Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid fibreglass with a balsa sandwich above the waterline, yet remains solid where the shrouds and stays attach—a sensible concession to rig loads that avoids the soft-core failure points seen in some all-sandwich hulls. Below, integral longitudinal and transverse beams add stiffness, and structural bulkheads are hand-bonded to the hull rather than merely tabbed. The lead keel is bolted to a moulded hull extension with eight 24 mm stainless bolts, and the skeg-hung rudder carries an 86 mm stainless shaft with internal strengthening arms. The deck is also hand-laid GRP with balsa-cored sandwich construction, bonded to the hull with hand-laid GRP over the join. Teak caps the raised bulwarks, and 11 mm solid teak lays the cockpit seats and sole.
Those construction choices place her firmly in the robust end of the 1980s Nordic cruiser tradition. The capsize screening value of 1.84 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 29.0 describe a boat that handles rough water without pitching itself to pieces, while a displacement-length ratio of 259 puts her among what one review termed "moderate racers"—quick enough to sail well, heavy enough to look after a crew.
Rig and Handling
The 35 S is a masthead sloop on a Selden aluminium through-deck double-spreader mast with internal halyards, paired with a Selden boom and gas-sprung rod kicker. A Furlex headsail furling system, two Lewmar 40-equivalent halyard winches on the coachroof, and two Lewmar 48-equivalent genoa winches in the cockpit make short-handed sail handling straightforward. The fully-battened mainsail carries two single-line slab reefs, and 32 mm genoa tracks with cars plus an adjustable mainsail car complete a clean, workmanlike control layout.
Steering runs through a stainless wheel on a pedestal to a skeg-supported rudder whose shaft rides in stainless bearings with delrin glide pieces. With a sail-area-displacement ratio of 17.58 and a theoretical hull speed near 7.3 knots, she is no rocket but will hold her own on a breeze. The immersion rate of about 213 kg/cm means she sinks meaningfully under load, so crew and provisioning choices visibly affect trim.
Accommodations
Below, the cabin opens through the companionway to a port-side galley that runs along the hull, with a gimballed two-burner gas cooker and oven set into a laminate counter (Corian optional), twin stainless sinks, hot and cold pressurized water plus a foot-pump seawater rinse, and a coldbox prepped for a fridge. A hinged extra work surface adds prep room. Opposite, to starboard, sits the chart table with space for navigation instruments and the door to the double aft cabin tucked beneath the cockpit. Saloon headroom exceeds 1.9 metres, and the settees seat up to six.
Forward is a V-berth double with generous stowage and an opening hatch that doubles as an emergency exit. The aft cabin offers a hanging locker, storage locker, and under-berth bins. The heads includes a hand-pump marine toilet and a 60-litre holding tank discharged by a separate pump or deck fitting, while the shower compartment has its own tray, pump, basin, and a wet locker. Interior finish is satin-varnished Burmese teak with teak-faced plywood as standard, mahogany optional, and teak-and-holly floorboards underfoot. Through-buttoned cushions with knee rolls complete a cabin that feels considered rather than catalogued.
Known Issues
The balsa-cored sandwich above the waterline and in the deck is the one structural vulnerability worth naming. Any breach in the gelcoat—a stanchion base, a winch bolt, a hatch frame—can let water into the core, where it sits and rots the balsa from within. Because the hull is solid only at the rigging attachments and the deck is fully cored, owners must watch for soft spots, especially around the deck hardware and through-hull fittings. The skeg-hung rudder and its stainless shaft are robust as described, but the delrin glide pieces in the bearings are a wear item over decades of service. The cored construction demands disciplined maintenance of every penetration.
The Verdict
The Degerö 35 S is a thoughtfully engineered Nordic cruiser that balances stiffness, comfort, and manageable sail handling. Her construction is serious where it counts, her accommodations are genuinely liveable for a 35-footer, and her numbers suggest a boat that will look after a family on long passages. The cored deck and topsides are the price of her lightness and insulation, and they repay only careful ownership.
Pros
- Hand-laid hull solid at rigging loads with integral beams and bonded bulkheads
- Skeg-hung rudder on an 86 mm stainless shaft with strengthening arms
- Spacious, self-draining cockpit with deep stowage and teak sole
- Liveable two-cabin layout with 1.9 m+ saloon headroom and proper sea-going galley
- CE A certification for eight persons
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck and topsides vulnerable to water intrusion at any penetration
- Rudder bearing delrin glide pieces are a long-term wear item
- Immersion rate means noticeable trim change under load
