Design and Construction
Hollman and Eickholt's joint effort yielded a monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, its hull a fiberglass sandwich cored with Viny foam rather than solid glass. Longitudinal stringers and transverse floor timbers reinforce the shell, while bulkheads are fiberglassed to the hull for structural continuity. The hull-to-deck joint is an inward-turning flange that is through-bolted, filled with sealant, coated with fiberglass, and topped with a teak caprail. With a displacement of 35,175 pounds and 14,350 pounds of lead ballast, the boat carries a ballast-to-displacement ratio of about 40.8 percent and a comfort ratio near 35.5, figures that place her firmly among serious offshore cruisers rather than light-displacement weekenders.
Rig and Handling
The FD-12 wears a masthead cutter rig with a keel-stepped mast supported by double spreaders and stainless steel wire rigging. Sail area runs about 1,200 square feet, giving a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of roughly 15.9 — enough to keep her moving without demanding a large crew. A spinnaker or asymmetrical cruising chute can be flown downwind. Her displacement-length ratio of about 212 and a capsize screening figure near 1.7 speak to a vessel built for bluewater work. Writing in Practical Sailor in June 2000, the magazine called her an impressive performer despite its repulsive stern and judged the FD-12 a serious world cruiser with a custom interior.
Accommodations
No two FD-12 interiors are alike, since each was customized to suit the owner's taste and needs, but the general plan runs to three cabins finished in teak woodwork. A forward owner's stateroom pairs with an ensuite head and shower, while the main saloon holds a U-shaped dinette and a settee opposite. Aft, two single berths share another head and shower. The galley sits to port of the companionway and the navigation station to starboard, a practical separation of wet and dry workspace that suits extended voyaging.
Known Issues
Some owners report leaks from deck fittings or windows, and corrosion on the stainless steel parts is another recurring complaint. The same owners note difficulty finding spare parts or service for such a rare boat, a consequence of the tiny production run of 23 hulls.
Refits and Ownership
Owning one of these cutters means accepting a bespoke vessel with a bespoke support problem: the limited number built means little aftermarket ecosystem. The teak caprail and teak interior, the cored hull, and the flush deck all reward attentive maintenance, and the customized layouts mean any survey must assess the specific boat rather than a class standard.
The Verdict
The Flying Dutchman 12 is a rare, thoughtfully engineered bluewater cutter born of a designer-builder partnership with a clear voyaging brief. Her cored hull, custom teak interior, and balanced performance numbers mark her as a serious cruiser, but the small fleet and owner-reported leaks, corrosion, and parts scarcity are real ownership considerations.
Pros
- Collaborative Hollman-Eickholt design with proven offshore intent
- Cored, reinforced hull with secure bulkhead bonding and flanged deck joint
- Custom three-cabin teak interior suited to long-range living
- Strong sail-area-to-displacement and capsize-screening figures
Cons
- Only 23 built, complicating spares and service
- Owner reports of deck-fitting and window leaks
- Reported corrosion on stainless steel components