The Sadler 32 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Sadler 32, a heavy displacement sloop, was designed by David Sadler and built in the UK by Sadler Yachts.

A Sadler 32 sailboat moored on the River Tamar in southwest England

The Sadler 32 Sailboat

Published Specification for the Sadler 32

Underwater Profile: Fin keel & rudder on half-skeg

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 31'6" (9.6m)

Waterline Length: 24'0" (7.3m)

Beam: 10'6" (3.2m)

Draft: 5'7" (1.7m)*

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 9,000lb (4,309kg)

Ballast: 4,200lb (1,905kg)

Designer: David Sadler

Builder: Sadler Yachts (UK)

Year First Built: 1979

Year Last Built: 1989

Number Built: 300

* Two other keel versions were produced:

Shallow draft fin keel - 4'6" (1.4m)
Bilge keels - 4'0" (1.2m)

Published Design Ratios for the Sadler 32

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 15.1

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 44.2

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 308

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.4

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.9

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Sadler 32

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 15.1 suggests that the Sadler 32 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 44.2 means that the Sadler 32 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 308, tells us the Sadler 32 is clearly a heavy displacement cruising boat. You can load her down with all your cruising gear and equipment and it will hardly affect her waterline.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24.4 suggests that crew comfort of a Sadler 32 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not the best of news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.9 indicates that a Sadler 32 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

The Sadler 32: A Classic Cruiser-Racer for All Seasons

The Sadler 32 is a 9.6 m (31.5 ft) masthead sloop with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder. It has a beam of 3.2 m (10.5 ft) and a draft of 1.7 m (5.6 ft). It displaces 4,309 kg (9,500 lb) and has a ballast of 1,905 kg (4,200 lb). The sail area is 39.3 m² (423 ft²), which gives it a sail area/displacement ratio of 15.1, meaning it is slightly underpowered. However, it has a ballast/displacement ratio of 44.2, which means it is very stiff and stable in strong winds. The hull speed is 6.8 knots, and the boat can sail well on all points of sail.

The Sadler 32 has a solid fiberglass hull with a foam-filled cavity between the inner and outer skins. This makes it unsinkable, even if holed, and also provides insulation and soundproofing. The deck is also fiberglass with a balsa core for stiffness and lightness. The boat has a spacious cockpit with a tiller steering system (some models have a wheel) and a large lazarette for storage. The deck hardware is well laid out and easy to operate.

Accommodation
The Sadler 32 can sleep up to six people in two cabins and the saloon. The forecabin has a V-berth with storage underneath and a hanging locker. The saloon has two settees that can be used as single berths or converted into a double berth with an infill cushion. There is also a folding table that can seat six people comfortably. The galley is located on the port side of the companionway and has a two-burner stove with an oven, a sink with pressurized water, and ample storage for food and utensils. The navigation station is opposite the galley and has a large chart table with drawers and shelves. The aft cabin is accessed from the starboard side of the companionway and has a double berth with storage underneath and a hanging locker. The head is located between the saloon and the forward cabin and has a marine toilet, a sink with pressurized water, and a shower.

The interior of the Sadler 32 is well-ventilated with opening ports and hatches. The headroom is about 1.8 m (6 ft) throughout the boat. The woodwork is teak or mahogany and gives the boat a warm and cozy feel.

Hull and Deck
The hull of the Sadler 32 is white with blue stripes and has a moderate sheer line and overhangs. The bow is raked and has an anchor locker with an electric windlass (optional). The stern is a reverse transom with an integrated swim ladder. The deck is white with molded non-skid surfaces and has teak handrails along the coachroof. The foredeck is spacious and has two dorade vents for ventilation. The side decks are wide and have stainless steel stanchions with double lifelines for safety.

The cockpit of the Sadler 32 is large enough for six people to sit comfortably or four people to sleep under the sprayhood (optional). It has two lockers for storage, one of which contains the gas bottle for the stove. The cockpit coamings are high and provide good protection from spray and wind. The tiller or wheel steering system is responsive and gives good feedback from the rudder.

Mast and Rigging
The mast of the Sadler 32 is deck-stepped and made of aluminum alloy. It has two sets of spreaders that are swept back at an angle of 15 degrees. This allows for more sail area without increasing the mast height. The mast is supported by stainless steel wire rigging with a single backstay and a forestay. The boom is also aluminum alloy and has a slab reefing system with three reefs. The mainsail is fully battened and has a lazy jack system and a sail cover for easy handling. The foresail is a roller-furling genoa that can be reefed from the cockpit. The boat also has a spinnaker pole and a spinnaker (optional) for downwind sailing.

The sail controls of the Sadler 32 are simple and efficient. The mainsheet is led to a traveler on the coachroof and has a 4:1 purchase. The genoa sheets are led to two self-tailing winches on the cockpit coamings and have adjustable tracks on the side decks. The halyards and reefing lines are led to two self-tailing winches on the mast and have rope clutches for easy locking. The boat also has a boom vang, a topping lift, and a cunningham for fine-tuning the sail shape.

Keel and Rudder
The fin keel has a moderate aspect ratio which provides good lift to windward and contributes towards the boat's stability. The keel is bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts and has a fiberglass fairing for smooth water flow.

The rudder of the Sadler 32 is a skeg-hung rudder with a stainless steel stock and a fiberglass blade. The half-skeg design provides a balanced rudder that reduces the helm pressure and improves the maneuverability of the boat.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.