowman 48. This is a yacht which has been designed by one of the world’s top cruising designers, Chuck Paine, and built by craftsmen who understand the needs of serious cruising yachtsmen.