LOA: 33'-2" (10.11 m)
LOD: 31'-11" (9.73 m)
DWL: 27'-11" (8.51 m)
Beam: 8'-6" (2.59 m)
Draft (Keel): 14" (356 mm)
Displacement: 8,000 lbs. (3629 kg)
Fuel Capacity: 100 gals. (379 L)
Water Capacity: 45 gals. (170 L)
Deadrise: 13 degrees
Freeboard (Fwd): 52" (1321 mm)
Freeboard (Aft): 37 1/2" (953 mm)
Power: Single Bracket Mounted Outboard
32' Expedition Cruiser
The 32' Expedition Cruiser was the brainchild of a gentleman in North Carolina who had been in the marine industry for many years. Unfortunately, as so often happens in the boat business, he wasn't able to bring the project to fruition. I don't know the exact reasons why as I have lost touch with him, but I assume it was a combination of finances and lack of time.
The concept for the 32' Expedition Cruiser (the proposed name for the company) was for a trailerable cruiser that would be used on the Intracoastal Waterway and near shore waters. While on the trailer en route to new cruising grounds, it could be used as a camper. Although I found the concept interesting and enjoyed working on it, I was never quite sure of the marketability of the boat. In cases such as these I always followed the clients wishes, assuming they knew something I didn't!
The design of the boat is actually a low slung pilothouse type cruiser. The low profile was intended to preserve the boats stability as her beam is only 8.5 feet. The cabin was taken almost full width in order to maximize the interior space. The pilothouse area is a little narrower to allow for sliding doors on either side leading to small well decks and stairs to the recessed foredeck.
The forward part of the house is a molded in seat that would be a great place to sit and watch nature or the sunset over a quiet cove. Back aft, the cockpit is large enough for a couple of deck chairs, as well as some light fishing. Her transom door makes entry from the swim platform easy either with groceries or dive gear.
The interior layout is pretty straightforward and surprisingly roomy. Aft and to port is a galley with 2-burner stovetop, sink and refrigerator. Opposite, on the starboard side, a microwave is recessed into the head compartment along with two storage lockers. The head is fairly roomy and features a medicine cabinet over the vanity as well as a flush type toilet. The shower is en suite, we didn't have that much room! Forward of the head is an elevated four person dinette that converts to a double berth. A settee to port seats three and has stowage below. The cabin area is surrounded by large windows and would be a great space, even on those overcast days at anchor.
The pilothouse features a steering station to starboard and the entry into the forward bunk to port. I envisioned this area not having a fixed pedestal seat in order to be as flexible as possible. The large windshield wraps around in one piece for good sightlines all around. Above the windshield, electronics can be mounted in the visor area. The forward "cabin" is really a cuddy. This was the one area I wasn't really content with as it wasn't as large as I would have liked. Sometimes there is only so much you can do in the space available.
Mechanically the boat is very simple. Power would come from an outboard motor mounted on a bracket. A 5kw genset can be mounted below the cockpit. Under the cabin sole are 100 gallon fuel and 45 gallon water tanks. A 28 gallon waste tank would be aft of the head, below the cockpit. One unique aspect of the machinery is the use of an air cooled air conditioning unit mounted to the housetop. These are usually seen on motor homes and are much less expensive than traditional marine A/C systems. They have the added advantage of being useful when the boat is out of the water. We hid the unit in a raised portion of the housetop that also included storage for the interior.
Construction was to be from molded GRP in as few pieces as possible to simplify construction and keep the costs down. A major concern was weight as the boat has limited bottom area for planing. We also had to be concerned about her weight on a trailer in order to keep the boat within the limits of commonly available tow vehicles. We may have had to resort to cored construction for her hull, her deck would certainly have been cored.
As currently drawn, she would be a practical cruiser for the Chesapeake, the ICW, Puget Sound and many of our inland rivers and lakes. I always wondered how this concept would work if the trailerable aspect was eliminated and the beam increased a couple of feet. Power could come from outboards or sterndrives, either gas or diesel. With a little more freeboard, the engines could be kept below cockpit level and the forward cabin expanded somewhat. I might also eliminate the raised section of the housetop to make her a little more "sleek", although a lower version with portlights in the side and skylights in the top could make for great night time views of the stars.
Study plans are available below as downloadable PDF files. These can be opened with any PDF reader and most people already have the free Adobe Reader installed. Please remember that these plans are the property of Smith Marine Design and should not be used for any purpose without my written consent.
Profile Drawing
Deck Layout
Arrangement Plan
Inboard Profile-Port
Inboard Profile-Starboard