sadler 32 bilge keel pros and cons please

On issues with the Sadler 32. As background we've had ours from new in 1985 when we were just a couple with just one 3 yr old. We've had friends plus their little ones cruise for a couple of weeks at a time, mainly N France and the Channel Islands. In that role up to 4 adults and 3 children.

The forecabin is comfortable for two adults or three small children. But with the infill it's not much more than a shelf so nowhere to stand and dress except in the heads hanging locker area. We've got a zipped curtain between this area and the forecabin which provides visual privacy but not much else.

We don't have a shower but this area is where it would be. I wouldn't want to use one myself so close to bedding, dry clothes etc at least not in typical English weather when we're trying to keep the inside of the boat dry.

The hanging locker has two compartments so you can keep wet oilies apart from dry clothes, but neither is very big.

The junction box for masthead electrics can get wet from leaky deck glands.

If the door handle gets loose on its spindle it will only work on the saloon side. Can be inconvenient that...

In the saloon there were options to have pilot berths instead of cupboards. We have one of these to port. It folds away into a deep shelf and is very useful in that role for bedding etc and anything long and thin. As a berth it's a bit too close to the deckhead for comfort. We've rarely used it to sleep in.

You have to keep the cabin table bottle store full or it rattles.

The original lighting are those ones which you twist on and off and come apart in your hand if you turn them too far.

For us we find the saloon double and opposite single berths are best. You can sit up in them and it's a nice airy space to sleep in. Easy also for accessing anything that needs attending to in the night. If we've others on board we'll use the double so they've the choice of the forecabin or the other saloon berths.

The quarterberth is long and a little struggle to get in and out of but very roomy. It will take a large adult or two small children. Not quite so good as a passage berth because it's also the navigator's seat. If not needed as a berth it's a great dumping area. Anything from a baby in its seat to a large inflatable dinghy in its bag.

Engine access is outstanding, especially with the cockpit liferaft locker removed. This locker can get a bit warm from prolonged motoring though.

We've now got warm air heating. For us, living largely in the saloon, one outlet is enough but a second outlet might be needed to keep the forecabin cosy. However the tubing would have to run through the underbunk lockers reducing their storage space.

Hope that's enough for now. For various reasons we haven't launched this year yet, but if you're in no hurry, happy to show you around when we do. We're Gosport based currently.
 
On issues with the Sadler 32. As background we've had ours from new in 1985 when we were just a couple with just one 3 yr old. We've had friends plus their little ones cruise for a couple of weeks at a time, mainly N France and the Channel Islands. In that role up to 4 adults and 3 children.

The forecabin is comfortable for two adults or three small children. But with the infill it's not much more than a shelf so nowhere to stand and dress except in the heads hanging locker area. We've got a zipped curtain between this area and the forecabin which provides visual privacy but not much else.

We don't have a shower but this area is where it would be. I wouldn't want to use one myself so close to bedding, dry clothes etc at least not in typical English weather when we're trying to keep the inside of the boat dry.

The hanging locker has two compartments so you can keep wet oilies apart from dry clothes, but neither is very big.

The junction box for masthead electrics can get wet from leaky deck glands.

If the door handle gets loose on its spindle it will only work on the saloon side. Can be inconvenient that...

In the saloon there were options to have pilot berths instead of cupboards. We have one of these to port. It folds away into a deep shelf and is very useful in that role for bedding etc and anything long and thin. As a berth it's a bit too close to the deckhead for comfort. We've rarely used it to sleep in.

You have to keep the cabin table bottle store full or it rattles.

The original lighting are those ones which you twist on and off and come apart in your hand if you turn them too far.

For us we find the saloon double and opposite single berths are best. You can sit up in them and it's a nice airy space to sleep in. Easy also for accessing anything that needs attending to in the night. If we've others on board we'll use the double so they've the choice of the forecabin or the other saloon berths.

The quarterberth is long and a little struggle to get in and out of but very roomy. It will take a large adult or two small children. Not quite so good as a passage berth because it's also the navigator's seat. If not needed as a berth it's a great dumping area. Anything from a baby in its seat to a large inflatable dinghy in its bag.

Engine access is outstanding, especially with the cockpit liferaft locker removed. This locker can get a bit warm from prolonged motoring though.

We've now got warm air heating. For us, living largely in the saloon, one outlet is enough but a second outlet might be needed to keep the forecabin cosy. However the tubing would have to run through the underbunk lockers reducing their storage space.

Hope that's enough for now. For various reasons we haven't launched this year yet, but if you're in no hurry, happy to show you around when we do. We're Gosport based currently.

james - that's very helpful - do you mind if I PM you, nick
 
Lol L
On issues with the Sadler 32. As background we've had ours from new in 1985 when we were just a couple with just one 3 yr old. We've had friends plus their little ones cruise for a couple of weeks at a time, mainly N France and the Channel Islands. In that role up to 4 adults and 3 children.

The forecabin is comfortable for two adults or three small children. But with the infill it's not much more than a shelf so nowhere to stand and dress except in the heads hanging locker area. We've got a zipped curtain between this area and the forecabin which provides visual privacy but not much else.

We don't have a shower but this area is where it would be. I wouldn't want to use one myself so close to bedding, dry clothes etc at least not in typical English weather when we're trying to keep the inside of the boat dry.

The hanging locker has two compartments so you can keep wet oilies apart from dry clothes, but neither is very big.

The junction box for masthead electrics can get wet from leaky deck glands.

If the door handle gets loose on its spindle it will only work on the saloon side. Can be inconvenient that...

In the saloon there were options to have pilot berths instead of cupboards. We have one of these to port. It folds away into a deep shelf and is very useful in that role for bedding etc and anything long and thin. As a berth it's a bit too close to the deckhead for comfort. We've rarely used it to sleep in.

You have to keep the cabin table bottle store full or it rattles.

The original lighting are those ones which you twist on and off and come apart in your hand if you turn them too far.

For us we find the saloon double and opposite single berths are best. You can sit up in them and it's a nice airy space to sleep in. Easy also for accessing anything that needs attending to in the night. If we've others on board we'll use the double so they've the choice of the forecabin or the other saloon berths.

The quarterberth is long and a little struggle to get in and out of but very roomy. It will take a large adult or two small children. Not quite so good as a passage berth because it's also the navigator's seat. If not needed as a berth it's a great dumping area. Anything from a baby in its seat to a large inflatable dinghy in its bag.

Engine access is outstanding, especially with the cockpit liferaft locker removed. This locker can get a bit warm from prolonged motoring though.

We've now got warm air heating. For us, living largely in the saloon, one outlet is enough but a second outlet might be needed to keep the forecabin cosy. However the tubing would have to run through the underbunk lockers reducing their storage space.

Hope that's enough for now. For various reasons we haven't launched this year yet, but if you're in no hurry, happy to show you around when we do. We're Gosport based currently.


Agree with all that except the heating cos we haven't got any! Had ours for 9 years. Can't see us changing either!
 
On issues with the Sadler 32. As background we've had ours from new in 1985 when we were just a couple with just one 3 yr old. We've had friends plus their little ones cruise for a couple of weeks at a time, mainly N France and the Channel Islands. In that role up to 4 adults and 3 children.

The forecabin is comfortable for two adults or three small children. But with the infill it's not much more than a shelf so nowhere to stand and dress except in the heads hanging locker area. We've got a zipped curtain between this area and the forecabin which provides visual privacy but not much else.

We don't have a shower but this area is where it would be. I wouldn't want to use one myself so close to bedding, dry clothes etc at least not in typical English weather when we're trying to keep the inside of the boat dry.

The hanging locker has two compartments so you can keep wet oilies apart from dry clothes, but neither is very big.

The junction box for masthead electrics can get wet from leaky deck glands.

If the door handle gets loose on its spindle it will only work on the saloon side. Can be inconvenient that...

In the saloon there were options to have pilot berths instead of cupboards. We have one of these to port. It folds away into a deep shelf and is very useful in that role for bedding etc and anything long and thin. As a berth it's a bit too close to the deckhead for comfort. We've rarely used it to sleep in.

You have to keep the cabin table bottle store full or it rattles.

The original lighting are those ones which you twist on and off and come apart in your hand if you turn them too far.

For us we find the saloon double and opposite single berths are best. You can sit up in them and it's a nice airy space to sleep in. Easy also for accessing anything that needs attending to in the night. If we've others on board we'll use the double so they've the choice of the forecabin or the other saloon berths.

The quarterberth is long and a little struggle to get in and out of but very roomy. It will take a large adult or two small children. Not quite so good as a passage berth because it's also the navigator's seat. If not needed as a berth it's a great dumping area. Anything from a baby in its seat to a large inflatable dinghy in its bag.

Engine access is outstanding, especially with the cockpit liferaft locker removed. This locker can get a bit warm from prolonged motoring though.

We've now got warm air heating. For us, living largely in the saloon, one outlet is enough but a second outlet might be needed to keep the forecabin cosy. However the tubing would have to run through the underbunk lockers reducing their storage space.

Hope that's enough for now. For various reasons we haven't launched this year yet, but if you're in no hurry, happy to show you around when we do. We're Gosport based currently.

My Eberspacher has a second outlet but it's in the heads compartment, probably because there's no obvious way to take the trunking further forward Or else last owner liked to keep warming sitting on the loo!
 
We lived with a canvas partition in the forecabin in our 29 happily for many years, with a mixture of family and non-family crew. I think there was an option for a solid partition, but this would have made access to the hanging locker awkward. I think our friends with 32s had curtains across the forepeak, but our version, which they may have put on 32s later, was a canvas fill across the wooden bulkhead with a zipped "door", which felt more private.
 
We lived with a canvas partition in the forecabin in our 29 happily for many years, with a mixture of family and non-family crew. I think there was an option for a solid partition, but this would have made access to the hanging locker awkward. I think our friends with 32s had curtains across the forepeak, but our version, which they may have put on 32s later, was a canvas fill across the wooden bulkhead with a zipped "door", which felt more private.

I believe that the SE version (?) of Sadlers (at one time, anyway) had an overhead hatch in the saloon, hot water and the solid door instead of the canvas. Ours, not being a Sadler build, had nothing at all in the doorway.

I did originally plan full height doors with the bi-fold arrangement necessary to clear the sole - which also makes hanging locker access not too bad I imagine, on the 32 anyway. But as we normally keep the berth infill in place, two conventionally-folding half-height doors down to infill level have proved not a bad compromise.
 
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