title: Orion 50
text: # Orion 50
  
  The Orion 50 is a sailboat designed by American Gary Mull and first built in 1983. The design is out of production.
  
  ## Production
  
  The boat was built by Ta Shing Yacht Building in Taiwan, which completed seven examples between 1983 and 1987.
  
  ## Design
  
  The Orion 50 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead ketch rig, a skeg-mounted rudder and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 36,600 lb (16,601 kg) and carries 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) of lead ballast.
  
  The boat has a draft of 6.50 ft (1.98 m) with the standard keel and is fitted with a Perkins 4-236 diesel engine of 85 hp (63 kW). The fresh water tank holds 200 U.S. gallons (760 L; 170 imp gal) and the diesel fuel tank also holds 200 U.S. gallons (760 L; 170 imp gal).
  
  The boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 126 with a high of 126 and low of 126. It has a hull speed of 8.74 kn (16.19 km/h).
  
  