Compared with the original Irwin, the Endeavour version is listed by the builder as four inches wider, four inches longer overall, and six inches longer on the waterline. Robbins also revised the coach-roof line and port layout, altered the cockpit coaming, added interior storage and access, reworked the galley, and introduced integral companionway stairs and a teak cabin sole.
Design and Construction
The hull is a single molded unit of polyester resin, fiberglass woven roving, and multidirectional chopped-strand fiber. The keel is molded integrally with the hull and carries all 5,000 pounds of lead ballast inside, rather than in a bolted-on external shoe.
The deck and cockpit form another single molded assembly made from the same materials. Plywood coring between the fiberglass skins stiffens the cabin top, deck, seats, and cockpit sole. The flange-type hull-to-deck joint was liberally coated with adhesive-sealant during assembly and secured with stainless steel thru-bolts.
Pigmented gelcoat forms the exterior finish. The boot and sheer stripes are permanently molded into the hull in gelcoat, while the deck has molded-in non-skid. The rudder consists of a single piece of solid high-density foam covered with fiberglass and gelcoat. Its solid stainless steel post is welded to an internal steel blade.
Writing in Practical Sailor, reviewers recorded a higher-than-average number of owner complaints about gelcoat on these boats. One owner reported extensive deck delamination, while a surveyor found loose tabbing around a forward-cabin bulkhead in a single example.
Rig and Handling
The Endeavour 32 carries a simple, single-spreader masthead sloop rig. The mast is deck-stepped over an internal supporting post, and the spars are extruded from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. Early Kenyon masts and booms offered single reefing, with sheets led about two-thirds aft to a companionway traveler.
Standing rigging is stainless steel wire: quarter-inch for the forestay, backstay, and upper shrouds, and three-sixteenths for the lowers. All chainplate areas have additional molded fiberglass reinforcement. The original halyards were wire rope with Dacron tails, led externally to Lewmar 32 winches on the mast. Sheets lead to Lewmar 40 self-tailing winches in the cockpit.
Test sailors found that the narrow beam gives good directional stability, keeps the bow from digging in, and helps the hull avoid pounding in a seaway. The boat heels early and extends her waterline as she loads up. Displacement and wetted surface, however, hold her back in very light air, and owners report that she feels underpowered below ten knots.
In a breeze, she regularly sails as close as 45 degrees and particularly likes reaching. Downwind, she can feel squirrely: the curvy stern and shallow fins increase her tendency to lose steerage when waves overtake her.
Accommodations
The interior is built around a molded fiberglass unit, pre-assembled and lowered into a hull already holding ballast and engine. Varnished teak and soft white overheads finish the space above a teak parquet sole. Headroom is about 6 feet 3 to 4 inches.
The layout starts with a forward V-berth, with the head to port and lockers to starboard. Aft is the main salon, fitted with a fold-up dining table. The port settee pulls out to form a double berth, while the starboard settee remains a single. Farther aft, a pilot berth lies to port, with the galley to starboard. The original galley included a large icebox and a gimbaled three-burner alcohol or gas stove with an oven.
The boat is listed with six berths, although only three are considered legitimate sea berths: the two main settees and the port quarterberth. There’s no door between the main and forward cabins, though a privacy curtain was optional.
During production, the original stepped cabin trunk was replaced by a slightly tapered, more modern trunk. Owners’ biggest interior complaint is the lack of a navigation station or chart table.
Machinery and Systems
Every Endeavour 32 came with diesel power. From 1975 through 1977, the standard engine was a 12-horsepower Yanmar 1QM, although some boats from those years have a Westerbeke L-25 or a Yanmar 2QM20 rated at 22 hp. The larger Yanmar became standard in 1978, while a roughly 24-horsepower, three-cylinder Universal was offered as a late-model option.
In the early 1980s, Yanmar introduced its GM series. The 2GMD replaced the 2QM, and a 22-horsepower 3GMD was added. A two-bladed, 16-inch fixed propeller was standard, with a three-blade propeller optional.
The companionway stairs can be removed for engine access, though the engine compartment has no sound insulation. Much of the wiring runs high beneath accessible side-deck panels. It uses 10-gauge stranded copper wire with crimp connectors, and metals below the waterline are bonded to the common ground. The standard battery bank consists of two 12-volt batteries wired in parallel and charged by a 35-amp Hitachi alternator.
Known Issues
Gelcoat drew a higher-than-average number of owner complaints, and isolated reports include extensive deck delamination and loose tabbing around a forward-cabin bulkhead. One owner also found flaking gelcoat inside the integral fiberglass water tank beneath the forward berths.
Older boats have no deck fill for the forward water tank. There are also no deck scuppers to clear cockpit or deck water. On centerboard versions, owners have complained about the exposed pennant: with the board down, about three feet of wire remains vulnerable beneath the boat.
The Verdict
The Endeavour 32 is a narrow, easily handled cruiser-racer with a one-piece molded hull, internal ballast, a practical six-berth interior, and a rig that a small crew can manage. She rewards reaching and moderate breezes but is frankly slow in light air and weak on close-winded performance. Cosmetic gelcoat complaints and a few structural oddities reported in isolated boats are the main caveats.
Pros
- Integral molded keel, with all lead ballast carried inside the solid fiberglass hull
- Narrow beam and early-heeling hull provide stable, non-pounding motion and good directional control
- Practical interior with three true sea berths and a large original icebox
- Simple, accessible rig and wiring that a small crew can maintain
Cons
- Underpowered and sluggish below 10 knots, with weak pointing ability due to the outboard shrouds
- No deck scuppers; no forward deck water fill on older boats; exposed centerboard pennant on centerboard models
- Higher-than-average number of gelcoat complaints, with occasional reports of deck delamination and loose bulkhead tabbing
- No navigation station or chart table, and no door to the forward cabin without the optional curtain
