rival 32

[bill bligh]

Hi I am looking for information on how the Rival 32 was built. I do hope you can help me with my research as I am looking at buying a boat that was built in 1974. At the moment my main questions are how the deck / superstructure was built is it solid fibreglass or is it of a balsa / foam sandwich construction. My other question is about the skeg and keel has the skeg a steel frame inside it and then filled with closed cell expanding foam or built using a different method if so could you let me know how it was built. From what I can see from photos it looks as if the keel is an encapsulated. If it is encapsulated can you tell me if the ballast is mild steel scrap punchings. Scrap ball bearings. Or is it lead.
Regards.

 

[duncan99210]

Have you tried the Rival Owners Association?

 

[bill bligh]

Hi duncan99210 yes I have sent them an email and waiting for a reply but because of the holiday I thought it quicker to post the question here.

 

[MM5AHO]

I'm a member of the ROA, and have a Rival 32.
On that site for members, there's full drawings and construction details, info on about every issue a Rival owner ever had and how to fix it, historical info on the design development and loads more.

But to the specific questions:Mine has a fully encapsulated keel, with cast lead shape encapsulated by solid fibreglass, not foam filled. But some models had a cast iron keel.
I think these are differentiated by the depth of the keel, deeper = iron.

The hull is solid fg, superstructure seems to be the same. I've drilled a few holes at times, and never encountered anything other than solid. But there are three places where foam was used. These are the skeg, the sternmost part of the keel (behind the lead), and the part of the keel where the propshaft goes through. These are detailed on the drawings.
The drawins have high level of detail, for example for the deck and cabin roof: "5 layers of 2 oz csm on gelcoat with pattern with 2 extra layers for 2'0" width in the way of the mast laid over longitudinal stiffeners."

The skeg drawing suggest that its a fully encapsulated polystryrene foam shape. Doesn't show any steel frame. No suggestion of expanding foam.

 

[Jamesuk]

Where is the Rival located? My friend bought one 3 years ago and has spent hundreds of hours bringing it back to looking sweet.

He is a Naval architect so is a good person to ask.

 

[bill bligh]

MM5AHO Thank you for your reply any and all information on the Rival 32 would be good e.g. things to look out for on first inspection. Do you know what the iron would draw against the lead keel

Jamesuk At the moment I would like to keep the boats location to my self but thanks for the reply.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Jamesuk At the moment I would like to keep the boats location to my self but thanks for the reply.

Perhaps you could stick your mouse pointer over Jamesuk's name above the words Registered User and send him a Private Message so we don't all see it?
good luck,
S.

 

[macd]

As said, the keel is encapsulated, and very substantially, too.
Many R32s built after the R34 came out in '72 were home-finished, obviously to varying standards. I'd check particularly the integrity of the under-deck supports for the forward and aft lower stays.
Many had roller-boom mainsail reefing/furling when new. In most cases this will have been ditched in favour of slab reefing, although the mechanism to rotate the boom may still be in place. If it still has the original boom, check out the aft end fitting (a cast ring to allow the boom to rotate within it). They have been known to crack.
An unusual feature of the hull is that it was moulded in two halves, the port and starboard elements subsequently bonded together.
They're strong old girls, well able to handle bad weather and capable of good speeds on long passages...they just seem to keep going. I owned one for nine years and over 30,000 miles, including a mostly solo Atlantic circuit. Best daily run was 156miles.
I was a little surprised by MM5AHO's observation that his R32 had a lead keel. I'd always understood that only the R34 had a lead keel option. You live and learn.

 

[MM5AHO]

...I was a little surprised by MM5AHO's observation that his R32 had a lead keel. I'd always understood that only the R34 had a lead keel option. You live and learn.

You've got me wondering myself now. I looked up the original documents, and although there are many specific to this boat, none specify the keel ballast material. Various brochures of the day (have originals for many), state cast iron keel.
There are two draft measurements though, so that might suggest two different ballast densities, but that's not proof.

So you could be right, might be iron.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Well I'm absolutely sure my ingots that are nicely encapsulated into my keel are lead.

I clobbered a rock north end of Lock Scavaig in 2012 and when on land that winter I opened up the gash to reveal the lead some 6"

inside. It was bedded down with a sandy mix that the surveyor said was probably having some form of epoxy mixed with it to hold

it all stable.

I don't know how much weight exactly the keel has in it but for a 33footer she darned heavy! Fully laden with all my cruising gear,

water and fuel tanks also full she's not a lot short of 12tons according to the hoist readout at the yard.

She pushes through really choppy water as if it wasn't there but as we all know she's no greyhound!

S.