Every boat under 50 feet asks its owner to compromise on the master cabin. The Princess F45 declines: a genuine full-beam master with walk-around access and proper headroom, on 47 feet — the arrangement that made buyers assume 55 feet was the price of entry.
Who This Boat Is For
The F45 is for the owner-operator stepping into flybridge cruising, or stepping down from bigger boats without stepping down in comfort — a couple or young family whose cruising is weekends and short seasons, run entirely without crew. The 3'7" draft keeps skinny water in play, and the IPS pods make the boat a one-person docking job.
The Layout
Two cabins and two heads, headlined by that full-beam master — walk-around access, real headroom, an en-suite that does not feel like an apology. The flybridge carries twin bucket helm seats and dining for six, functionality most builders reserve for 50-to-55-footers. Nothing about the layout reads like the smallest boat in the range, which is precisely the point.
Performance
Twin Volvo D6-480s on IPS 650 pods deliver a published maximum in the 29 to 31-knot band from 433 gallons of fuel, moving 38,103 pounds of boat. The pods are the everyday feature: joystick docking changes who is willing to take the boat out, and how often it actually leaves the slip. Sea-trial at the pace you intend to hold and get observed burn in writing — the habit to build at 47 feet, because it serves you at every length after.
Against the Alternatives
The F55 is the step up when the third cabin becomes non-negotiable. Cross-shop the Azimut Fly 53 to see the Italian answer at the next size; the F45's case is that you may not need the extra length at all.
Where to Start
Walk the master first — it is the reason this boat exists — then dock the boat yourself on the joystick. Those two experiences, ten minutes apiece, are the entire buying decision for most F45 owners.