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Thirty-two feet is a perfect size for a lot of boaters, and with good reason. There is enough length to fit an enclosed head, a comfortable master cabin, a reasonable galley, and a cockpit big enough to relax in. Modest power can yield good performance and fuel economy, and single diesel power even more so. I own a 32-footer, and after having shopped for a lot of bigger vessels, I've concluded that to get significantly more boat, I would have to go up to 38 or 40 feet.
But sadly, a lot of today's 32-footers are formulaic, lacking the imagination or innovation that's common on bigger boats. So when someone really rethinks this bread-and-butter cruiser, I'm intrigued. And that exactly describes the way I felt after I'd tested the Avalon 32.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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The Avalon line, which also includes a 44 and 50, is the brainchild of Aussie boatbuilder Mark Richards, who's helped build a number of America's Cup boats. He's comfortable with all sorts of advanced construction techniques and materials, many of which he applied to the Avalons. The 32 is fully cored with Corecell, which helps explain a remarkably dry weight of 9,000 pounds. (The single-diesel Legacy 32 is listed at 14,000 pounds.) To ensure stiffness, the hull is reinforced by a "spider liner," a fiberglass matrix that includes stringers, transversals, and engine beds. Like all structural components, it's bonded to the hull, creating a monocoque that, as I learned on my sea trial, doesn't creak, squeak, or torque; even the fuel and water tanks are composite.
Richards also designed the 32's hull form, which combines fine foresections; full, round midsections; and basically flat aftersections—kind of a planing/semiplaning hybrid. I discovered that those full midsections add buoyancy that cushions the hull as it comes off a wave, reducing pounding, even when charging into a tugboat's steep wake. They also shoulder away water, keeping the above-decks areas dry.
And they enhance efficiency. We squeezed 32.5 mph out of our test boat's single 440-hp Yanmar, and that was 100 rpm shy of maximum rating. The flat stern enhances transverse stability, crucial on a boat with a flying bridge. Putting such a structure on a 32-footer has been the bane of many a boatbuilder's existence. Its added mass can increase roll to the point of nausea, especially without a pair of heavy diesels in the bilge to provide counterweight. I did notice some tenderness, especially with seas on the beam, but it was manageable and not at all discomforting. However, constant attention to trim-tab adjustment is important, and the Avalon's big Lencos did the job admirably. Their control has indicator lights, which would be helpful if they corresponded to tab position, but they don't. When all are illuminated the tabs are down only about halfway. The 32 is available sans bridge, with a lovely lower station but slightly smaller galley.
Our 32's stability was all the more remarkable for the lack of a pair of engines under her saloon—the only thing there is a big stowage area. The lone Yanmar lives aft, up against the transom, turning a four-blade prop via a short stainless steel jackshaft with CV joints on either end. It powers a Twin Disc V-drive under the cockpit, a configuration that enhances on-plane performance by concentrating the mass of the mechanicals aft, something indicated by the 32's impressive acceleration curve. But that's only the beginning.
First, the Yanmar is in a hushbox, just like a genset. How well does it work? Our 32's dB readings never exceeded 77 (65 is the level of normal conversation). This is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why someone didn't think of it long ago. And accessibility doesn't suffer. In fact, it's enhanced, since you can remove the enclosure's four panels in less than a minute and have the entire engine naked before you. (You need only remove one for normal maintenance checks.)
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