Design and Construction
The C&C 32 measures 31.5 feet overall, with a 24.67-foot waterline, a 10.25-foot beam, and a displacement of 9,680 pounds. Its clean deck and cabin lines helped earn C&C its reputation for good-looking designs, while the long, low cabintrunk and fixed portlights give the boat a sleek profile.
The hull is a single unit of molded, solid fiberglass. The deck is a balsa sandwich between layers of hand-laid mat and roving. The toerail, mast, and boom are anodized aluminum, and the sculpted aluminum stemhead incorporates mooring chocks.
The boat carries 3,900 pounds of lead ballast in a fin keel drawing nearly six feet, or optionally in a shoal-draft keel with centerboard. An internally mounted spade rudder complements either the fin-keel or stub-keel underbody.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead sloop rig has a keel-stepped mast that rises just over 41 feet above the deck. Stainless Navtec solid-rod standing rigging, including a split backstay, supports the spar. The keel-stepped arrangement provides strength and increased safety.
The sail plan combines a short boom and relatively small mainsail with a furling 150-percent headsail. The boom traveler is mounted atop the cabin.
The fin-keel version has a PHRF average of 162, with a high of 172 and a low of 156. The stub-keel and centerboard version averages 171.
Most C&C 32s were fitted with stainless steel wheels, though tiller steering was available. The large T-shaped cockpit seats six plus the helmsman and has a removable crescent-shaped seat at the helm.
Accommodations
Below, the familiar dinette opposite a full-length settee follows a layout used in earlier C&C models, but on a larger scale. The dinette seats four and converts into a double bunk. Port and starboard quarter berths easily accommodate a 6-foot 5-inch frame, bringing total sleeping capacity to six.
A permanent navigation station to starboard provides a suitable place for charts. Even with the dinette in use, the passage to the V-berth and head remains clear.
The galley includes a deep, single-basin sink over the centerline for easy drainage, a top-loading icebox with two covers, and a two-burner stove. Fresh-water capacity is 30 gallons. The head is tight and has no separate shower.
Engine and Tankage
Mechanical choices included a 30-horsepower Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine or an optional 15-horsepower Yanmar 2GM diesel. The Yanmar 2GM was also listed as an available option. Fuel capacity is 20 gallons.
Known Issues and Refits
Owners report few problems apart from the portlights. These are weak, and some owners fear the glass could blow out in a thrashing sea; most require replacement. Replacing the portlights is the most common age-related job.
The original coachroof traveler presents two drawbacks: it leaves little clearance beneath the boom and is difficult for a solo sailor to reach. It can be replaced with a smoother-operating Harken model.
The forward deck hatch is too small for passing bulky sails through. Below, the small head also draws complaints because of its tight dimensions and lack of a separate shower.
Ownership
The large T-shaped cockpit and clean underbody help make the C&C 32 an enjoyable club racer with cruising range. Its combination of sailing performance and usable accommodations remains central to its appeal.
The Verdict
The C&C 32 is a well-resolved early-1980s racer-cruiser, with more modern volume than its smaller siblings and a sleek Canadian profile. Its solid hull, lead-ballasted fin or centerboard keel, and rod rigging suit sailors looking for club-racing pace with genuine accommodations, provided they address the weaknesses in the portlights and traveler.
Pros
- Modern evolution of C&C’s 27 and 30, with larger, cleaner lines
- Solid fiberglass hull, lead ballast, and optional centerboard shoal draft
- Roomy T-shaped cockpit seating six plus the helmsman, with a removable seat
- Sleeps six, with quarter berths accommodating a 6-foot 5-inch frame
- Permanent navigation station
- Strong fin-keel PHRF performance, averaging 162
Cons
- Weak fixed portlights that generally need replacement, with a feared blowout risk
- Coachroof traveler is hard to reach and leaves little boom clearance
- Forward hatch is too small for bulky sails
- Small head with no separate shower
