Design and Construction
The Fuji 32’s most distinctive visual feature is her bald-clipper bow. It carries too little reverse and would benefit from trailboards to set it off.
Beneath that styling is a conservative, robust structure: a solid fiberglass hull and deck, 4,635 pounds of iron ballast, and a long shoal keel drawing 3 feet 8 inches. She displaces 13,115 pounds on a 24-foot-9-inch waterline and has a beam of just under 10 feet.
With a displacement-to-length ratio of 386 and a comfort ratio of 36, the Fuji is unusually heavy and damped for her size. Her husky character is expected to handle heavy weather better than lighter comparative yachts. Her capsize screening figure is 1.67, well below the 2.0 threshold cited for offshore-capable boats, marking her as a sound sea boat on paper.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The ketch sailplan carries 471 square feet of canvas. Among her comparison group, however, the Fuji has the highest displacement, the greatest wetted area, and the lowest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of the three. As a result, she is the slowest of that set in light to medium air.
She earns her keep offshore in a brisk breeze. With a good mizzen staysail and a following sea, she might well be the steadiest and most pleasant of the three for a couple to handle. The long shoal keel tracks steadily, even in disturbed water. Together, the keel and ketch rig allow her to be trimmed to sail herself for long periods—always a welcome trait in a small yacht.
The 3-foot-8-inch draft also suits quiet coastal cruising and exploring snug coves when the boat isn’t on a bluewater passage.
Documentation and Systems
The builder’s documentation for the Fuji 32 is unusually complete for a production boat of this era. The available material includes:
- An owner’s manual
- A brochure
- Plan drawings showing the various systems
- A DC voltage diagram
- A holding-tank and bilge-system plan
- A diesel-engine piping diagram
- A fresh-water piping plan
- A lighting plan
- Cutaway side views
- Ketch specification documents
That paper trail indicates the boat was engineered as a proper cruiser, with discrete plumbing and electrical systems rather than systems treated as an afterthought. It also gives a refit owner a rare advantage: the original drawings to work from.
Known Issue
The one design caveat raised by a reviewer concerns the Fuji’s shoal draft. Because of the shallow keel, the same assessor suggested adding a little more ballast if an ocean voyage was planned.
This isn’t a defect in casual use, but it is a noted limitation of the light-ballast shoal configuration when the boat is loaded for extended offshore work. A prospective bluewater buyer should weigh that point against the Fuji’s otherwise strong heavy-weather character.
The Verdict
The Fuji 32 is a heavy, steady, well-documented ketch that trades light-air speed for offshore composure and easy coastal cruising. She is first and foremost a couple’s boat: forgiving in a seaway, able to sail herself for long periods, and supported by a complete set of original drawings that few rivals of her vintage can match.
Her shoal keel is the defining compromise—a benefit in coves and a caution on an ocean crossing.
Pros
- A capsize screening figure of 1.67 and a high comfort ratio mark her as a stable, heavy-weather-capable small yacht
- The long shoal keel tracks steadily and suits coastal exploration
- Complete builder documentation includes system plans and cutaway drawings
- The ketch rig, with a mizzen staysail option, can be trimmed to let her sail herself for long periods
Cons
- The highest displacement and wetted area, combined with the lowest sail-area-to-displacement ratio, make her the slowest of the three comparison boats in light to medium air
- Her shoal draft prompted a reviewer to suggest additional ballast for ocean voyages
