Dehler 32 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Dehler 32 carries a raked bow and a chopped-off stern with minimal overhang, with high freeboard used to add interior volume. The hull is cored with end-grain balsa laid up in uni- and multidirectional fabrics with a hydrolysis-proof polyester resin. The hull-to-deck join is of the biscuit-tin variety covered by an alloy rubbing strake, and a full interior moulding incorporates landings for the joinery modules. In way of the seacocks the balsa core is ramped down to a single skin, and the floor matrix around the iron T-bulb keel looks suitably chunky. She is built to full CE certification for Category A, Ocean, and her designers chose moderate hull proportions with a relatively deep canoe body to encourage good behaviour.

Three keel options were offered: a standard fin, a shallow fin, and a racing fin, all cast iron T-bulbs. The standard T-bulb fin reduces draught by nearly 10 inches compared to the racing fin, while the shallow fin trades performance for 4 feet 8 inches of draught. With an L/B of 3.01 and a beam carried aft to a very broad transom—78 percent of maximum beam at the stern—she is a beamy boat of moderate displacement, with the standard model posting a D/L of 168.

Rig and Handling

The keel-stepped 9/10ths Seldén rig is supported by Dyeform rigging over two sets of swept spreaders, with 19-degree sweep. The standard jib carries a 107-percent LP and the headstay is pulled aft about eight inches from the stem; a 32:1 Dyneema backstay and below-decks furling drum keep the jib tack low. Deck hardware is principally Harken, and the mainsheet traveler spans the cockpit just forward of the primary winches.

Writing in Practical Boat Owner, test sailors found the revised rudder blade—reduced chord and increased depth after British dealer requests—gave a finger-light helm with a limpet-like grip, continuing to bite upwind even with the gunwale under water at about 40 degrees heel. The boat could be spun extremely fast if necessary thanks to the short keel chord and large rudder right aft. She logged just over 6 knots hard on the wind in 19 knots of breeze, tacking through little over 70 degrees, and reached 8 knots on a beam reach, eager to surf on small quarter-waves, while carrying the slightest weather helm.

Accommodations

Below, the Dehler 32 places a big enclosed double quarterberth tucked under the cockpit—large, but access will be tight. Forward, hanging lockers sit just aft of a V-berth whose toe is not too narrow because volume is pushed forward by the minimal bow overhang; the forecabin is a dive-in-and-kick-the-door-shut affair. The galley is small, yet the nav station is generous for a 32-footer, with a workable chart table though limited pilot-book stowage. Sculpted coamings aid cockpit seating, and a self-stowing washboard plus dished companionway steps in untreated timber show thoughtful details.

Known Issues

Testers noted a split pulpit that can catch the jib when hardening up from a reach, and the absence of non-slip on the coachroof abaft the mast. The main hatch is perilously free-running. The heads inlet sits so close to the waterline that pumping on starboard tack beyond a few degrees of heel is ineffective, and under sail she appeared down at the bow even unladen. On wheel-steered boats the large double-spoked wheel makes grabbing the mainsheet overhead awkward.

Refits and Ownership

The rudder change to a deeper, narrower blade followed persistent dealer feedback and markedly improved helm feel. A folding propeller comes standard, and the Volvo D1-20 saildrive (or Yanmar 3YM20 in some records) is reachable from all four sides; a calorifier tank mounts above the engine. The cockpit is open with a locker to starboard running full depth that houses the fuel and holding tank. An aluminium rig and iron keel were kept to control price, and a moulded upstand toerail with folding D-rings replaces the usual alloy rail.

The Verdict

The Dehler 32 is a well-resolved small-family performance cruiser: stiff, quick, and forgiving on the helm, with a real ocean-certified structure and a roomy if quirky interior. The known annoyances are mostly deck-level and manageable.

Pros