Design and Construction
The hull is molded in fiberglass and the boat carries a long keel, giving it the directional stability and grounding tolerance typical of traditional cruising hulls rather than the fin-and-skeg fashion of later decades. At a length overall of just under 32 feet with an 11-foot beam, the Fales sits on a length-to-beam ratio of 2.84, a proportion that the review on yachtdatabase.com places among the roomier layouts in its class, more spacious than 79 percent of comparable designs anchor. The displacement-length ratio of 307 puts her firmly in the "heavy cruiser" category, and only 27 percent of similar sailboats are heavier; that mass, paired with a 35 percent ballast ratio (itself higher than 21 percent of rivals), explains much of her sea-kindly character.
Performance and Seakeeping
Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 35.1 is exceptional for the size, with the same review concluding she is more comfortable than 95 percent of all similar sailboat designs anchor. The capsize screening value of 1.74 and a theoretical hull speed of 7.2 knots frame her as a steady, protected-waters-and-offshore cruiser rather than a racer. An immersion rate of about 202 kg per centimeter (1,132 pounds per inch) tells the buyer that she sits deep and moves little under load change, while the wetted surface of roughly 30 square meters is the area an owner must keep faired and antifouled. The draft ranges from 1.07 to 1.17 meters depending on load, around 3.5 to 3.8 feet, shallow enough for gunkholing yet stable under ballast.
Rig and Sail Handling
The cutter rig carries a sail plan supported by straightforward running rigging estimates: jib and genoa sheets of 9.7 meters at 12 mm diameter, a mainsheet of 24.1 meters at the same diameter, and spinnaker sheets of 21.2 meters. Those lengths matter when re-rigging or replacing worn lines, as the mainsheet in particular is long enough to require careful routing and purchase planning. The cutter configuration itself suits a short-handed crew who prefer to divide the foretriangle into manageable staysail and genoa sections.
Accommodations
The beamy hull and heavy-cruiser displacement translate into interior volume that the design ratios suggest is well above average for a 32-foot boat. The roominess implied by the length-to-beam comparison is a defining trait of the model's livability at anchor or on a long passage.
The Verdict
The Fales Navigator 32 is a low-production, heavily built Crealock-Street cruiser whose comfort and volume figures outclass most peers of the era. She rewards an owner who values motion ease and interior room over speed or resale liquidity, and her long keel and shallow draft suit varied cruising grounds.
Pros
- Motion Comfort Ratio of 35.1, surpassing 95% of similar designs
- Roomy beamy layout, more spacious than 79% of comparable boats
- Heavy-cruiser displacement and long keel for stable, predictable handling
Cons
- Very few built, limiting spares interchange and owner-network support
- Modest 7.2-knot hull speed caps pace under power or sail
