Design and Lineage
Michel Joubert and Bernard Nivelt drew the 352 in 1988, continuing a long collaboration with Gibert Marine that had already produced the Gib'Sea 28 and 126. The boat sat at the smaller end of the yard's cruiser range and entered a market dominated by the Oceanis and Sun Odyssey ranges.
The 352 measured 34' 7" overall, with a 27' 10" waterline and a beamy 11' 4" hull. She displaced 9,700 lbs and carried 2,500 lb of iron ballast. Buyers could choose between a shallow 4' 0" draught and a deeper 5' 7" option offered with an iron fin keel and skeg-hung rudder.
Yachting Monthly noted that the 352 struggled to compete with the Oceanis and Sun Odyssey ranges and that sales were disappointing. Yachting Monthly noted that the 352 struggled to compete with those ranges and that sales were disappointing, a fate that kept her in production for only about five years.
Construction
The 352 followed Gibert Marine's late-1980s practice of using solid fiberglass hull laminates and a balsa-cored deck. Period construction used an inward-turning hull flange, with the deck secured by mechanical fasteners and adhesive.
In standard form, the shallow iron fin keel gave the boat a modest 4' 0" draught. The deeper 5' 7" keel was available for sailors who wanted more grip to windward. Displacement is listed as 9,700 lbs, though one source cites 9,259 lb. With a ballast-displacement ratio of 25.77, the 352 was a moderately loaded cruiser rather than a lightweight racer.
Rig, Handling, and Engine
The sloop rig carried a stated 652 sq ft of sail area on the 34' 7" hull, producing a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of around 17.3. That was enough to keep her moving in a cruising breeze without demanding a large crew.
The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder gave predictable steering. Auxiliary power came from a 28 BHP Yanmar 3GM30 diesel, fitted almost universally across the fleet, for maneuvering and battery charging.
Accommodations
Gibert Marine offered the 352 with two interior layouts. The Master, or owner's, version had one large aft cabin and a rather larger aft heads while preserving more space in the forecabin.
The charter version placed twin aft cabins around a large, outward-facing chart table and a spacious saloon. Its compact heads moved forward, costing the forecabin some room. The twin aft cabins were only marginally smaller than the Master version's single aft cabin, but this arrangement much reduced cockpit-locker space.
Yachting Monthly described the owner's form as not a bad family cruiser.
Verdict
The Gib'Sea 352 is a spacious, reasonably well-equipped cruiser aimed mainly at the charter trade, but with a credible owner's layout. Her Joubert-Nivelt pedigree and solid construction make her a sensible small-family voyager. Disappointing sales in her day, however, mean that fewer examples are afloat than competing Oceanis and Sun Odyssey models.
Pros
- Two genuine layout choices: a Master version with one aft cabin or a charter version with twin aft cabins
- Beam and waterline provide a roomy, modern interior for a 35 ft boat
- Almost universal use of the Yanmar 3GM30 diesel simplifies spares
Cons
- Disappointing original sales limited the size of the fleet
- The twin-cabin version sacrifices cockpit stowage
- The charter layout loses forecabin space to the forward heads
