History 2: What Type of Boat Is This?

Through the Fall, 2009

After finding "the boat", started a process to figure out what type of boat she is. While even on the dock, we knew she wasn't a Westsail - not beamy enough; the bow is different; while double-ended, the stern is different; and a Westsail's shear is flatter. So what type of boat is this?

No matter the type of boat, from the beginning it was obvious to us that this had been a well-cared-for boat. The carvings, the way the teak caps were fitted, the way there were (still are) teak filler pieces under the chain-plates with curved ends,  all added up to extra time and attention during a building process. We tried to peer through a port hole to see inside, but the light was wrong. All we could see was more wood work inside (either oiled or varnished, we couldn't tell).

Then, one day while waiting for the auction, J. happened to flip through a Latitude 38 magazine. There was a sister ship. A small ad for a cutter for sale down in California had the same curved tiller, and the same shear. An Internet search for Dreadnought 32 turned up another cutter for sale on the East Coast.

So our boat ... no, we corrected ourselves, ... the boat going up for auction is a Dreadnought 32. (We didn't want to temp the fates by emphasizing "our" when that was yet the case, although, God willing, that would be the case).

We didn't find out much information on the Internet about the Dreadnoughts, although we did find a general blog (Dreadnought Owners Association) about them. [At a later date, we found this site which gives more information, including an interview (downloadable pdf article) with an 88 year old who just finished his 2nd circumnavigation on his Dreadnought cutter: Dreadnought 32: Owners, also Barry at Setforsea has bought Idle Queen from the late Harry Heckel in the above mentioned article.]

Here is what we have found out - if you have any more information, or information to correct, please do so by commenting upon this post. Thanks.

There were about 80 Dreadnoughts built. The design (like the Tahitiana and some others) is a modified Tahiti ketch design. WIB Crealock was asked to "modernize" the design, giving more sail area, etc. In the process the hull was stretched from 30 +/- to 32 feet. The sail area was increased to about 800 sq ft.* The Dreadnought 32's weigh in at 19,500 lbs. Dimensions are 32' x 10'- x 4.5'. Most came with a 10 horse Sabb diesel engine with controllable pitch prop (Good discussion at Kasten Marine Design about controllable pitch props).

Several Dreadnought 32's have circumnavigated. Many have done some serious off shore passages. The claims are that they may not be the fastest boats out there (I personally wonder if they don't have quite enough sail area)** but are among the most comfortable.

More and more, this boat chained to the dock, seemed like she would do indeed!

Now ensued yet more waiting.

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Sails from left to right (edge of) Main, Staysail, (bit of) Jib

* Looking at the Sailrite kits for a Dreadnought 32 cutter's sail plan and adding up the sail area of various combinations of main, staysail and jib I don't get 800 sq ft of working sail area: i.e. Main (287.47), Staysail (132.82), Yankee (191.49) = 611.78 sq ft; However, Main, Staysail, Genoa (437.22) = 857.51 sq ft. (A Genoa is a huge light weather sail, notice that its almost twice the size of the mainsail.)

What does this mean in practice? We are still finding out. The first summer we tacked out of Echo Bay, Sucia Island only to have the wind die. We wanted to head North, but were fighting a Southbound current. We found that the GPS said we were sailing 0 knots when headed into the current but 1.8 +/- knots heading South. This was with a foul bottom and the Main, Staysail and Genoa set (858 sq ft). The Genoa needs some help around the Staysail & its stay in these really light winds. Here in the PNW summers, we find we hank on the Genoa and leave her hanked on until the end of the season.

I take it that we can move along under this combination in really light airs. Still, she could use more sail area, and I wish we were getting about 700 - 800 sq ft under the working sail combination: Main, Staysail and 100% jib/yankee. But I haven't checked to see if our sails match that of the Sailrite kits, either. So some of this, is a guess.

**Added 12 September 2014:
See our notes below in the comments section. Bud Taplin was closely associated with the Westsails, and now consults with their owners. He hold us, via email, that D32's perform similar to W32's. In practice this has been our experience with more use. We still don't know how our D32's sails compare to the Sailrite plans, or others.
We still long for some nylon - maybe one of these days ...
Also, I wanted to add that Barry, at Setforsea, posted a discussion about PHRF ratings (Thoughts on Dreadnought 32 Performance) which folks might like to read.