Frank MacLear and Bob Harris drew on their work at Sparkman & Stephens on the famous centerboarder Finisterre, along with their experience with shallow-draft centerboard designs by Phil Rhodes and Aage Nielsen. Production continued through 1973, when Allied completed the 135th and final hull. Introduced in 1970, the Citation updated the established design with a longer main cabin and cockpit, a dinette, and a revised head.
Design and Construction
The Seabreeze measures 34 feet 6 inches overall, with a 24-foot waterline and a 10-foot 3-inch beam. With the centerboard raised, draft is 3 feet 10 inches; with it lowered, draft increases to 7 feet.
Displacement is 13,400 pounds, including 4,000 pounds of ballast. Its 0.30 ballast-to-displacement ratio and 433 displacement-to-length figure describe a moderately heavy cruiser designed more for steady load carrying than racing zeal.
Allied Boat Company did a very good glass lay-up job. The lead ballast was encapsulated within the keel layup and glassed over, bypassing external keel bolts. Bulkheads are tabbed directly to the hull and finished in varnished teak. The Citation also revised the underbody cosmetics, adopting a trapezoidal rudder that fills the gap beneath the counter overhang.
Rig and Handling
Most Seabreezes were sold as yawls. The sloop carries 550 square feet of sail, while the yawl carries 575 square feet. Both have a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.6—enough to drive the hull well without requiring a large crew.
For sailing, the centerboard is recommended to be lowered to 50 degrees from horizontal. It pivots on a kingpin accessible from inside the bilge. Early boats had a 380-pound bronze board, but Allied replaced it with a 115-pound aluminum version in 1967.
A well-maintained Seabreeze makes a strong and, for its length, spacious cruising yacht. The design has cruised as far as the Pacific.
Accommodations
Compared with the earlier layout, the Citation has a main cabin lengthened by a foot, a dinette, and a two-door head compartment. Its slightly longer cockpit came at the expense of lazarette space. Varnished teak bulkheads remain a defining visual feature below.
Over the years, owners have adapted the interior for modern cruising. Some have replaced the pilot berths with additional storage cabinets, while others have reworked lockers to accommodate reefer/freezer units, air conditioning, and modern electronics.
Auxiliary Power and Refits
The original standard auxiliary was a Palmer M60 gasoline engine, with 30 gallons of fuel and 45 gallons of water. After repowering, the boats invariably have diesel engines. Many also now have wheel steering rather than tillers. These changes reflect a fleet that has remained active and been adapted to modern cruising.
Known Issues
Some older boats tend to break chainplates, usually those serving the lower shrouds. Such failures threaten to topple the deck-stepped mainmasts. The chainplates are buried in fiberglass gussets for most of their length and should come out at regular intervals for inspections or be replaced with an alloy more resistant to crevice corrosion.
Owners seldom report blistering. Minor separations in the balsa-cored deck occasionally surface.
The Verdict
The Seabreeze 35 Citation is a thoughtfully evolved centerboard cruiser with a sound original lay-up and a practical, roomy interior for its length. The potential for chainplate corrosion is the one structural caveat a buyer must respect.
Pros
- Encapsulated lead ballast and strong glass lay-up
- Centerboard versatility, with an accessible pivot for servicing
- Spacious, adaptable Citation interior with a dinette and two-door head
- Proven offshore range as far as the Pacific
Cons
- Risk of lower-shroud chainplate failure on older boats
- Possible, though rare, separation in the balsa-cored deck
