seaward 32rk sailboat data

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Cruising News

Seaward 32RK Is a ‘Thin-Water-Cruiser’

The Seaward 32RK was designed and for years built by Floridian Nick Hake. The design is now part of the Island Packet company which builds the Island Packet line of cruising boats as well as the Blue Jacket 40. The same craftsmen who build the IPYs and BJYs built the Seawards, too, so you know that traditional American yacht style and quality go into every boat.

In its down position at a depth of six-foot, six-inches, the keel offers great stability as well as plenty of lift when sailing upwind. In the half raised position, you will be able to enhance sailing performance downwind by reducing wetted surface. And in the up position the boat will remain stable but will be able to navigate in less than two feet of water. The rudder can be raised, too, to give it shoal draft.

The cockpit is compact but spacious enough for six adults. With a single wheel, the helmsman still has access to the sheet winches on both sides and will have good visibility of the sails. With a small folding table you will be able to have meals and sundowners in the cockpit.

All lines run aft from the mast through line stoppers to winches on the cabin top. The main sheet traveler is on the coach roof forward of the companionway and dodger so it is out of the way of those in the cockpit. The mainsheet runs to a winch on the cabin top.

Forward, the 32RK has a full cruising anchoring system with a chain locker, an electric windlass and an anchor roller on the bow sprit that keeps the anchor away from the bow when it is raised and lowered. This set up will make you feel very secure, even on blustery nights at anchor.

If you are looking for a versatile and interesting cruising boat that can be trailered, beached and sailed just about anywhere, the Seaward 32RK checks off a lot of boxes. For a couple or a young family, the 32RK can make a great cruising home. For more information click here.

Author: Sandy Parks

Seaward 32RK and 26RK Ocean-Going Capabilities

Thread starter Skipper J
Start date Dec 26, 2023
Brand-Specific Forums

Hi, Those of you with these boats, would you cross an ocean with them? The keel-lifting system looks like it would be great for exploring canals and rivers in Europe. Thank you.

David in Sandusky

I read this review of the 32 RK. Seaward 32RK Is a ‘Thin-Water-Cruiser’ - Blue Water Sailing Not much to go on in the review. Some indicators of a blue water sailboat design are: - Capsize screen/ratio is less than 2. This indicates that the boat may recover if it is rolled over by a storm wave. - Comfort ratio is over 30. I could find neither of these ratios for the 32 RK on the web. - Cockpit is not too large. This makes it easier to hold on or wedge in, and reduces weight on the stern if a wave fills the cockpit with water. - Ample tankage for fuel and water. - Ample storage for food and eguipment. - Good bunks for sleeping under way. Low, near the middle of the boat for minimum movement. Then there are equipment needs. Things like an autopilot, a water desalinator, long distance communication, a life raft, … the list goes on. You can acquire this equipment for a boat with a good design. I recommend the book “Choosing a Cruising Sailboat“ by Roger Marshall for a good, understandable explanation of what makes a boat good for ocean cruises, or for other purposes.

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

If you are a good navigator, competent in weather planning, have the needed provisions for your boat, have prepared a Seaworth vessel and crew, one might take most boats out onto the ocean. It is when your seamanship skills are lacking and the boat preparation is weak that one learns their choice was poor.

People have crossed the Atlantic in little more than a refrigerator but that doesn't mean I'd do it. Ignoring the classification and numbers, the boat is too slow to avoid weather systems. There is hardly a time of year in which there is no risk of a storm in a three week voyage. A major cause of voyage failures is loss of steering. I think the Seaward rudder is designed to pop up in shallow water. I would be uncomfortable with that. Fine for coastal cruising in Florida. Offshore? "?" OP asked for those who own one of these boats. So ... I don't.

Here is the way I look at ratios about sailboats. The question I ask is what was the use for which the designer designed the boat. Every competent designer knows about The Capsize and Comfort ratios. So if they are designing a blue water cruiser, they will meet the minimums for that use. So the Capsize well above the recovery value of 2, and the Comfort well below 30 combine with the trailerability to tell me this is a coastal cruiser designed to trailer from an inland location to multiple sailing areas. Once there, its adjustable keel tells me it is a really good shallow water “gunkholer.” Lots of places in the North Chanel, Georgian Bay, Lake Erie, and Thousand Islands where it would really shine. I agree it would be great for canals and rivers in Europe. If that’s where I wanted to sail it, and if trailering it in Europe would work (regulations?, trailer specs?, towing vehicle?), I would look at having it shipped over there by ocean carrier.

Good points by all, thank you. And I should not have said that I only wanted input from those who owned these boats. After I sent the message, I took a good look at the 32RK picture and thought 'why, why?' when I realized it was another open-transom design. Correct me if I'm wrong, but on many open transoms (this is partially open) it looks like a following sea can swamp it, or come close. Or let in unwanted visitors. Maybe a good nickname for them is Shark Chutes! My apologies to those who have and like them. Good point too about the RK32's small rudder, and overall design intentions. It would be good for the Great Lakes. Being able to outrun ocean storms is definitely a plus. Any info on the best way to ship a boat to Europe is appreciated. As an information-gathering exercise, I subscribed to the Pro edition of Predict Wind during their recent 50% off sale in order to watch global weather patterns to see when the Northern route becomes doable. Definitely not now, unless one likes 36-foot seas. Looks like from AIS data that the recreational sailors are on the southern route across the Atlantic now. It's fascinating stuff to explore. FYI, the canals in England are narrower than the ones in France.

Trip to Europe (and back) begins

David in Sandusky said: ...this is a coastal cruiser designed to trailer from an inland location to multiple sailing areas. Once there, its adjustable keel tells me it is a really good shallow water “gunkholer.” Click to expand

Kings Gambit

dlochner said: Recently Sailing Zinger rescued 3 people aboard a Bavaria 44 that had been dismasted in the middle of the Pacific Ocean off the beaten path. They have posted several videos about the rescue, with the last video the most relevant to this discussion. In it the rigging of a Bavaria Ocean 44 and a Bavaria 44 (the one that was dismasted) were compared. The take home story is all the ratios, capsize ratio, comfort ration, etc don't mean squat if the boat is not designed and built for off shore sailing. As @Tedd points out, the Seawards are not designed for offshore work. The can be sailed to the Bahamas because you can pick a weather window to get across the Gulf Stream and the trip can be as short as 50 miles. If exploring the canals of Europe are the goal, it might be best to buy a canal boat in Europe and sell when you're done. Click to expand

Late to the party, but if the o.p. is still here, I owned a Seaward 25 previously. We also looked at 32's when we were looking at larger boats, eventually buying a Catalina 350. My opinion is that neither the 26 or the 32 have strong enough rigs to make them a good boat for ocean crossings. Head to the Bahamas? Sure. I can tell you that the rig on my Catalina 350 is way more substantial than the ones on the Seawards, and I wouldn't take our 350 across an ocean. I wouldn't take me across an ocean either (not my thing). We loved our seaward, but used it as designed, lake sailing and coastal cruising. I wouldn't begin to have taken it out in some of the conditions we've sailed up on the Great Lakes in our bigger boat.

Ok, thank you sesmith and all who have replied. Don't want to risk having a rig that isn't designed for it in waters that are too rough. Jsailem, I'll read that thread about the sailor taking the Northern route in its entirety soon to see if that's something in the cards. Iceland is dumbfoundingly beautiful and I'd like to visit again, this time by sea, if possible.

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