Design Brief & Intent 1
The primary mission of the Clearwater 35 was to redefine the possibilities of a shoal-draft cruising yacht. Traditional centerboarders of the era, such as those built by Tartan or Hinckley, frequently relied on a deep-draft "stub keel" containing the ballast, with a centerboard that lowered from there. This compromise limited the absolute minimum draft to several feet, restricting the boat’s ability to enter truly shallow anchorages or crawl up into tidal flats. Craig Walters, drawing on his early career spent working in the office of offshore racing innovator Dick Carter, broke from this convention. The Clearwater 35 was designed as a "true centerboarder" with a minimum draft of just one foot, ten inches. This astonishingly shallow configuration allows the boat to negotiate shallows, navigate tidal estuaries, and even stand upright on sandy beaches in appropriate tidal zones.
To accomplish this without sacrificing the high righting moment required for safety and performance, Walters and builder W. Barrett Holby, Jr. utilized an uncompromising construction method. The hull and deck were vacuum-bagged using high-strength composite materials skinning a balsa core, yielding a stiff, light structure with a displacement of only ten thousand pounds. Within the belly of the vessel sits a substantial lead ballast package weighing forty-five hundred pounds, giving the boat an extraordinary ballast-to-displacement ratio of forty-five percent. This substantial ballast is concentrated extremely low, providing the righting moment of a deep-draft yacht in a package that can easily slide into ankle-deep water.
The interior of the Clearwater 35 reflects its dual identity as a high-performance cruiser and a comfortable New England home. While many centerboard designs suffer from a massive centerboard trunk that awkwardly bisects the cabin, Walters masterfully structured the entire layout around the centerboard case. The box serves as a structural anchor and a clever partition for the salon table, remaining visually and physically unobtrusive. The accommodation plan features a rich wooden interior utilizing high-grade teak joinery and fine finishes typical of the Rhode Island yacht-building tradition. Despite its performance envelope, the layout is remarkably complete, offering a private aft cabin with a double berth—a rare luxury for a performance-oriented thirty-five footer of this era—alongside a functional galley, a forward V-berth, and a head compartment complete with a sink and shower.
Variations & Configurations
Unlike typical production designs that offered myriad draft, cabin, and rig choices to satisfy various price points, the Clearwater 35 was built with a highly specialized, uniform focus. The defining characteristic of almost every hull built was the swing centerboard and its corresponding pivoting rudder system. The retractable centerboard is raised and lowered via a dedicated hoist, varying the draft from its minimum of one foot, ten inches to a maximum of five feet, eleven inches with the board fully extended. To complement this, the spade rudder pivots aft to clear obstacles and match the shallow draft of the hull when running in shallow estuaries.
The standard rig is a fractional sloop layout, utilizing a high-aspect-ratio mainsail and a moderate headsail, which makes the boat exceptionally easy to manage short-handed. While most boats featured tiller steering for the ultimate in tactile control and to maximize cockpit space when at anchor, some custom wheel-steering variants were commissioned.
The success of the Clearwater 35 eventually prompted the creation of a sister ship, the Clearwater 36, introduced in 1993. Designed by Walters with contributions from Sean Fawcett, the 36 was a direct evolution that abandoned the complex centerboard system in favor of a deep, fixed fin keel and a taller rig. This variation was aimed squarely at racers and performance-focused cruisers who did not require the extreme shoal draft of the original design but wanted to maximize the hull's raw speed and windward ability.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the Clearwater 35 behaves like a modern, oversized dinghy, displaying a degree of nimbleness and acceleration that completely distances it from standard cruising designs. Its displacement-to-length ratio of 235.33 puts it firmly in the category of moderate-light displacement cruisers, giving it the ability to glide through light-air patches that would leave heavier vessels completely becalmed. The boat's sail area-to-displacement ratio of 18.06 highlights its generous sail plan, ensuring that she is easily powered up in light to moderate breezes.
At the helm, the balanced spade rudder provides immediate, sharp feedback. When the centerboard is fully extended to nearly six feet, the boat points with remarkable efficiency, creating excellent lift and allowing for steep pointing angles. The high ballast-to-displacement ratio of forty-five percent makes the boat incredibly stiff and stable under typical conditions. However, because of its light overall displacement, the boat will begin to feel overpowered as the breeze moves into the upper teens. Short-handed crews will find that they need to reef the large mainsail earlier than they would on a heavier, under-rigged coastal cruiser.
With a comfort ratio of 20.84, the motion in a heavy seaway is quick and active, reflecting the boat's racing-cruiser heritage rather than a slow, lumbering ocean passage-maker. Furthermore, its capsize screening formula of 2.1 indicates a hull form that is slightly wider and lighter than the classic offshore benchmark of 2.0. This suggests that while she is highly seaworthy and perfectly capable of handling the challenging offshore jumps required to cruise the Eastern Seaboard and navigate the Bahamas, she is fundamentally optimized as an exceptional coastal cruiser rather than a heavy-displacement, blue-water passage maker designed to weather severe ocean storms.
Known Issues & Triage
As a highly engineered, semi-custom yacht approaching middle age, a Clearwater 35 requires a discerning inspection process, particularly concerning its high-tech composite construction. First and foremost is the integrity of the balsa core. Holby Marine was an early pioneer in vacuum-bagging and composite technology, which successfully created light, stiff structures. However, after decades of exposure, any deck hardware that was not regularly re-bedded is a potential vector for moisture. Special attention must be paid to high-stress areas such as the stanchion bases, chainplates, jib tracks, and windlass mounts. A professional marine surveyor should employ a moisture meter and conduct percussion "tap" tests across the entire deck and cabin house to identify areas of core saturation or delamination, which can be expensive and labor-intensive to repair.
Another area requiring thorough triage is the centerboard trunk and hoisting mechanism. The pivot pins, hoisting cable (pendant), and internal sheaves are subjected to high loads and are prone to wear, corrosion, and marine growth. If the boat has sat neglected or has been sailed in sandy, silty waters, the board can become jammed in either the up or down position. The hoisting winch and the physical integrity of the fiberglass centerboard trunk must be examined for stress cracks, especially at the attachment points. Furthermore, because the rudder is designed to pivot aft to reduce draft, the pivot pin assembly and its associated locking/lifting mechanisms must be checked for slop or structural fatigue, as play in the rudder head can lead to a sloppy feel at the helm or outright mechanical failure under load.
Finally, buyers should inspect the internal fiberglass floor grid structure. The Clearwater 35 relies on this molded structural grid to distribute the rigging and sailing loads to the hull. A hard grounding with the centerboard lowered can exert tremendous leverage on the trunk and the surrounding grid. Any signs of cracking, crazing, or secondary bonding separation between the grid and the hull must be addressed before the boat is sailed hard.
Modernization & Upgrades
Modernizing a Clearwater 35 often centers on upgrading its mechanical and electrical systems to support modern cruising standards. The original Yanmar diesel engines, while highly reliable, are frequently approaching the end of their service lives. Many owners choose to repower with modern, cleaner-running Yanmar diesels. During a repower, it is highly recommended to upgrade the engine mounts, exhaust mixing elbow, and to thoroughly inspect the shaft log and cutless bearing.
In terms of rigging and sails, the centerboard hoisting pendant is a primary candidate for modernization. Replacing old stainless-steel wire pendants with modern high-strength, low-stretch synthetic fibers like Dyneema greatly reduces the risk of sudden cable failure and eliminates the galvanic corrosion that occurs when wire sits in a salt-water-filled trunk.
The electrical system is another popular area for refitting. Given the boat's light displacement, weight management is critical; adding massive banks of traditional lead-acid batteries can negatively impact the boat’s sailing characteristics. Installing lightweight Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries allows owners to double their usable domestic battery capacity while actually reducing overall weight. This, paired with modern high-efficiency solar panels mounted on a custom bimini or arch, can turn this nimble gunkholer into an exceptionally self-sufficient pocket cruiser for remote anchorages like the Bahamas.
Market Snapshot & Economics
On the brokerage market, the Clearwater 35 is a rare find that commands a premium among a very specific demographic of sailors. Because Holby Marine was a boutique builder producing semi-custom vessels rather than high-volume production boats, only a limited number of Clearwater 35s were ever launched. Consequently, they do not suffer from the rapid depreciation of mass-market cruisers and tend to hold their value remarkably well.
The boat represents exceptional value for cruisers operating in shallow-water regions like the Chesapeake Bay, the Florida Keys, the Gulf Coast, and the Bahamas, where its unique combination of near-shore access and genuine sailing performance is highly prized. However, potential owners must factor in the economics of owning a sophisticated, cored composite hull. Any necessary repairs to a saturated deck, a damaged structural grid, or a jammed centerboard mechanism can quickly escalate in cost and may overwhelm the boat’s market value. A pristine, well-maintained example with a dry deck and a recently serviced centerboard system is well worth a premium, as the cost of a professional refit on a neglected hull will almost always exceed the purchase price difference.
The Verdict
The Clearwater 35 is a masterful execution of a rare design philosophy: a high-performance, light-displacement cruiser that can slide into less than two feet of water. Craig Walters and Holby Marine succeeded in creating a boat that avoids the sluggish performance compromises of typical shoal-draft cruisers while offering a warm, beautifully crafted interior. For the cruising couple or small family who refuses to accept uninspiring performance but loves the idea of exploring the furthest reaches of shallow bays and hidden coves, the Clearwater 35 remains one of the finest boutique choices ever built.
Pros
- Exceptional shoal-draft capability with a minimum draft under two feet.
- Outstanding light-to-moderate air sailing performance and nimble handling.
- High-quality New England construction utilizing advanced vacuum-bagged composites.
- High ballast-to-displacement ratio ensures excellent stability and stiffness.
- Thoughtful interior layout that integrates the centerboard trunk and offers a private aft cabin.
Cons
- Composite hull and deck with balsa coring are highly vulnerable to expensive rot if neglected.
- Complex centerboard and pivoting rudder mechanisms require regular inspection and maintenance.
- Light displacement means she must be reefed earlier when the breeze increases.
- Active, lively motion in a seaway is less comfortable than traditional heavy-displacement cruisers.
- Very limited availability on the brokerage market due to low production numbers.
