Design and Construction
The hull is a single molded unit of polyester resin with fiberglass woven roving and multidirectional chopped strand fiber, and the keel is molded integrally with the hull, carrying all 5,000 pounds of lead ballast inside rather than in a bolted-on external shoe anchor. The deck and cockpit are likewise a single molded assembly of the same materials, with plywood coring laid between fiberglass skins in the cabin top, deck, seats, and cockpit sole to add stiffness. The hull-to-deck joint is a flange type, liberally coated with an adhesive-sealant during assembly and fastened with stainless steel thru-bolts. Exterior finish is pigmented gelcoat molded onto the fiberglass, with boot and sheer stripes permanently gelcoat-molded into the hull and non-skid molded into the deck. The rudder is a single piece of solid high-density foam with a fiberglass skin and gelcoat, its solid stainless steel post 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 anchor, and 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, deck-stepped with an internal supporting post. Spars are extruded aluminum 6061-T6 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 forestay, backstay, and uppers, three-sixteenths for lowers—and all chainplate areas carry additional molded fiberglass reinforcement. Halyards were originally wire rope with Dacron tails, run externally to Lewmar 32 winches on the mast; sheets go to Lewmar 40 self-tailing winches in the cockpit. Test sailors found the narrow beam gives good directional stability and keeps the bow from digging in, and that the hull almost never pounds in a seaway. She heels early and extends her waterline as loaded, but displacement and wetted surface keep her from moving in very light air; owners report her underpowered below ten knots. She regularly sails as close as 45 degrees in a breeze, loves reaching, and can feel squirrely downwind, where the curvy stern and shallow fins increase the tendency to lose steerage when overtaken by waves.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is a molded fiberglass unit pre-assembled and dropped into a hull already holding ballast and engine, then finished with varnished teak and soft white overheads over a teak parquet sole. The layout runs from a forward V-berth, with head to port and lockers to starboard, into a main salon with a fold-up dining table; the port settee pulls out to a double, the starboard is a single, and aft to port is a pilot berth with the galley to starboard originally fitted with an icebox and a gimbaled three-burner alcohol or gas stove with oven. Six berths are listed, with three legitimate sea berths being the two main settees and the port quarterberth. Headroom is about 6 feet 3 to 4 inches. The original stepped cabin trunk gave way mid-production to a slightly tapered modern trunk; there is no door between main and forward cabins, though a privacy curtain was optional. The lack of a navigation station or chart table stands as the biggest interior complaint among owners.
Known Issues
Beyond the gelcoat and delamination reports, older boats have no deck fill for the forward water tank, and there are no deck scuppers to clear cockpit or deck water. One owner found flaking gelcoat inside the integral fiberglass water tank under the forward berths. Centerboard versions draw complaints about an exposed pennant—about three feet of wire left vulnerable below the boat with the board down. The engine compartment has no sound insulation.
Refits and Ownership
All Endeavour 32s came with diesel power. The 1975–77 standard was a 12-horsepower Yanmar 1QM, with some Westerbeke L-25 or Yanmar 2QM20 (22 hp) examples in the same years; the larger Yanmar became standard in 1978, and a roughly 24-horsepower three-cylinder Universal was a late-model option. Early 1980s brought Yanmar’s GM series, the 2GMD replacing the 2QM and a 22-horsepower 3GMD added. The two-bladed 16-inch fixed prop was standard, a three-blade optional. Wiring is largely high and accessible under side-deck panels, 10-gauge stranded copper with crimp connectors, and below-waterline metals are bonded to the common ground. The stairs remove for engine access, and the standard battery pair is two 12-volt units in parallel charged by a 35-amp Hitachi alternator.
The Verdict
The Endeavour 32 is a narrow, easily handled cruiser-racer with a solidly molded one-piece hull and inside ballast, a practical six-berth interior, and a rig that small crews can manage. She rewards reaching and moderate breeze but is honestly slow in light air and weak on close-winded performance. Cosmetic gelcoat gripes and a few structural oddities in isolated boats are the main caveats.
Pros
- Integral molded keel with all lead ballast inside a solid fiberglass hull
- Narrow beam and early-heeling hull give 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 for a small crew to maintain
Cons
- Underpowered and sluggish below 10 knots; weak pointing due to outboard shrouds
- No deck scuppers, no forward deck water fill on older boats, exposed centerboard pennant on board models
- Higher-than-average gelcoat complaints; occasional deck delamination and loose bulkhead tabbing reported
- No navigation station or chart table; no door forward without the optional curtain
