Design and Construction
Gillmer's Mk II stretches 31 feet 7 inches on the waterline-derived hull, with a 10 foot 5 inch beam and a modest 4 foot 6 inch draft over a modified full keel. At 14,900 pounds displacement and 5,800 pounds of ballast, the boat sits in the medium-displacement class with a displacement-to-waterline-length ratio of 401 and a beam-to-length ratio of.328. The capsize screening value of 1.69 clears the 2.00 threshold for offshore capability, and a lower figure indicates a more stable boat — a number consistent with the builder's claim that the ketch is surprisingly stiff and stable.
The hull is solid fiberglass construction, while the deck and cabin top use end-grain balsa coring. Allied built the boat by hand on the Hudson River, and the builder claimed the layup exceeded Lloyds AAA specifications. All fittings are through-deck bolted with backup plates and stainless washers, and an extra heavy-duty extruded aluminum rub rail caps the hull-to-deck joint. Lead ballast is encapsulated, and the rudder is a large, heavy barn-door style on the attached skeg.
Rig and Handling
The standard rig is a masthead ketch, with Hood working sails and covers supplied as standard and a cutter option available Ketch rig is standard. The optional cutter and sloop rigs reused the ketch's mainmast shifted aft about a foot; on the cutter the mainsail foot lengthens and the foretriangle base grows slightly, yet total area comes out a touch under the ketch's 555 square feet. Double headstays on either rig permit twin downwind jibs. With a working sail area over 500 square feet on 14,900 pounds, the builder promoted superior performance on all points of sail, especially to windward, and described the boat as fast even in light airs with maximum directional stability from the long-keel hull.
Steering is an Edson rack-and-pinion mounted directly on the rudderstock head, with a custom teak and bronze wheel. The best mainsheet arrangement places a traveler on the bridgedeck. Practical Sailor noted lifeline stanchions and pulpits stand 30 inches off the deck rather than the usual 24, and the bowsprit is a massive teak platform with attached pulpit and double bow rollers at the end.
Accommodations
Below, the forward cabin holds a V-berth, hanging locker, and wash basin, with drawers, bins, and a large stainless holding tank stowed beneath the berth. The small head contains only toilet and shower, while the main cabin settees are asymmetrical around the central table. Latter-day Mk II interiors were the best finished of any Allied boats the testers had seen, with generous teak indoors and out, 5-inch foam cushions, and a head-shower with separate vanity. The icebox carries four inches of urethane foam and a well-gasketed top; the deep sink has both pressure and manual freshwater. Headroom runs 6 foot 2 inches.
Known Issues
Some owners reported the welded aluminum bilge fuel tank lacks an inspection port. The double bow rollers sit so far outboard that the anchor rode tends to chafe against the pulpit stanchion when used. Neither the shower nor the icebox drains into the deep bilge, a welcome separation that limits contamination risk below.
Refits and Ownership
Engine access was rated fair by testers: the Westerbeke 27-horsepower diesel sits under the cockpit, and checking oil requires removing the companionway ladder and the bulkhead panel behind it, though an oil pan underneath keeps spills out of the bilge sump. An anchor windlass was optional and fit neatly between the two 12-inch foredeck cleats. Awlgrip-painted spars, ten bronze opening ports with screens, solid bronze seacocks, and full engine instrumentation with a custom electrical panel were standard equipment worth verifying on any candidate.
The Verdict
The Seawind Mk II is a thoughtfully evolved Gillmer cruiser — heavier and roomier than the original, built to a claimed standard above Lloyds AAA, and endowed with a sea-kindly ketch rig and offshore-suitable stability numbers. Its faults are few and mostly minor: a fuel tank without inspection access and an anchor-roller layout prone to chafe. For a couple or small family seeking a traditional, hand-built American ketch with real circumnavigation pedigree behind its lineage, it remains a credible bluewater prospect.
Pros
- Capsize screening value of 1.69, under the 2.00 offshore threshold
- Standard ketch rig with cutter and sloop options sharing the same mast
- Solid fiberglass hull with balsa-cored deck and through-bolted fittings
- Shower and icebox drained away from the deep bilge
- Best-finished Allied interiors on later boats per testers
Cons
- Bilge fuel tank without inspection port (owner complaint)
- Anchor rode chafes pulpit stanchion at outboard bow rollers
- Fair engine access requiring ladder and panel removal for oil check
