The result was a 31'7" cruiser built by Allied on the Hudson River until the yard closed at the end of 1981. Although designated here as the Cutter, most of the 130 hulls were ketches; Allied produced only 11 cutters and five sloops. Compared with the original, the Mk II is a foot longer and a foot wider, with an extra foot of waterline. It gained 2,700 pounds for a displacement of 14,900 pounds, becoming a more substantial cruiser without abandoning Gillmer's conservative approach to seakeeping.
Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid fiberglass with a substantial lay-up. Full and partial bulkheads, bonded in with cloth and resin, provide support, while the deck and cabin are built as a balsa-cored composite.
At the hull-to-deck joint, outward-turning flanges on both parts are bolted together with marine adhesive between them. Glass reinforcement finishes the joint inside, and a heavy aluminum extrusion covers it outside. All hardware is through-bolted with backing plates.
The long keel contains a 5,800-pound internal lead casting glassed into the hull. The deck-stepped mast is supported below by a substantial wood compression frame that runs into the bilge. The builder claimed the boat was built to exceed Lloyds AAA specifications.
The capsize screening value is 1.69, below the 2.00 threshold used to judge offshore capability; a lower figure indicates a more stable vessel.
Rig and Handling
The cutter uses the ketch's mainmast position, shifted aft about a foot. It has a longer-footed mainsail and a slightly longer foretriangle base than the ketch, though its total sail area works out to slightly less. Twin headstays on either rig allow twin jibs to be set downwind. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the bridgedeck.
A large, barn-door-style rudder hangs from the long keel. The builder promoted maximum directional stability, surprising stiffness, fast light-air performance, and good windward ability. Practical Sailor reviewers noted that the combination of long keel and dated rudder means the boat can be slow to tack. Once the apparent wind rises above eight knots, however, it performs well.
Standard steering was an Edson rack-and-pinion system mounted on the rudderhead.
Deck and Cockpit
The wide cabin house is bordered by lifelines standing 30 inches above the deck, and a substantial toe rail provides another useful deck-safety feature. The companionway is narrow. A freshwater cockpit shower is recessed into the footwell.
At the bow, the anchor rollers sit far outboard on the massive teak bowsprit. In use, this position allows the rode to chafe against a pulpit stanchion.
Accommodations
The forward cabin contains a V-berth, hanging locker, and wash basin. Drawers, bins, and a stainless holding tank are fitted beneath. The small head contains only a toilet and shower.
In the main cabin, asymmetrical settees flank a table that drops from the forward bulkhead. Headroom is 6'2". There is no navigation station, the one recurring criticism of the interior layout.
The galley is aft and includes a deep sink supplied by both pressure and manual freshwater systems. The icebox has four inches of insulation and a well-gasketed lid. Testers found that latter-day hulls had the best-finished interiors they had seen on any Allied boats.
Engine and Tankage
A Westerbeke 27 diesel is tightly installed beneath the cockpit sole, making access fair at best. Even checking the oil requires removing the companionway steps and the panel behind them. An oil pan prevents spills from reaching the bilge sump.
Some owners have also complained that the welded aluminum fuel tank in the bilge has no inspection port. Elsewhere, the through-bolted deck fittings and bronze seacocks reflect the boat's robust original specification.
Ownership and Refit Considerations
The cutter's slightly smaller sail plan than the ketch's is a minor trade-off for a simpler rig. Owners also inherit several awkward details: tight engine access, the fuel tank's lack of an inspection port, and an anchor-roller arrangement that can cause rode chafe. The absence of a navigation station remains the principal interior drawback.
The Verdict
The Allied Seawind Mk II Cutter is a thoughtful evolution of Gillmer's original cruiser. It is heavier and roomier, with conservative Hudson River fiberglass construction, internal lead ballast, and a long-keel hull that scores well on stability metrics.
It performs capably in moderate wind and has a practical, if occasionally quirky, interior. Tight engine access and several rig and deck details that need owner attention temper the package, but its basic structure and cruising layout remain substantial.
Pros
- 5,800 pounds of internal lead ballast glassed into the long keel
- Capsize screening value below the offshore threshold
- Substantial hand-laid hull and balsa-cored deck and cabin
- Through-bolted hardware and a robust flanged hull-to-deck joint
- Asymmetrical settees and 6'2" headroom
- Well-insulated icebox and aft galley
- Tall 30-inch lifelines and a substantial toe rail
Cons
- Slow to tack because of the long keel and barn-door-style rudder
- Fuel tank lacks an inspection port
- Anchor rode tends to chafe against a pulpit stanchion
- Engine is buried beneath the cockpit sole, with access rated only fair
- No navigation station below
