Design and Pedigree
Ron Holland drew the 1350 during a period when the Kirie yard acquired Kelt Marine in 1986, absorbing its designs into the Feeling range. What set the 1350 apart in the contemporary Feeling catalog was temperament: Yachting Monthly noted her racing success in the 1986 Route du Rhum and described her as much sportier than her smaller contemporaries, a judgment consistent with a 40-percent ballast-to-displacement ratio and a 2.01 capsize screen that speak to a stiff, seakindly hull form rather than a soft cruising hull racing success in the Route du Rhum in 1986.
Hull and Construction
The Kirie-era build method placed hand-laid fiberglass hulls — chopped strand mat and woven rovings with orthophthalic resin — beneath a balsa-cored superstructure, with the hull-to-deck joint made on a flush horizontal inward flange, through-bolted, capped by an aluminum toe-rail and laminated over inside. The lead ballast of 8,800 pounds sits in a fin-keel configuration drawing 7 feet 6 inches, paired with a spade rudder. A 209 displacement-to-length ratio and 26 comfort ratio place her firmly in the performance-cruiser band: substantial enough for ocean work, light enough on her lines to reward sail trim.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop carrying roughly 1,150 square feet of sail area against 22,050 pounds of displacement, the 1350 posts a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 23.5 — lively without being twitchy. The 50-horsepower Perkins diesel, driving directly, gives a sensible power margin for a boat this size, and 47 gallons of fuel alongside 155 gallons of water support extended passages. Her 8-knot hull speed is the natural ceiling for the waterline, but the light-air acceleration noted by period reviewers is the more useful trait for a cruiser who still wants to sail.
Accommodations
Yachting Monthly characterized the interior as inventive but sparse, an honest appraisal of a boat whose brief favored sailing ability over floating condominium. Versions were offered with anywhere from four to eight berths, allowing owners to choose between guest capacity and stowage. The 14-foot beam yields real volume amidships, yet the design language stayed restrained rather than lavish — attractive, functional, and uncluttered rather than opulent.
The Verdict
The Feeling 1350 is a Ron Holland performance cruiser that earned her credentials in offshore racing and translated them into a capable, if understated, long-distance cruiser. She is quick for her length, well-built in the Kirie tradition, and offered in berth counts to suit either the couple or the charter-minded owner.
Pros
- Holland-designed hull with proven Route du Rhum pedigree
- Stiff, seakindly proportions (40% ballast ratio, 2.01 capsize screen)
- Inventive, attractive interior available in four- to eight-berth layouts
- Strong sail-area-to-displacement ratio for a 22,050-pound boat
Cons
- Accommodation described as sparse rather than luxurious
- Fixed deep fin keel limits shallow-water access
